Report No. PID7898 Project Name Egypt-Social Protection Initiatives... Project Region Middle East and North Africa Sector Social Protection Project ID EGPE66336 Borrower Arab Republic of Egypt Implementing Agency Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs 19, El-Maraghy St. Agouza, Cairo Egypt Tel: 011-20-2-360-4158 Fax: 011-20-2-337-8573 Date PID Prepared June 17, 1999 Appraisal May 12-27, 1999 Projected Board Date June 29, 1999 Background 1. Country and Sector Background The economic reform program has produced positive results, but the benefits have been unequally distributed across the population. Previously unknown or sporadic phenomena such as street children and juvenile delinquency are increasing in part because of rapid urbanization, and because new social strains that affect the traditional family framework of village life. Efforts are fragmented in areas that require coordination of Ministries operating in social welfare, health, education, and labor. Regulations and service standards are out of date. The Government and the non-profit sector are responding positively, but there is no comprehensive framework into which these services fit. In addition, data on the cost-effectiveness of services already provided are weak, and even the extent of the problem is largely unknown. The Egyptian government is making substantial strides to address social conditions, especially those of the poor and of children. A National Council for Childhood and Motherhood was established in 1989. The Ministry of Social Affairs (MISA) is making strong efforts to strengthen policy and strategy formation, regulation, and the monitoring and evaluation of its programs with the assistance of donors, such as UNDP and UNICEF. MISA requested the Bank for assistance in piloting innovative modes of service delivery in key areas of disabled and at-risk youth - a desire to borrow for improving these services indicates the importance of these issues to the Government. At present, services for disabled children or those in difficult circumstances are neither mapped nor coordinated. 2. Objectives The project aims to develop and test integrated programs for children with disability and youth at risk, through a range of providers, and to inform the development of a new Government strategy for improving these services. 3. Description This learning and innovation project targets poor children with disabilities or those at risk of street life. Specifically, the project would develop new service delivery strategies, in particular through integrated services requiring multidisciplinary and inter-agency cooperation. Emphasis would be put on providing information on consumer needs and on the cost effectiveness of different interventions, improving service delivery practices and strengthening the management and administrative skills of MISA. This bottom- up approach is the most appropriate for a project aiming to develop capacity for service delivery, in a context where other donors were already involved in policy development. Learning from this project will feed into UNDP- supported efforts on strategy formulation. 4. Financing Component Category Indicative W of Bank- W of Costs Total financi Bank- (US$M) ng financing (US$M) Component 1. Piloting, 2.7 51- 2.6 95t Support for Monitoring services for Evaluation and children with capacity disabilities and building their families Component 2. 1.9 35t 1.8 96t Initiative for youth at risk 0.7 14t 0.6 83t Total Project Costs 5.3 100t 5.0 94t 5. Implementation The project would be implemented in 4 years (from 2000 to 2004). It will be overseen by a Steering Committee (SC) of about 12 members, setting the overall policy guidelines and direction of the project and reporting to the MISA Minister. To assist the SC, a Project Management Unit (PMU) will be established and fully staffed, as a condition of IDA credit effectiveness. The PMU will consist of four key members, a Project Manager, a Financial Officer, a Procurement Officer, and a Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, as well as administrative and research support staff. Project activities will be executed by: (i) MISA for capacity building activities, such as social studies on needs assessment, evaluative studies, organizing training in case management, and (ii) service providers at the community level for program activities of the project, through contracts signed between MISA and the service providers, and based on set eligibility criteria. 6. Sustainability N/A 7. Lessons learned from past operations in the country/sector Previous projects, and in particular the Social Fund, have shown the - 2 - difficulties of reaching the poorest of the poor. It was therefore opted for this prudent pilot approach, which will build on the existing NGO capacity and focus on inter-agency cooperation, as a means to overcome these difficulties. This will be the first Bank project with MISA. Experience around the World has also shown that starting with a small project is an efficient way to build up capacity and knowledge of Bank procedures. 8. Poverty Category Poverty Targeted intervention 9. Environmental Aspects The project is category C. The proposed project would have no significant environmental risks. 10. Program Objective Categories The proposed project will contribute to service delivery of essential social services and institutional building. 11. Contact Points: Task Manager Eluned Roberts-Schweitzer (202)473-3644 The InfoShop The World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 458-5454 Fax: (202) 522-1500 Processed by the InfoShop week ending June 25, 1999. Note: This is information on an evolving project. Certain components may not be necessarily included in the final project. - 3 -