The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) Combined Project Information Documents / Integrated Safeguards Datasheet (PID/ISDS) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 23-Dec-2019 | Report No: PIDISDSA26636 May 06, 2019 Page 1 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Timor-Leste P166744 Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC 09-Dec-2019 26-Mar-2020 Education Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Investment Project Financing Democratic Republic of Ministry of Education, Timor-Leste Youth and Sports Proposed Development Objective(s) To improve the learning environment of basic education schools and increase the efficiency and equity of basic education programs. Components Component 1: Developing 21st Century Learning Spaces Component 2: Improving Teacher Effectiveness Component 3: Improving TLM and Student Assessment Component 4: Data Driven Planning, Budgeting, Financing and Implementation Component 5: Project Implementation and Management PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 23.55 Total Financing 23.55 of which IBRD/IDA 15.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing May 06, 2019 Page 2 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) International Development Association (IDA) 15.00 IDA Credit 15.00 Non-World Bank Group Financing Other Sources 8.55 Education For All 8.55 Environmental Assessment Category B-Partial Assessment Decision The review did authorize the team to appraise and negotiate Other Decision (as needed) B. Introduction and Context Country Context A. Country Context 1. Timor-Leste has made important strides towards securing lasting peace and stability since 2002. When Timor-Leste became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century in May 2002, public infrastructure, including schools, universities, hospitals, roads, ports and airports, water and sanitation systems, and other government facilities, was either non-existent, destroyed or severely dilapidated. Additionally, Timor-Leste’s institutional frameworks were weak, extreme poverty and hunger the norm, and conflict and violence were ongoing threats. Shortages of human capital were equally severe, with few Timorese having government experience or the necessary skills and formal education for professional services or business. While there remain elevated internal and external risks that may yet thwart further development, Timor-Leste today is a more peaceful and democratic nation, having gone through two planned presidential elections since 2012. 2. Timor-Leste is considered a lower middle-income country, with a non-oil per capita GDP of US$ 1,618 in 2017. Economic growth has been driven largely by the oil and gas sector, which accounted for about 61 percent of GDP in 20171, and represents almost 90 percent of government revenues and 99.5 percent of total exports (IMF, 2017). The non-oil and gas sector of the economy has grown about 10 percent annually since 2006, largely based on state capital expenditure. The construction sector has been driven by public infrastructure investment, and together with the public sector, local commerce, and agriculture and fisheries, dominates the non-oil and gas economy of Timor-Leste. Furthermore, declining oil production 1 This represents a steep decline from 2015 when the oil and gas sector accounted for 70 percent of GDP. May 06, 2019 Page 3 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) due to both external factors and decreasing oil reserves, have contributed to a fall in GNI from a peak of US$4.6 billion in current prices in 2011 to US$2.6 billion in 2017. 3. Poverty levels remain very high with more than 40 percent of the population lacking the minimum resources needed to satisfy basic needs. Based on the latest Survey of Living Standards (2014/15), 30 percent of the population live below the $1.90 a day international poverty line. Various other surveys2 indicate that half of all children suffer from stunting due to a lack of adequate nutrition and calorie consumption. 4. Sustainable, long term, job creation is a key objective for Timor-Leste. Job creation is a key priority for the government for accelerating growth and prosperity. The government’s strategy is to take advantage of the demographic dividend, and avoid the possible negative social impacts of a large and growing number of unemployed youth and adults. However, there is a recognition that it is important to control the continued expansion of the public sector, and instead put in place policies and strategies to support the growth of the private sector. 5. Timor-Leste will need to foster a private sector that can create jobs for its fast-growing working age population. The population of Timor-Leste has been growing steadily at an annual rate of over 2 percent since independence in 2002. According to the Census 2015, the total population of the country is 1,183,643 individuals, of which 50.8 percent are male and 49.2 percent female. The population under 15 years of age comprises 39.1 percent of the total, with 48.7 percent of the population under 18 years of age. This high proportion of the young population imposes enormous pressure on the education system and creates a major challenge in providing education services. At the same time, it also offers great potential for the development of the future workforce that, if properly qualified, could lead Timor-Leste toward a period of remarkable productivity and economic growth. 6. The development of public institutions that enable the private sector, provide public services, and are accountable is a long process that needs to be sustained over time. In Timor-Leste, a resource- rich country, there is a heightened risk that institutional development may become stalled by entrenched interest groups and rent-seeking. The 2017 World Development Report on Governance and the Law highlights the criticality of institutional development and how political economy concerns should be integrated into development programs, particularly for countries like Timor-Leste that seek to make the transition out of fragility. 7. Vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change amplifies development challenges in Timor-Leste. Located in the “Pacific Ring of Fire�, the country faces a substantial risk of earthquakes and potentially tsunamis in a few points on the southern coast. Cyclones also affect Timor-Leste often and bring heavy rains and associated floods. The country’s mountainous terrain is also prone to intense rainfalls, flooding, and frequent landslides. These natural disasters often damage or destroy public infrastructure, such as roads and schools, and private homes. Timor-Leste is also vulnerable to climate change, which is projected to increase the country’s exposure to climate-related disasters. Climate projections for Timor-Leste can be summarized as follow: increase in temperature by 0.4-1.0 degree Celsius by 2030; (i) rise in number of hot days; (ii) sea-level rise (iii) increase in wet season rainfall; (iv) increase in extreme rainfall days; and (v) decrease in frequency but likely increase in intensity of tropical cyclones.3 These projected changes 2 For example, the Demographic Health Survey (2010) 3 Government of Timor-Leste (2016) Intended Nationally-Determined Contributions (INDC), submitted to the United Nations May 06, 2019 Page 4 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) could lead to more intense disaster events which damage public infrastructure, disrupt livelihoods, and contribute to trapping populations in disaster-prone areas in the cycle of vulnerability and poverty. Sectoral and Institutional Context 8. Since its independence, Timor-Leste has expressed a strong commitment towards education, as stated in the 2002 Constitution, the 2008 Basic Law of Education and the 2011-2030 National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP). The 2002 Constitution of the Republic of Timor-Leste states the following to establish the State's obligations regarding education: (i) "The State shall promote education, health and vocational training for the youth as may be practicable" (Article 19, no. 2) and (ii) "The State shall recognize and guarantee that every citizen has the right to education" (Article 59, no. 1). The Basic Law of Education in 2008 established the legal framework for the education system., Through this law, the State guarantees the right to education to all citizens and becomes responsible for promoting the democratization of education, ensuring the right to fair and effective equal opportunities in school access and achievements (Article 2). Finally, the 2011-2030 NSDP establishes education as a key area for improving opportunities. The plan establishes that all children must go to school and receive a high-quality education. 9. Public spending on education is expected to increase in 2019 and 2020. In 2016, public spending on education began to decline due to difficulties in approving the national budget. In 2016, total expenditure on education amounted to US$ 123 million, equivalent to 11.9% of the national recurrent expenditures, 7.7% of the national expenditure, and 7.4% of the GDP (non-oil). In 2017 and 2018, the education expenditure declined to US$ 115 million and US$ 100 million, respectively, in line with the overall decline in public expenditure because of political circumstances. Nonetheless, the shares of education expenditure in national recurrent expenditure and national expenditure were maintained during this period. With the establishment of the new government in 2018, however, the education budget for 2019 increased to US$ 149 million, representing an impressive increase of 49% compared to the education expenditure in 2018; and it is expected to increase further in 2020 to reach US$ 185 million. This will constitute around 12% of the national recurrent budget, 10% of the national budget and 10% of the GDP, making Timor Leste’s investments in the education sector one of the largest in the world in terms of the percentage of GDP spent on education. 10. Timor-Leste faces overall human capital challenges. In the recently released Human Capital Index (HCI)4, which measures the amount of human capital a child born today can expect to attain by age 18, Timor-Leste ranks 118 out of 157. Overall, a child born in Timor-Leste today will be 43 percent as productive when she grows up as she could be if she had enjoyed complete education and full health. The analysis by component shows that 95 out of 100 children born in Timor-Leste will survive to age 5 and a child who starts school at age 4 can expect to attend 9.9 years of school by their 18th birthday. But when Framework Convention on Climate Change 4 The HCI conveys the productivity of the next generation of workers compared to a benchmark of complete education and full health. It is made up of five indicators: (i) the probability of surviv al to age five, (ii) a child’s expected years of schooling, (iii) harmonized test scores as a measure of quality of learning, (iv) adult survival rate (fraction of 15-year olds that will survive to age 60), and (v) the proportion of children who are not stunted. The HCI is constructed for 157 countries. May 06, 2019 Page 5 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) factoring in what children learn in school, the learning-adjusted expected years of schooling is only 5.9 years, which represents a learning gap of 4 years. 11. The schooling system is organized from pre-primary or pre-schooling to higher education, with nine years of compulsory Basic Education. The State is expected to “ensure the existence of a public service network of preschool education� as per the Education System Framework Law. There are numerous modalities through which preschool programs are offered including locally-administered kindergartens, private, collective or individual preschool programs, parents and tenants’ associations, religious orders, etc. The State bears the primary responsibility for providing Basic Education which is the focus of this project. Basic education covers the first nine years of schooling and is divided into three cycles. Cycle 1 covers 4 years or the equivalent of Grades 1-4; Cycle 2 covers 2 years or the equivalent of Grades 5-6, and Cycle 3 covers 3 year or the equivalent of Grades 7-9. Secondary school lasts for 3 years or the equivalent of Grades 10-12. Primary education is expected to be compulsory, universal and free. 12. The number of students in Timor-Leste has increased significantly in recent years, although data inconsistencies make telling a precise story difficult. In 2018, 302,447 students5 attended basic education in Timor-Leste, up from 267,038 in 2008/09. Enrollment rates are high in the first two cycles of basic education, but they decline in the third cycle and secondary education. In 2018, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) was 111 percent in the first cycle of primary education, 112 percent in the second cycle and 95 percent in the third cycle. In secondary education, the GER is 65 percent. The high GER in primary education reflects low efficiency in the education system, particularly in the first cycle of basic education. In 2015, net enrollment rate for the first cycle was 81.9 percent. However, data quality remains a serious issues and from year to year there are declines that most likely are due to measurement error, and not a reflection of actual trends (because of the sizeable and growing youth population). Figure 1 illustrates that Timor-Leste is performing well below where it is expected to be given the country’s per capita income. Clearly, Timor Leste continues to face substantial challenges in the education sector. Much remains to be done, especially in the areas of quality, efficiency and equity. 13. Education quality, as measured by the standardized tests is low. Comprehensive assessments of student learning in early grades in 2017 show low levels of student learning. The assessments included an Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and a Curriculum Based Assessment (CBA) for Grades 1 and 2. The results in the EGRA test showed that 31 percent of the students were not able to identify a single word at the end of the second grade, while the results of the CBA showed that only 50 percent of these students achieved the competencies prescribed by the curriculum. 5This number represents a significant decline in student numbers across three consecutive years – there were 320,654 in 2016, then 310, 785 in 2017 and 302,447 in 2018. May 06, 2019 Page 6 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) Figure 1: Primary Net Enrolment Rate OECD and East Asian and Pacific Countries and Economies 14. 105.0 y = 3.1285x + 63.672 R² = 0.3425 100.0 MYS ESP GBR SWE NOR PLW FIN JPN FRA DEU ISL VNM SVN NZL BELDNK MAC FJI ITA AUS PRT ISR MMR MNG KOR KHM WSM LAOPHL MEX IRL 95.0 KIR LVAPOL TUR GRCEST HKG CHE CHL BRN HUN 90.0 IDN THA TUV TON VUT 85.0 FSM TLS 80.0 MHL 75.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 10.0 10.5 11.0 11.5 12.0 Log GDP per capita (USD 2011 PPP) Source: Staff Calculations 15. The curriculum and learning materials have recently been revised to reflect good pedagogical practice, but more needs to be done to ensure that the teaching and learning materials (TLMs) are available to all students and are regularly used in the classroom. In order to improve the quality of learning, Timor Leste has created a new curriculum, which is accompanied by a scripted lesson plan for use in the classroom. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MOEYS) has also spent considerable time and effort in providing schools with textbooks and workbooks reflecting the latest curriculum, and encouraging their effective use in the classroom. Random visits to schools have, however, revealed that there are some lingering implementation challenges. Universal TLM coverage has been achieved for grades 1-4, and the MOEYS expects to achieve universal TLM coverage for grades 5-6 by 2020. An area that needs further support, however, is the preparation of a revised curriculum and relevant TLM for the third cycle, and ensuring that they reach all children in grades 7, 8 and 9 in a timely manner. There are also governance issues even in schools where textbooks and workbooks are available in large quantities—there is evidence that the available TLM are often not being used by the students and/ or teachers either because teachers are unwilling to teach the revised curriculum or because they do not want students to spoil the books. While many schools have book corners or libraries, there is limited availability of age and grade- appropriate children’s literature for self-reading, and in many schools there is still little time set aside during the school day for children to read these books on their own. The children also have very little exposure to modern Education Technology (EdTech), which is becoming an increasingly important part of the 21st century teaching-learning environment across the globe. May 06, 2019 Page 7 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) 16. Internal efficiency is low, with high repetition and drop out rates. On average, the repetition rate in primary education is 10 percent, but there are important differences across grades, with a repetition rate of 32 percent in grade 1, and 5 percent in grade 6. Low internal efficiency is mainly a result of the low quality of the learning environment, which itself is the product of many factors. In particular, inefficient allocation of resources to schools resulting from a lack of systematic linkage between budget allocations to schools and the actual needs of these schools is a major issue of concern. The practice of distributing resources to schools without proper verification of school-level data (including the number of students), in particular, has contributed to overcrowded classrooms, lack of adequate number of classrooms in cycle 2 in most rural schools, and inequities in the provision of material and human resources. This in turn has contributed to the overall low quality of the learning environment in schools. While MOEYS has an Education Management Information System (EMIS) as well as a personnel MIS, the use of these systems for policy making is limited. 17. The lack of adequate infrastructure is one of the most pressing issues of concern for Timor- Leste. While there have been some improvements in infrastructure, resulting in reductions in the number of students per classroom from 55 in 2011 to 37 in 2016, these averages often mask significant difference across districts. For example, in Dili, MOEYS data show that there are on average approximately 80 students per classroom, while in Manuhafi that number is 20 students per classroom. In many cases, low student classroom ratios have been achieved by employing double or triple shifts in schools. Furthermore, approximately 40 percent of student in Timor-Leste start their primary education in schools that do not have classrooms for all grades. Available information also indicates poor quality of the existing infrastructure. Given the current trend in population dynamics (an expected 21 percent increase in the 6 to 11-year old population over the next 5 years) and MOEYS’s standards (that the class si ze should be 40 students per class), Timor-Leste will need to construct approximately 1,500 classrooms for basic education in the medium term. 18. An issue affecting both quality and efficiency is the competence of teachers in the system. While formal qualifications of teachers in Timor-Leste have increased, challenges in terms of teacher competences remain. There have been significant improvements in teacher qualifications. In 2016, only 10 percent of basic education teachers did not have the required qualification of the Bachalerato6 degree. However, less than 40 percent of the teachers had obtained the Bachalerato degree from a university, with most teachers having obtained their qualifications through equivalency programs, and teachers usually have limited pedagogical training. Equivalency programs have been implemented jointly by the Universidad Nacional de Timor-Leste (UNTL) and the Instituto Nacional de Formação de Docentes e Profissionais da Educação de Timor-Leste (INFORDEPE)—the in-service teacher training body of MOEYS. Apart from focusing on increasing the number of teachers with a Bachalerato, INFORDEPE has delivered an Intensive Complementary Training Program (ICTP) and provided Teacher Training Licenses to teachers in the first and second cycles of basic education. 19. In addition to the INFORDEPE and UNTL programs, the government has launched an innovative training program. With collaboration of the donor community, the Professional Learning and Mentoring Program (PLMP)was launched in 2016 with the goal of reaching all municipalities and schools within four years (2015-2020). The PLMP underpins mutual support and supervision activities involving 6The Bachalerato certificate is a certification program that includes three years of study upon completion of senior secondary school. May 06, 2019 Page 8 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) teachers and education inspectors. These activities are related to students' learning practices and teachers’ teaching practices, including lesson planning and delivery, classroom management and evaluation activities. The PLMP integrates four key components to stimulate good teaching and learning practices in primary education: a leadership program, mentoring, peer learning groups, and tablets and technology. An initial evaluation indicates improvements in teacher practices in the classroom and student learning. 20. Equity remains a challenge, especially across rural and urban areas, as multi grade and non- Tetum mother tongue environments prevalent in rural areas have not been fully addressed by the new curriculum interventions. Students that participate in the education system in rural areas or have a mother tongue different from Tetum or Portuguese face disadvantages. Teachers in rural areas, in particular, tend to face two major challenges: multi-grade teaching and the high number of students with a mother tongue different from Tetum or Portuguese. Multi-grade classrooms are a consequence of the small size of schools in rural areas give the low population density. The current new curriculum, which is based on a scripted lesson plan, does not address the particular challenges that multi-grade teachers face. More than 50 percent of the students in Timor Leste do not have Tetum or Portuguese as their mother tongue, and rural areas tend to have particularly high concentrations of students with other mother tongues. Teachers have been instructed in the use of the new curriculum, but there is little focus on the mother tongue. 21. The design of the Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation (BEST) project is placed within the context of a framework from the 2018 World Development Report (WDR) . The report emphasizes that there is a global learning crisis. A framework was developed based on extensive evidence to address this crisis, where learning is at the center and that the key ingredients to address learning include: (1) prepared learners, (2) effective teaching, (3) learning-focused inputs at the school level and (4) skilled management and governance. Figure 2: Aligning Education Inputs towards Learning Source: World Development Report 2018 22. The proposed project draws on several studies that have been prepared for Timor-Leste, including an education sector analysis completed in 2017. The 2012 “Building Evidence, Shaping Policy� study, which was a survey supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Bank, audited all schools in Timor-Leste to determine the conditions of schools and to assess the need for additional school buildings. The “School Demand and Supply: Focus on Infrastructure and Teachers� study assessed the demand and supply of school facilities and supply of teachers for 2015 to 2030 to support school planning and help facilitate the functioning of the Ministry. The 2017 “Analysis of the Education May 06, 2019 Page 9 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) Sector (ESA)�, prepared under the leadership of the MOEYS in close consultation with other stakeholders and donors, provided an assessment of the recent evolution and status of the education system. The ESA included an analysis of the major strengths, weaknesses and challenges in the education system, and provided the analysis for updating the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP 2011-2030). It identified key challenges in Timor Leste regarding efficiency, equity and learning. With regards to efficiency, the ESA highlighted the high levels of repetition and drop out among Timor-Leste’s students stating that “of children who enter the first grade of schooling, only 77 percent reach the 6th grade, 67 percent reach the 9th grade and 61 percent reach the 12th grade�. With regard equity, the ESA stated that “The location where children reside also influences access, survival and completion of education at all levels�. With regards learning, it mentioned that while the results in national tests show relatively good student performance, the test does not provide enough differentiation among student results. At the same time, the ESA presented results from an EGRA and EGMA test that showed low levels of learning in Timor Leste. It cited different factors behind these challenges, including limited infrastructure in rural areas, and limited proficiency of teachers in delivering the new curriculum, which also affects the effective utilization of teaching learning materials in the classroom. C. Proposed Development Objective(s) Development Objective(s) (From PAD) To improve the learning environment of basic schools and increase the efficiency and equity of basic education programs. Key Results • Number of students accessing classrooms meeting newly developed 21st Century School Standards7 [learning environment] (disaggregated by gender) • Share of basic education mathematics and language teachers in rural areas who utilize effective teaching approaches in the classroom [equity and learning environment] • Share of students in Cycles 1 and 2 who have and use individual textbooks in the classroom [learning environment] • Verified EMIS data utilized for the preparation of annual budgets and making infrastructure investment decisions [efficiency] • Total number of project beneficiaries ( disaggregated by gender ) • Students benefiting from direct interventions to enhance (disaggregated by gender) 7 This means schools and classrooms (i) which are flexible in design; (ii) where all spaces are fully used and classroom settings can be modified to suit particular learning goals; (iii) where students can learn at their own pace; (iv) where students have increased opportunities for peer to peer learning and can collaborate and solve problems together in multidisciplinary settings; (v) where students can learn and work in settings which would be similar to what they would face in the real world; and (vi) where appropriate ICT can be effectively utilized to enhance the teaching learning process. May 06, 2019 Page 10 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) D. Project Description 23. Delivering quality education services to prepare globally competitive students with 21 st Century skills will require a focus on both cognitive and socio-emotional skills, both of which can be developed through appropriately designed infrastructure, comprehensive and modernized curriculum, well-prepared teachers who demonstrate the needed content knowledge and are well-versed in the modern pedagogical techniques, and finally, children who are eager and prepared to learn. The development of 21st Century learning environments requires a convergence of these multiple inputs with an emphasis on learning. 24. BEST will finance the government’s efforts to improve educational outcomes in Timor-Leste through transformational changes covering physical infrastructure, teaching-learning material, learning assessments, teacher preparation and management, and information systems to support management efficiency of the education sector. BEST comprises four main technical components and a component to support project implementation. It will help align the education system around learning by combining 21st century learning spaces, with well-developed and accessible teaching-learning material and qualified teachers to support learning. The project also begins to lay the foundation for improving educational outcomes by periodically and systematically measuring learning in early grades during implementation Component 1: Developing 21st Century Learning Spaces (IDA US$ 15 million; GPE 0 million) 25. This component supports the ministry in transforming how school infrastructure investments are made, and in the development of infrastructure in schools that are in greatest need. Comprising of two sub-components, it focuses on improving infrastructure planning, and expanding the provision of classrooms and non-academic infrastructure8 meeting minimum standards; 26. The activities under this component help to enhance the efficiency of project investments in infrastructure development by focusing the investments on schools and classrooms that have the greatest needs as identified by a clear system for prioritizing schools and classrooms, and by using standards-based designs. Similarly, they will promote equity in the provision of quality learning spaces as the prioritization criteria will focus on the adequacy of learning environment, including in terms of overcrowding, physical condition, and health hazard; and the most disadvantaged or worst performing schools/classrooms in terms of these criteria will automatically receive more investments. To directly incentivize these results, US$ 4.5 million of the total financing for this component (US$ 15 million) will be tied to the achievement of targets for one disbursement linked indicator (DLI) reflecting the above concepts of efficiency and equity: • Infrastructure development and maintenance based on standards and needs [equity and efficiency] 27. The remaining US$ 10.5 million will be reimbursed upon the submission of expenditures (SOEs) reports. Further details on the DLIs, including their annual targets and associated prices, are presented in Annex 39. 28. Sub-component 1.1: Standards for 21st Century Schools. This sub-component aims to improve MOEYS’s ability to manage the planning, budgeting, designing, financing, construction and maintenance of basic school infrastructure projects, including a system to prioritize school infrastructure investments. This system for infrastructure planning and expansion will then be used for all infrastructure expansion in public schools, regardless of whether the source of financing is domestic or external10. 29. This sub-component will finance (i) capacity building of the MOEYS to systematically prioritize, plan and budget the expansion of academic and non-academic school infrastructure11, recognizing that rehabilitation and expansion of infrastructure will need to be a multi-year effort planned in phases; (ii) development of 21st May 06, 2019 Page 11 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) Century school standards; (iii) development of infrastructure planning guidelines for prioritizing infrastructure investments12; and an infrastructure prioritization plan (iv) the development of an on-line school infrastructure management system or module (linked to the EMIS); (v) the implementation of a school infrastructure census; and (v) the development of standardized school designs13. The prioritization guidelines will initially be tested and applied to prioritize classrooms across a small purposive sample of public schools for which infrastructure data will be collected. The guidelines will be subsequently applied to prioritize the remaining public schools utilizing data from the school infrastructure census. The census will cover all schools in the nation, including both public and private preschools, basic schools and secondary schools. 30. The on-line school infrastructure management system will include regularly updated, detailed information on the infrastructure condition of each school; tools for generating a prioritized list of schools for infrastructure construction and maintenance based on the planning guidelines and prescribed standards; infrastructure monitoring data; and the status of maintenance requests submitted by each school. Information and data collection are not a one-way process. Planning requires the participation of stakeholders at the grassroot level. This bottom up planning approach will be strengthened by standardizing the planning for annual work plans and budgets (AWPBs) across Filial and Central Schools. School principals, teachers, and other stakeholders will be trained on how to use these standardized templates to prepare the AWPBs. Standardization will also extend to school infrastructure. The development of standardized school designs will improve the cost- effectiveness and efficiency with which infrastructure expansion can take place. The pre-approved set of school building/classroom designs will have to meet health, safety, environmental, and aesthetic standards established under this component, including separate WASH facilities for boys and girls. 31. Sub-component 1.2: 21st Century Classrooms and Schools. Based on the set of standards established, designs developed, and prioritization approach adopted under sub-component 1.1, this sub-component will finance the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, schools, and all the associated non-academic infrastructure. Under this sub-component, the MOEYS will focus on systematically reaching prescribed standards in school infrastructure. The project will also incorporate key engineering and architectural design elements into the construction of the schools that (i) strengthen resilience to disasters and climate change (such as improved roofing and drainage, which make them more resilient to climate-related hazards such floods and storms); (ii) maximize energy efficiency through the use of natural light to minimize the need to artificially manage the temperature in classrooms; and (iii) promote sustainability through rain water harvesting, the use of solar panels for dedicated power generation, emphasis on the need for responsible waste management system etc. Efforts will be made to ensure that investments will be concentrated and deepened14 under this sub-component, with the aim of gradually expanding these standards across schools in the country. This will help support the MOEYS’s desire to build structurally sound, high quality and environmentally friendly infrastructure which can also potentially serve as vital pieces of public infrastructure in the event of emergencies or disasters. 8 Non-academic infrastructure could include WASH facilities, electrical and digital connectivity; sports and play areas, school boundary walls or fences, teacher residence facilities , etc. 9 These DLIs include process, output and outcome indicators. 10 Development partners have expressed an interest in further supporting infrastructure development if the BEST project can provide the needed support to the government in establishing the standards, system and transparency for future infrastructure investments. . 11 Non-academic infrastructure refers to WASH, sport and play facilities, etc. 12 It is expected that prioritization will be based on, inter alia, safety and health, overcrowding, and distance. 13 The standardized designs will also incorporate safety and engineering standards to help reduce the impacts of both climate and non-climate natural disasters, and to ensure that these assets are treated as critical assets in the event of a natural disaster. 14 Effective utilization of the infrastructure prioritization guidelines will enable the MoEYS to make more targeted investments. May 06, 2019 Page 12 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) 32. All schools supported under this sub-component will meet three key goals: (i) design and construct all classrooms and schools to increase building performance and reduce building vulnerability15; (ii) ensure that all school facilities support inclusion and are differently-abled friendly as well as gender friendly where appropriate; and (iii) minimize the environmental and carbon footprint from school development (e.g. by developing appropriate lighting and cooling systems used in the classrooms and schools) and ensure that rain water harvest systems are in place in most schools16. 33. Using the school infrastructure prioritization system and standards developed under sub-component 1.1, this sub-component will also finance the provision non-academic infrastructure in schools such as electricity and WASH infrastructure, safe drinking water, ICT infrastructure to help address digital divide, school grounds, and sports infrastructure. It will ensure that a package of non-academic infrastructure will be made available for each school design and will be parceled together with the rehabilitation and construction of classrooms and schools. This will require support from other agencies of the Government of Timor Leste (GOTL) such as the Water Department, the Ministry of Power, and the Ministry of Public Works17. The sub-component will support capacity development within the MOEYS to manage such infrastructure development. Component 2: Improving Teacher Effectiveness (IDA YS$ 0 million; US$ 2.75 million) 34. The provision of required training to teachers combined with effective observation of the classroom teaching-learning process by school directors, peers and other officials for monitoring and feedback purposes can potentially have a significant positive effect on the quality of teaching, and ultimately on student learning outcomes. This is particularly true for lagging areas where the overall quality of the learning environment is poor. Hence, to incentivize the improvement in teaching quality and reduction in spatial disparities in the learning environment, US$ 1.0 million of the total financing for this component (US$ 2.0 million) will be tied to the achievement of targets for the following DLI: • Increase in share of basic education mathematics and language teachers in rural areas who utilize effective teaching approaches in the classroom [equity and learning outcome/environment] 35. Sub-component 2.1: Classroom and School Diagnostics. This sub-component will support the upgradation of a TEACH-like classroom observation tool18 and its use by directors, assistant directors, coordinators and other school officials to monitor classroom processes. More specifically, it will finance the 15 Given that Timor-Leste is vulnerable to a range of natural disasters such as seismic activities, flooding, cyclones and landslides. 16 The project aims to create a transformative system of planning for the education sector. The exact number of schools, classroom, and other related infrastructure to be constructed is expected to emerge from this planning process. However, due to budget constraints it was estimated that, during the project period, up to 200 classrooms could be rehabilitated , and about 480 classrooms could be constructed. These figures are likely to change during implementation once more realistic cost estimates are obtained. 17 The proposed project will also encourage other Bank-financed operations to support the provision of such non-academic infrastructure. While packaging school infrastructure in this fashion is important, non-academic infrastructure or services for schools may need to be procured and packaged separately to allow for greater flexibility in design. 18 There are a number of such tools available for the MOEYS to consider. The World Bank has recently developed a tool known as “TEACH�. TEACH is an open source tool designed for use in primary classrooms of low- to middle-income countries. It helps track and improve the quality of teaching. MoEYS has developed an electronic-tablet based PLMP classroom observation tool which is being used on a small scale. This tool allows systematic classroom observation data to be electronically captured and recorded for consolidation and analysis at the center. It is proposed that the existing tool be revised to incorporate relevant elements from the TEACH tool to increase the quality of classroom observation. The World Bank is also developing a supporting tool called “COACH�. Together these can be used by school principals and others to monitor classroom processes and improve upon existing practice. May 06, 2019 Page 13 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) finalization of the tool and its deployment in schools across the country. Deployment will involve ensuring that all directors have access to the tool, the necessary training to field the tool and gather information, and the necessary back-up support to analyze and draw conclusions on the best course of support for each teacher under their supervision. Given that deployment is costly, the delivery of necessary training to principals and the deployment of the tool will be expanded gradually across the country. This will allow the MOEYS to randomize the roll-out of this intervention and provide it with an opportunity to understand the effectiveness of this strategy through rigorous impact evaluations. The gradual roll-out approach will also enable MOEYS to improve the tool as it is deployed across all schools. 36. Sub-component 2.2: Supporting School Leaders Training. School principals play an important role in creating the conditions for optimal teaching and learning. This sub-component supports the strengthening of school instructional leadership with an emphasis on improving student learning. It supports five key areas: (i) defining roles for school directors and other school leaders; (ii) training on knowledge and skills to be an effective leader; (iii) supporting and developing distributed leadership models in school clusters; (iv) mentoring and coaching programs for new directors and other school leaders; and (v) ) providing support on ways to improve retention and transition of boys and girls. Defining roles involves specifying the responsibilities and scope of authority for directors and other school leaders, developing leadership frameworks which will help improve teachers competencies and induct well-performing teachers into leadership roles, specifying the responsibilities and authority of school leaders within school clusters, and setting goals and assessment frameworks for these leaders. The training of directors and other school leaders will focus on the development of theoretical and practical skills needed to be effective both within the school and within school clusters (through a model of distributed leadership). Coaching and mentoring programs will be implemented to support new teachers inducted into leadership roles. While supporting the development and training of school directors, assistant directors, coordinators and other school leaders, this subcomponent also recognizes that school leadership positions are currently held mainly by men, and that there is a need for increasing the number of female school leaders. Hence, to help promote more women in leadership positions in the future, MOEYS will ensure that progressively larger proportions of the participants who complete leadership training programs each year are women. Most of the activities in this subcomponent are already being implemented in some municipalities through an existing donor supported project. Hence, BEST will focus on expanding the coverage of these activities to the rest of the country and institutionalizing them by undertaking the expansion using the government system. 37. Sub-component 2.3: Supporting Teacher Quality Improvements. Teachers are notably the single most important input in terms of improving student outcomes. It is, therefore, imperative that the creation of 21 st Century learning spaces is accompanied by a focus on ensuring that teachers are properly trained and supported to deliver better learning outcomes. This sub-component will finance the following teacher focused interventions: (i) strengthening the MOEYS’s capacity to plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate in-service teacher training19 and professional development; and (ii) the delivery of continuous professional development focused on improving classroom techniques for improved teaching. 38. The first intervention consists of activities that focus on obtaining a better diagnosis of the delivery of quality in-service teacher training. A teacher training evaluation tool will be developed and used to document 19For example, the World Bank developed In-Service Teacher Training Survey Instrument (the ITTSI) or a similar tool. OECD has used Tthe Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)--an international survey which can be used to examine teaching and learning environments in schools by asking teachers and principals about what happens in classrooms, what happens in their schools, and in general about their work environment (OECD 2016). https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/2745d679- en.pdf?expires=1565105994&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=CC2E8E8077D3BDFD179D799B4BCBE1EE May 06, 2019 Page 14 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) the design and implementation details of in-service teacher training programs; obtain comprehensive and systematic information on the effectiveness of teacher training programs; make recommendations to align them with international good practice and provide feedback to teacher trainers. 39. The second intervention supports continuous professional development of teachers with an emphasis on improving classroom techniques for enhancing student learning in mathematics and reading/literacy, especially in the early grades. Accordingly, in-service training will be provided to all teachers who teach grades 1-4 (Cycle 1). Teachers will also be trained to closely and continuously track individual student learning in early grade reading and math, and provide students with the necessary support so that no children are left behind as they progress through the grades. Schools will institute academic support activities for children who need additional support. Moreover, teachers will be trained on gender sensitive methods and parent out-reach specifically related to boy’s retention. Component 3: Improving TLM and Student Assessment (IDA US$ 0 million; GPE US$ 1.45 million) 40. Sub-component 3.1: Teaching-Learning Material. Teaching-learning materials (TLM) constitute an important input to a student’s schooling experience and education. TLM for Cycles 1 and 2 have already been developed by the MOEYS. However, the distribution of these materials needs to be improved. Cycle 3 curriculum revision and the development of its TLM are scheduled to commence in 2019. This sub-component will support the development of systems to help improve the distribution of Cycle 1 and 2 TLM, and the development of Cycle 3 TLM. More specifically, this sub-component will finance the following20: (i) Development of the systems and mechanisms to support the acquisition, packaging, and distribution of TLM, including textbooks, to students in the 1st and 2nd Cycles, and monitoring of this process: While the actual provision of TLM for the 1st and 2nd Cycles will remain the responsibility of the MOEYS, the project will finance the strengthening of the book acquisition, packaging, distribution, and monitoring system. To ensure timely receipt of 1st and 2nd Cycle textbooks and other TLMs, the MOEYS also plans to introduce a book distribution day, at the beginning of every new school year when TLMs will be distributed to all students. (ii) Revision of the curriculum, and development of TLM standards and materials for the 3rd Cycle: This is likely to directly benefit approximately 90,000 students. Other beneficiaries include, inter alia, graphic designers, national and international consultants, material writers, and teachers/trainers. (iii) Development of MOEYS capacity to estimate and plan for the number of books to be printed each year, and the establishment of a feedback system to provide schools with updates on the status on their TLM needs. (iv) Development of digital versions21 of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cycle books: These materials will be made available to all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cycle schools, and will also be accessible through the E-library planned to be developed under this project. (v) Provision of a book corner/library with age and grade appropriate children’s books in each classroom in Cycles 1 and 2 in the poorest four municipalities, and short orientations to teachers on the use of these books: This could help increase the time children spend reading, develop in them the reading habit, increase their love for reading and written material, and ultimately enable them to reach higher levels of reading achievement. 20 This sub-component will also ensure that school curriculum across all years begins to touch on climate concerns. 21 Text and audio inclusive materials. May 06, 2019 Page 15 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) 41. Subcomponent 3.2: Strengthening Learning Assessments. The project will finance periodic national student learning assessments on a sample basis during the project period, and strengthen the capacity of MOEYS to manage them. Although project inputs span all years of basic education, covering Cycles 1-3, the project will focus on learning outcomes in the early grades (grades 2 and 3) and at the end of cycle 2 (grade 6). There are several reasons for doing this including: (i) learning outcomes at the primary level in general, and early grades in particular, determine achievement in later years and provide an important and early indication of problems; (ii) education reforms have been prioritized from the early years to later years as expected, and the assessments would provide a reasonable steady state assessment of learning in the primary grades as related curricular reforms and training of teachers at this level have had time to take root, and (iii) a national exam at the end of Cycle 3 already exists. Learning assessments in language and mathematics for the targeted grades will be carried out on a sample basis in the first and fourth year of project implementation. In addition, MOEYS will also explore the possibility of Timore Leste’s participating in the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metric (SEA-PLM) learning assessment in either the 4th or the 5th year of the project period. MOEYS will team up with a specialized agency with expertise in designing and implementing national assessments to carry out these sample-based student learning assessments. 42. The National Curriculum Unit (NCU) in MOEYS will oversee the assessments and work with the specialized agency. Apart from supporting the design and implementation of the learning assessments, the specialized agency will also conduct capacity development workshops/training for NCU and other relevant MOEYS officials on key topics such as assessment principles, instrument development, sampling, test administration procedures, and data management and analysis to familiarize them with the basics of national assessments and their use. An action plan for reform interventions will be prepared by NCU based on the findings of these assessments to inform curriculum reform and teacher training. 43. This subcomponent will also support the enhancement of the quality of the national examinations taken by students at the end of grade 9. It is generally recognized that these exams tend to test rote learning rather than rather than ability to think. Analyses of national examination results and content will be used to inform and guide changes in further test-item design and teacher training. Training on assessment theory, test-item development and exam marking and analysis will be provided to relevant NCU staff and other experts to build system capacity in this area. 44. As noted earlier, the timely availability of TLM, including textbooks, is important for creating a conducive learning environment in school. But their effectiveness in improving learning depends on whether the textbooks received by schools have been distributed to the students and whether or not the students use them regularly in the classroom. To incentivize the distribution of textbooks to students and their regular use in the classroom, US$1.0 million of the total financing (US$ 2.5 million) for Component 2 is tied to the following DLI: • Increase in share of students in cycle 1 and 2 who have and use individual textbooks in the classroom [learning outcome/environment] Component 4: Data Driven Planning, Budgeting, Financing and Implementation (IDA US$ 0 million; GPE US$ 2.95 million) 45. This component supports the MOEYS to use data more effectively in decision making and program implementation. The MOEYS currently has a stand-alone Education Management Information System (EMIS), and a separate school management platform (currently being piloted) with a set of applications for sharing May 06, 2019 Page 16 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) information and monitoring different aspects of education service delivery. This component focuses on strengthening these systems and integrating them into a single user-friendly system. 46. Reliable and valid EMIS data are essential for efficient planning of activities and budget allocations seach year. Hence, along with supporting the enhancement of the EMIS system and EMIS data quality, this component also incentivizes the use of these data in budget planning by linking $0.73 million of the total financing of US$ 2.05 million to the following DLI: • Verified EMIS data utilized for the preparation of annual budgets and infrastructure investment decisions [efficiency]. 47. Sub-component 4.1: Integrated Sistema de Gestão Escolar. This sub-component will finance (i) the development of the system core for an integrated education monitoring and data management system (i.e., the Gestão Escolar system) that builds upon the existing systems at the MOE – the EMIS and the web-based school management platform, (ii) the installation of the associated hardware, including servers, at MoE and the installation of relevant hardware and internet connectivity22 in all municipal offices and central schools23, (iii) updating/development of individual applications that will be included in the integrated Gestão Escolar system, and (iv) training of teachers/staff at the central, municipality, and school levels on the use of the system and the individual applications. The Gestão Escolar system will enable users to access the various applications, as well as the EMIS, through a single, user-friendly integrated dashboard. It is expected that all schools will be able to access and use the integrated system by the end of the project period. 48. While it will be possible to add more applications to the Gestão Escolar system as per the evolving needs of MOEYS, the following applications will initially be considered for development: ▪ Teacher attendance application: This application allows school principles to report and electronically record teacher absence through a simple tablet. ▪ Communications application: This application will facilitate bilateral or group communication between schools, municipalities and the center: It will allow schools to establish direct contact with authorities, and report missing inputs in the education process. ▪ Content sharing application: This application will support the sharing of the National Curriculum (which is scripted) and teaching tips for pedagogical purposes. ▪ School report card application: This application will provide information to schools based on the EMIS data as well as data from the national student assessments where relevant. One of its key features will be the reporting of trends within individual schools and across schools. ▪ E-library application: This application will give access to freely available text (including children’s literature), images, audio, videos, and interactive teaching-learning materials targeted towards students, teachers, and families. Prototypes of the first three applications already exist and are being used by MOEYS. The school report card application and the e-library application need to be developed. 49. Sub-component 4.2: Strengthened EMIS. The EMIS is currently partly paper-based and partly web- based and uses outdated technology. Furthermore, there are concerns about the reliability of the existing EMIS data as independent verification of collected data have not yet been done. This sub-component will finance (i) updating of the EMIS software to bring it to current industry standards24, (ii) relevant training needed at the 22 Where internet is not accessible through cables, 4G mobile technology can be used. 23 There are 13 municipalities (including the Special Economic Region of Oecusse) and 202 public central schools in the country. 24 The updated EMIS will also be designed to extract and save teacher attendance data from the teacher attendance application periodically. Adequate backup systems will also be put in place. May 06, 2019 Page 17 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) central, district, and school levels to operate the EMIS, and (iii) implementation of an independent school census for EMIS data verification in year 1 and a follow-up independent verification survey in year 4 to enhance the reliability of EMIS data. 50. The strengthened EMIS will allow for different levels of access at the ministry, municipality and school levels. Furthermore, it will not only include student-level information on initial enrollment and year-end enrollment but will also will support the recording and reporting of student attendance and performance. The EMIS training, which can be combined with the training on the use of the Gestão Escolar system, will cover all municipalities and schools in the country, with at least one official from each municipality and each school receiving the training. By the end of the project period, the vast majority of the schools will be expected to submit their annual school-specific EMIS data through the Gestão Escolar system. In addition, this subcomponent will support the development of an EMIS policy which will specify, inter alia, the authority and responsibilities of each level of the education system vis a vis the collection, analysis, management, and use of EMIS data. The policy will also specify which unit or level will be accountable for which aspect of the EMIS, and support a decentralized approach to data collection and management. Decisions on infrastructure investment decisions will utilize the verified EMIS data to ensure that schools selected for such investments have adequate numbers of students. These data will also be utilized by MOEYS in the preparation of annual work plans budgets, contributing to the efficiency of the education system. Component 5: Project Implementation and Management (IDA US$ 0 million; GPE US$ 1.4 million) 51. The component will finance the overall management of the project and put in place mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the program. A Project Implementation and Management Unit (PIMU) will be created within the MOEYS to manage and coordinate the implementation of all activities financed under the project. Specific activities under this component include: (i) project management, (ii) M&E, (iii) fiduciary management; and (iii) reporting and communications The PIMU will include staff seconded from the MOEYS as well as directly recruited staff. This component will also support the capacity building of key MOEYS staff in planning, budgeting and fiduciary management though relevant workshops and training. May 06, 2019 Page 18 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) E. Implementation Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 52. The MOEYS will have the overall responsibility for coordinating and implementing BEST. This will include all aspects related to education service delivery, procurement, disbursement, financial management and social safeguards. The MOEYS will be the implementing agency for the project. A single Project Implementation Management (PIMU) will be established within the MOEYS for the implementation of all components. The PIMU will report to the minister or an official designated by the minister, to ensure that this broad-based program, can be viewed in an integrated and unified manner. 53. A Project Steering Committee (PSC) will guide the overall implementation of the project. The PSC will be jointly chaired by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports and the Minister of Finance The PSC will also include the Vice Minister for Education, the relevant Director Generals of the MOEYS, a representative of the MOF’s Loans Department and a representative of the Ministry of Planning and Strategic Investment and Ministry of State Administration and two eminent personalities The main function of the PSC will be to set the annual objectives for the project through a Plano Ação Anual25 (PAA) of the MOEYS. The PSC will also ensure that the PAA is submitted for subsequent approval by the Parliament and inclusion in the national budget law. The PSC will meet twice a year no later than the third week of June and the third week of January26. 54. The PIMU will be headed by a Project Manager and this person will be the PSC’s member secretary. The PIMU will have responsibility for the overall coordination of the project, fiduciary management, accountability for safeguards, and reporting. The PIMU will also have other key staff including, inter alia, a set of civil servants and technical advisors covering key aspects of the proposed project components recruited competitively, based on terms of reference acceptable to the Bank, to provide support to the MOEYS: a monitoring and evaluation specialist, financial management specialists, procurement specialists, engineering and safety staff, health and environmental safeguard specialists, a social safeguard specialist, and support staff. The PIMU will work closely with the other units/structures within the MOEYS on project implementation: these include the Directorate- Generals of Policy, Planning and Partnerships; Pre-School and Basic Education; Secondary Education; and Administration and Finances, and the President of INFORDEPE. The PIMU will provide quarterly technical and financial reports to the PSC and relevant stakeholders through the Minister’s Office. . F. Project location and Salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) Key environmental safeguard risks are expected to be associated with Sub-Component 1.2, which focuses on supporting and improving schooling and associated non-academic infrastructure. The project will finance the strengthening of the Ministry's capacity to plan, budget, finance, design, build and rehabilitate classrooms, schools, sport and playing facilities to support the development of 21st century skills. Together with strengthening the ministry's capacities in the areas noted above, the project will also support the development of 21st Century Learning Spaces. The project will provide financial support to improve school infrastructure, both upgrading the existing facilities and including leaving open the possibility of 25This is the government’s annual work plan and budget document 26The June meeting of the PSC will be in alignment with the Government’s budgeting process which is typically completed by August of every year May 06, 2019 Page 19 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) construction of new schools, particularly for schools that might be deemed structurally unsafe given that Timor Leste is a seismically active country. The project will closely work with other ongoing Bank financed operations to ensure the provision of latrines, water points etc., for example through the WASH program. Specific locations are yet to be determined and the manner by which prioritization takes place will be an important aspect of identifying the first schools under this example. The project is designed to avoid to the greatest extent the need to use land other than school’s or government owned land. However, based on the risk screening, it is possible that target schools will require additional land to build new classrooms or other school facilities due to their limited land size. In this case, land acquisition may happen. Since the project will finance small scale infrastructure, therefore only small area of land will be needed. Other sub-components, including improving standards for 21st century school (sub component 1.1); development of Teaching- earning Materials (sub-component 3.1); classroom and school diagnostics (sub-component 2.1) are expected to generate positive outcomes through enhanced teachers’ skills and school management. No adverse social impacts are envisaged under these sub-components. G. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Ina Binari Pranoto, Environmental Specialist Francisca Melia. N Setiawati, Social Specialist Jaya Perana Ketaren, Environmental Specialist SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Potential investments and activities included under the proposed project cover: a) Developing 21st Century learning spaces (Component 1) which includes (i) capacity building, development of School Standards, development of infrastructure planning guidelines, development of on-line school infrastructure management system, Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 Yes implementation of a school infrastructure census, development of standardized school designs; and ii) construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, schools and all associated non-academic infrastructure. Potential infrastructure works under Component 1 are expected to be small to medium scale, and are not envisaged to cause significant environmental and social impacts. May 06, 2019 Page 20 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) b) Under Component 4 there will be development of the system core for an integrated education monitoring and data management system (i.e. EMIS and web based school management platform. As a consequences, the project will finance installation of association hardware, including servers at MOEYS and relevant hardware and internet connectivity in all district office and central schools. No direct anticipated environmental impacts are envisaged under the other project components: classroom and school diagnostics, training, and quality improvements (Component 2), improving teaching-learning materials and learning assessments (Component 3), and project implementation and management (Component 5). Potential environmental and social impacts and risks are limited to the following categories: (i) Construction-related activities (new school building and/or rehabilitation of the existing schools) i.e. noise, dust, waste/building debris disposal, community and labor health and safety issues. These potential risks can be readily managed through standard mitigation measures, occupational health and safety (OHS) measures prescribed within the standard good engineering designs and good practice in building construction; (ii) Potential community and health and safety risks with operation of trucks/heavy vehicles i.e. noise, dust, road safety and road surface conditions. This will be managed through establishment of a Traffic Management Plan for the project during the construction period; (iii) Implementation/facility operation stage. Potential risks include water-borne disease due to poor construction and design of sanitation facilities, increased demand for water, building safety, etc. Such risks will be managed through safe and secure school designs, introduction of building safety measures as well as hygiene practices at school emphasizing the importance of hand washing, May 06, 2019 Page 21 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) regular maintenance/cleaning of the sanitation facilities, and provision of water (i.e. connection to the existing piped water to the target schools, installation of roof water catchment and tanks in locations where water is scarce as well as notices for water conservation; (iv) Potential environment risks due to improper handling of electronic waste disposal (e.g. used/old ICT and other electronic equipment) as a consequences of procurement of hardware and servers. This electronic waste (e-waste) is categorized as hazardous waste which need specific treatment. ECOP has been prepared to guide in handling the e-waste disposal; (v) Rehabilitation/renovation activities may negatively affect the learning process and therefore cause disturbances to teaching activities. However, considering that each target schools may have varying scope of constructions with different levels of impact, several mitigation procedures may be needed to address the issue. Below are some possible mitigation: (a) provision of temporary building; (b) relocation of student to other school if safety risks are present; or (c) schedule adjustment between classes and renovation activities; (vi) In regards to social impact and risks, as the project will finance small infrastructure works stated in the project description, issue on land is not envisaged. The explanation regarding land issue is provided in OP 4.12 below. Presence of Indigenous Peoples in the project location has been assessed and the justification is provided in the OP 4.10 below. Other social issues such as labor influx and Gender-Based Violence is not envisaged as the physical construction will be small scale and involve local workers. On the issue of vulnerable groups, they are identified as project beneficiaries of improving the basic education quality. In terms of project location, the project will include schools in remote areas. An Environmental and Social Framework (ESMF) was prepared for the project to lay out key safeguards May 06, 2019 Page 22 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) measures to address the potential risks and impacts specified above. A framework approach has been adopted since the project locations will only be identified during project implementation. Duly execution of the ESMF is expected to not only address the World Bank Safeguards Policies but also enhance positive benefits to the target beneficiaries of the project by ensuring that school facilities are safe, accessible and fully functional to accommodate learning activities. Key provisions in the ESMF include: (i) Procedures for safeguards screening; (ii) Key responsibilities of each agency and stakeholder responsible for the implementation and supervision of Component 1 along with their capacity assessment for environmental and social assessments; (iii) Environmental and Social assessments on potential impacts and risks related to construction activities as well as selection of locations (i.e. identification of areas prone to natural disasters or where road safety risks are high). Such assessments will be conducted by the PMU prior to the start of the construction to ensure that relevant safety measures and proper designs are adequately considered; (iv) Mitigation measures (i.e. OHS procedures, building codes, community engagement guideline, ECOP for safe handling e-waste disposal, LARPF, Voluntary Land Donation Protocol) to address each potential impact and risk; (v) Institutional and monitoring arrangements; (vi) Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) for potentially affected stakeholders; As part of the development of the project's ESMF, existing procedures and guidelines will be assessed and gap-filling measures will be mainstreamed under the ESMF. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MOEYS) has established a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for technical specifications of schools’ design. If needed, the project will support the strengthening of the SOP to ensure that good practices in school construction and safeguards considerations are mainstreamed within the institution. May 06, 2019 Page 23 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) Performance Standards for Private Sector Not relevant to the proposed project. No private No Activities OP/BP 4.03 sector beneficiaries are envisaged Activities and investments included under the proposed project will not convert or degrade any Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 No protected areas, known natural habitats, or established or proposed critical natural habitats. Thus the policy is not triggered. Activities and investments included under the proposed project will not affect the health, quality or Forests OP/BP 4.36 No management of forests, forested areas or tree plantations. Thus the policy is not triggered. The project will not require the use of pesticides. Pest Management OP 4.09 No Accordingly, this policy is not triggered. The project activities will involve small scale infrastructure which focus on improvement of school infrastructure such as construction of new Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 No class room for primary and secondary schools and rehabilitation of classrooms including provisions of water and sanitation. It is expected that all works will be conducted within the existing premises. The project triggered OP 4.10 on Indigenous People on the premise of precautionary measures to address safeguards requirements. No impacts on Indigenous Peoples are envisaged under component 1. For the application of this policy, a Social Assessment (SA) was undertaken. The Social Assessment (SA) was conducted through a rapid review of available sources of information combined with field assessments. Two schools in the Ermera and Dili districts were visited for the SA, namely EBF Fatuhada and EBF 244 Matata on March 27-28, 2019 to determine their baseline conditions including the Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 Yes language used for learning processes, quality of school facilities, student municipalities and parent’s economic conditions. The public consultation also was conducted in March 23, 2019 in two schools as sample i.e. the Matata School, District of Ermera and Bebonuk Primary School 02, District of Dili. Using the available secondary data, the SA was undertaken for 4 districts as a sample, i.e. district of Ermera, Bobonaro, Baucau, and Dili. Finding from the Social Assessment conducted for the project indicated that no significant differences of cultural and social identify exist among the people May 06, 2019 Page 24 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) who speak different languages, even though some of them are still attached to their customary belief and cultures of their villages. In EBF Fatuhada a majority of the students in the area are able to speak Tetum on a daily basis, while in EBF 244 Matata, the majority of students speak the Mambae language and Tetum in daily conversations. However, most of school use Tetum and Portuguese for learning processes in school. The majority of communities primarily consists of settled rural agriculturalists. As no significant differences of cultural and social identity exist, as a result, an Indigenous People's Plan (IPP) or Indigenous People Policy Framework (IPPF) is not prepared. However, consistent with the requirements under OP 4.10 aspects of an IPP should be integrated in project design and will be provided in the Project Implementation Manual (PIM). Some findings from the SA and the consultation is provided below. EBF Fatuhada is located in Fatuha Village, Dom Alexo Sub district, and Dili Municipality. The school accommodates 1,410 students from two villages (Sukus), namely Fatuhada and Kampung Alor village. Most parents are economically active in agricultures, governments and private sectors. Around 99.5 percent of students are identified as Roman Catholic believers while 0.5 percent were Muslims. The people in this area are still attached to customary beliefs and cultures of their villages. Proper waste bins are readily available in all classes. Several issues found in this school were none other that the poor and unsafe building qualities (cracks on walls and old structures), frequent flooding, and lack of water resources due to line blockage during rainy season. EBF 244 Matata school located in Matata Village, Railaco Sub district, and Ermera Municipality accommodates student from 6 villages (Sukus) which includes; Matata, Tokoluli, Leorema, Poetete, Talimoro and Ponilala village. Approximately 98 percent of parents are economically active in the agriculture sector while the other are government employees. A majority of students are Roman May 06, 2019 Page 25 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) Catholic (around 97 percent) believers and 3 percent of them are Christian Protestant. The people in this area are still attached to customary beliefs and cultures of their villages. In general, the condition of the school is green and clean, the facilities such as waste bins are available in every classroom, and the major problem in this school is the lack of water and toilets. Consultations took place in Bebonuk Primary School 02 Dili District and Matata Primary School in Ermera District in March 23, 2019. The sites were chosen as they were representative of the project area. The consultations corroborated that there is in fact broad community support for the project. Currently, school facilities in both districts were reported to be in low quality and could not fully support the student’s learning process. Issues found in these schools include overcrowding (60-71 students/class), unsafe conditions (no fences), poor quality of WASH facilities, and insufficient teachers. With these conditions, local communities, especially parents felt the urgency of school rehabilitation and therefore support the project as they will benefit from improved schools facilities. Continuous consultations will take place with communities in where the targeted school locations, once they are finalized. These consultations will ensure that there continues to be broad community support for the project and that local people get an opportunity to provide feedback to project design. The project is culturally-appropriate as it provides improved school infrastructures and learning materials and other facilities (school toilet, etc.) that is expected to increase the rate of student enrollment. BEST will also support the provision of resources for literacy and numeracy classroom enrichment that is expected to help increase students interaction with books, positive attitudes toward reading, and levels of reading achievements. Consultation was undertaken to get inputs on learning materials to be used to ensure culturally appropriate (such as language) so that improving capacity of teachers and students in learning process. May 06, 2019 Page 26 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) The project triggered OP 4.12 Involuntary Resettlement as a precaution. A Resettlement Policy Framework following the OP 4.12 has been prepared, including the Voluntary Land Donation Protocol (VLD). The project is designed to avoid to the greatest extent the need to use land other than school’s or government owned land. However, based on the risk screening, it is possible that target schools will require additional land due to their limited land size, to build new classrooms or other school facilities In this case, land acquisition may happen. Since the project will finance small scale infrastructure, therefore only small area of land will be needed. The impact due to the additional land needed will unlikely affect shelter/structures, productive assets or access to productive assets or income or means of livelihood or cause any land physical relocation. Impact to nearby vegetation may be subjected to land clearance. If additional land is needed and voluntary land acquisition fail to be obtained, through land donation approach or willing buyer- willing seller Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 Yes approach, an involuntary land acquisition will be applied. A Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) including Voluntary Land Donation Protocol (VLD) has been prepared and provided in the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF). If involuntary land acquisition is required for the project, a LARAP (Land Acquisition and Resettlement Action Plan) will be prepared. MOEYS bears responsibility for meeting all costs associated with involuntary land acquisition. Any LARAPs require a budget with estimated costs for all aspects of their implementation. All APs are entitled to compensation or other appropriate assistance and mitigation measures. Compensation must be paid promptly and in full to the APs. No deductions from compensation will occur for any reason. As necessary, MOEYS will coordinate actions with any other agencies involved to ensure timely and effective LARAP implementation. Any voluntary land donation should follow Voluntary Land Donation Protocol (VLD) as provided in the ESMF. May 06, 2019 Page 27 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No Not relevant to the proposed project. Projects on International Waterways No Not relevant to the proposed project. OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 No Not relevant to the proposed project. KEY SAFEGUARD POLICY ISSUES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues 1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts: The overall social and environment impact of the BEST project is expected to be positive and none of the eligible activities would generate any significant risks or irreversible environment and social impacts. The ESMF was prepared to address the potential issues and mitigate the risks. The activities which require construction and physical works will likely cause temporary disturbance in certain areas. This civil works related to the project is considered as small infrastructure, therefore the negative impact during construction (such as noise, dust, waste/debris) are likely minimal. Impacts are site specific and manageable through site selection, good engineering design (which should meet criteria for 21st century school, including specific requirements for area prone to natural disaster and impact of climate change) and quality construction standards. The project will increase buildings performance and reduce building vulnerability as well as ensuring all facilities inclusion and minimizing the environmental and carbon footprint. During construction, potential risks to community and labor health and safety include operation of heavy vehicle (i.e traffic safety, noise, dust) as well as demolishing of building materials (hazardous wastes such as asbestos). Post construction, potential risks may include water-borne disease due to poor construction and design of sanitation facilities, increased demand for water and building safety. In addition, there are also potential environmental risks due to improper handling of electronic wastes disposal (e-wastes) such as used/retired ICT and other electronic equipment as a consequence of procurement of new hardware for the purpose of improving/strengthening the EMIS (under Component 2). This electronic waste (e-waste) and asbestos, are categorized as hazardous waste which need specific treatment. Furthermore, rehabilitation/renovation activities may negatively affect the learning process and therefore cause disturbance to teaching activities. However, considering that each target schools may have varying scope of constructions with different levels of impact, several mitigation procedures are needed to address the issue. In regards to social impact and risks, as the project will finance small infrastructure works, issue on land is not envisaged. Based on the risk screening, it is possible that target schools will require additional land due to their limited land size, to build new classrooms or other school facilities In this case, land acquisition may happen. Since the project will finance small scale infrastructure, therefore only small area of land will be needed. The impact due to the additional land needed will unlikely affect shelter/structures, productive assets or access to productive assets or income or means of livelihood or cause any land physical relocation. Impact to nearby vegetation may be subjected to land clearance. Presence of Indigenous Peoples in the project location has been assessed. A social assessment and consultation have May 06, 2019 Page 28 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) been undertaken to ensure the project is culturally appropriate as it provides improved school infrastructure and learning materials and other facilities. Other social issues such as labor influx and Gender-Based Violence due to the project is not envisaged as the physical construction will be a small scale and involved local workers. On the issue of vulnerable groups, they are identified as project beneficiaries of the improving the basic education quality. In terms of project location, the project will include schools in remote areas. All potential impacts and issues could be mitigated through safeguard instruments contained in the ESMF. 2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: No long term or indirect impacts of an adverse nature are anticipated. The overall objectives of the project is to improve the learning environment of basic schools and increase the efficiency and equity of basic education programs. 3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. Not relevant 4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described. The borrower has developed ESMF which lay out safeguards measures to address both environment and social risks. ESMF is expected to not only address the Bank Safeguards Policies but also enhance positive benefits to target beneficiaries of the project by ensuring that school facilities are safe, accessible, functional, support inclusion and differently-abled to accommodate learning activities Unfortunately, Timor-Leste has limited institutional capacity for safeguards. The project will support the strengthening of the Ministry's capacity to plan, budget, finance, design and build classrooms and schools to support the development of 21st century skills. The project will support capacity development within the MOEYS to manage infrastructure development involving other agencies of the GOTL. In addition, the project is required to strengthen capacity of the borrower (in particular PMU staff) to deal with the safeguards issues and conduct monitoring and evaluation. 5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. As the key stakeholder MOEYS need to coordinate with other agencies of the GOTL such as the Water Department, the Ministry of Power, and the Ministry of Public Works. It will be relevant also to coordinate with the environmental agency to get advice on some of the environment risks management. MOEYS has arranged several public consultations with communities, CSO, teachers, students, headmaster, school committee as well as district education office at the project locations to obtain input for development of the current proposed project. As part of the stakeholder engagement, a Social Assessment (SA) was conducted. Two schools in the Ermera and Dili districts were visited for the SA, namely EBF Fatuhada and EBF 244 Matata on March 27-28, 2019 meeting with teacher, student and parents. A public consultation was also conducted in March 23, 2019 in two schools as sample i.e. the Matata School, District of Ermera and Bebonuk Primary School 02, District of Dili. Public consultation for the draft ESMF with relevant Gov Agencies, CSO and academia have been conducted on May 14, 2018 . The draft ESMF has been uploaded in the website of MOEYS. The feedback from the public consultation have been incorporated in the ESMF. May 06, 2019 Page 29 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) B. Disclosure Requirements OPS_EA_DISCLOSURE_TABLE Environmental Assessment/Audit/Management Plan/Other For category A projects, date of Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission for disclosure distributing the Executive Summary of the EA to the Executive Directors 03-May-2019 08-May-2019 "In country" Disclosure OPS_RA_D ISCLOSURE_T ABLE Resettlement Action Plan/Framework/Policy Process Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission for disclosure 03-May-2019 08-May-2019 "In country" Disclosure Timor-Leste 08-May-2019 Comments OPS_I P_DIS CLOSURE_TAB LE Indigenous Peoples Development Plan/Framework Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission for disclosure 03-May-2019 08-May-2019 "In country" Disclosure C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level (to be filled in when the ISDS is finalized by the project decision meeting) OPS_EA_COMP_TABLE OP/BP/GP 4.01 - Environment Assessment May 06, 2019 Page 30 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) Does the project require a stand-alone EA (including EMP) report? Yes If yes, then did the Regional Environment Unit or Practice Manager (PM) review and approve the EA report? Yes Are the cost and the accountabilities for the EMP incorporated in the credit/loan? Yes OPS_I P_COM P_TABLE OP/BP 4.10 - Indigenous Peoples Has a separate Indigenous Peoples Plan/Planning Framework (as appropriate) been prepared in consultation with affected Indigenous Peoples? No OPS_IR_ COMP_TAB LE OP/BP 4.12 - Involuntary Resettlement Has a resettlement plan/abbreviated plan/policy framework/process framework (as appropriate) been prepared? Yes If yes, then did the Regional unit responsible for safeguards or Practice Manager review the plan? Yes OPS_ PDI_ COMP_TAB LE The World Bank Policy on Disclosure of Information Have relevant safeguard policies documents been sent to the World Bank for disclosure? Yes Have relevant documents been disclosed in-country in a public place in a form and language that are understandable and accessible to project-affected groups and local NGOs? Yes May 06, 2019 Page 31 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) All Safeguard Policies Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? NA Have costs related to safeguard policy measures been included in the project cost? Yes Does the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the project include the monitoring of safeguard impacts and measures related to safeguard policies? Yes Have satisfactory implementation arrangements been agreed with the borrower and the same been adequately reflected in the project legal documents? Yes CONTACT POINT World Bank Saurav Dev Bhatta Senior Economist Borrower/Client/Recipient Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Implementing Agencies Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports Antoninho Pires Director General - Policy, Planning and Partnership antoninhopires@hotmail.com May 06, 2019 Page 32 of 33 The World Bank Basic Education Strengthening and Transformation Project (P166744) FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Saurav Dev Bhatta Approved By Safeguards Advisor: Practice Manager/Manager: Toby Linden 19-Dec-2019 Country Director: Ade Kuswoyo 23-Dec-2019 May 06, 2019 Page 33 of 33