The World Bank Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Combined Project Information Documents / Integrated Safeguards Datasheet (PID/ISDS)

Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 08-Sep-2020 | Report No: PIDISDSA30295

Public Disclosure Authorized

Public Disclosure Authorized

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

BASIC INFORMATION

OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data

Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Cameroon P172885 Additional Financing to P160926 the Education Reform Support Project Parent Project Name Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date CAMEROON Education Reform AFRICA WEST 27-Jan-2020 24-Nov-2020 Support Project Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Education Investment Project Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Basic Financing Planning Education

Proposed Development Objective(s) Parent

The Project Development Objective is to improve equitable access to quality basic education, with a focus on selected disadvantaged areas

Components Improving Access, Quality and Education System Management Improving School Effectiveness through Performance-based Financing Institutional Strengthening and Project Management Contingent emergency response component (CERC)

PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions)

SUMMARY-NewFin1

Total Project Cost 97.45 Total Financing 97.45 of which IBRD/IDA 45.00 Financing Gap 0.00

DETAILS-NewFinEnh1

World Bank Group Financing International Development Association (IDA) 45.00

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

IDA Credit 45.00

Non-World Bank Group Financing

Trust Funds 52.45

EFA-FTI Education Program Development Fund 52.45

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

1. Cameroon is a lower-middle-income country with an estimated population of 25.9 million (2019)1. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed in 2019 as compared to 2018 (3.9 percent versus 4.1 percent respectively) due to the decline in the labor-intensive agriculture and agribusiness sectors affected by the socio-political crisis in the anglophone regions (North West and South West), the adverse impact of the damage after the fire at the national refinery (Société Nationale de Raffinage), and lower prices for timber and aluminum. Between 2001 and 2014, the incidence of poverty declined marginally from 40.1 percent to 37.5 percent, with the poorest 40 percent of the population becoming poorer over the same time.2 Despite a significant endowment of natural resources (including oil, high- value timber and agricultural products) and a comparably well-educated workforce, the pace of economic growth is stymied by poor infrastructure, an unfavorable business environment, and weak governance.

2. Cameroon is one of the most affected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa by the Corona virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with 17,255 confirmed cases and 391 deaths as of August 4, 2020 since the first identified case on March 6, 2020. Beyond the public health impacts of COVID-19, the reach of which is still uncertain, Cameroon is also facing challenges as a consequence of the global economy slowdown and the significant drop in commodity prices. As a result, Cameroon’s economy is projected to contract by 1.2 percent in 2020.3 The state budget for 2020 has been reduced by 11 percent

1 United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2019 Revision. 2 INS (Institut National de Statistique). 2014. “Fourth Cameroon Household Survey, Enquête Camerounaise Auprès des Ménages (ECAM 4).” Yaounde, Cameroon. 3 https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/CMR#countrydata

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

to adjust for fiscal constraints imposed by the pandemic. This situation will likely have a negative impact on human development indicators and poverty reduction.

3. Poverty is disproportionately concentrated in rural areas and in the northern regions of Cameroon. The 2014 Cameroon household survey (Enquête Camerounaise auprès des Ménages, ECAM) found that 56.8 percent of rural families are poor, compared to just 8.9 percent of urban families.4 Overall, approximately 87 percent of the poor live in rural areas. Moreover, a majority of poor individuals are concentrated in the three northern regions of the country: the Far North, North, and Adamawa regions. More than half (56 percent) of all poor inhabitants are in the Far North and North regions, a significant increase from 34 percent in 2001. Worryingly, poverty rates in the northern region have likely risen (the 2014 ECAM was collected before the deterioration of the security environment in northern Cameroon).5

4. The refugee crisis has increased the strain on resources and services in regions that were already disproportionately poor and underserved. As of July 20206, Cameroon hosts to 425,570 refugees, over 65 percent of whom originated in the Central African Republic and 27 percent in Nigeria, and the remainder originating in other African countries. Most of these refugees are in two areas: (a) 250,120 Central African Republic refugees live along the eastern border (the majority of them in the East region and the rest in the Adamawa region); and (b) 114,068 Nigerian refugees who fled violence in north eastern Nigeria live in the Far North region. The destabilizing impact of refugee populations in the Far North region is compounded by the presence of 321,886 IDPs. Many refugee-affected regions had limited educational infrastructure before the humanitarian crisis. With the influx of refugees and IDPs, habitants of these areas have greater unmet needs including physical security, food security, and access to basic social services such as health and education. These challenges are exacerbated by the nomadic culture of many refugees from Central African Republic, only a minority of which attended primary school in their home country. Additionally, in some cases, parents’ prioritize children’s cattle rearing and household responsibilities over school attendance.7

5. Since October 2016, protests related to use of the French in schools, courts, and official documentation have escalated into what has is known as the ’anglophone crisis‘ in Cameroon’s predominantly English-speaking North West and South West regions. These two regions are home to approximately 20 percent of the population and account for 16,364 km² of the country’s total area of 475,442 km². This crisis has led to the internal displacement of approximatively 680,000 persons8 and the disruption of basic services with political, economic, and social consequences. Among others, schooling was disrupted in these two regions during the 2016–17 academic year, leading to poor end-

4 INS (Institut National de Statistique). 2014. “Fourth Cameroon Household Survey, Enquête Camerounaise Auprès des Ménages (ECAM 4).” Yaounde, Cameroon. 5 ECAM’s poverty estimates for the northern regions do not capture the impact of an influx of refugees, population displacement, increased vulnerability and the closure of markets, roads, and frontiers. 6 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).2020. Cameroon: Statistics of UNHCR persons of concern. July 2020. 7 Protection Civile et l’aide humanitaire de l’Union européenne, United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, Organisation Internationale pour les Migrations. 2017. “Cameroun | Rapport sur les Déplacements, Région de l’Extrême-Nord. Round 9 | 26 Juin–7 Juillet 2017.” 8 UNHCR.2020. Cameroon: Statistics of UNHCR persons of concern. July 2020.

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

of-year results on the official examination. While some schools reopened in the affected regions for the 2017–18 academic year, the provision of education services is not robust.

6. About 7 million learners are now out-of-school due to the closure of all educational institutions since March 2020, as directed by the Prime Minister to prevent the expansion of COVID-19. This measure directly impacts 0.5 million students in pre-primary, 4.3 million learners in primary school, 1.8 million students in secondary (general and technical), 0.3 million individuals from tertiary education, and 40,000 students engaged in professional and vocational training. Through school closures, the COVID-19 pandemic is already having an adverse impact on student´s learning. This damage may increase if the pandemic leads to prolonged school closures and economic recession.

Sectoral and Institutional Context

7. Cameroon’s score on the Human Capital Index (HCI) was very low (0.39) in 2017, placing it below the average for Sub-Saharan African countries. Thus, a child born in 2017 in Cameroon would only be 39 percent as productive as the same child with a complete education and full health. Cameroon’s HCI score has been decreasing since 2012, when the country scored 0.41. Moreover, the national average masks large regional variations in HCI, ranging from 0.58 in Yaoundé to 0.32 in the Far North. In general, the country’s low HCI ranking is mostly driven by education quality as measured by student learning achievement. While there are no updated data on learning in the conflict-affected areas, conflict has led to school closures and increased drop-out. This will be further exacerbated countrywide given the COVID-19 related school closures and the ensuing economic crisis. Thus, a further reduction in the HCI is expected.

8. Learning Poverty in Cameroon is very high. 77 percent of children in Cameroon who should be finishing primary school today are unable to read and understand a short age-appropriate text.9 This is results from the fact that 5% of children are out-of-school, and that those in school are receiving low quality education. Large-scale learning assessments indicate that 76 percent of Cameroonian students do not achieve at least a minimum proficiency level (MPL) of reading at the end of primary school and demonstrate only modest mathematics skills. About two students in three, compared to an average of three students in five in ten comparator countries, are below the basic threshold of expected reading skills. For French, which is the language of instruction, nearly one student out of two (51.2 percent) is below the basic threshold of expected skills.

Cameroon continues to face multiple crises that deeply affect the provision of education. In addition to the refugee crisis, the country faces the challenge of massive internal displacement of people following the socio-political crisis in the anglophone regions and recurrent Boko Haram attacks. Currently, the country is also facing the COVID-19 health crisis and will face the ensuing economic crisis. The consequences of these complex crises are important and include the closure of schools, the destruction of school infrastructure, the occupation of schools by armed groups, and the displacement of thousands of children. Currently, there are an estimated 1,000,000 IDPs in Cameroon, 51 percent of

9 “Learning Poverty” means being unable to read and understand a short, age-appropriate text by age 10. This indicator brings together schooling and learning. It starts with the share of children who haven’t achieved minimum reading proficiency and adjusts it by the proportion of children who are out of school (“Cameroon Learning Poverty Brief,” The World Bank, Oct. 2019).

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

which are children. Most of the children that have fled the North West and South West crisis are in the belt of crisis- affected regions (West regions) or in major cities (Douala and Yaoundé), placing additional pressure on education service delivery. 9. The findings from the 2019 ESA revealed the magnitude and persistence of the issues identified in the country’s education sector, providing justification for the proposed AF which will support implementation of key reforms in basic education. Over the past five years, the performance of the basic education sector in Cameroon has declined significantly for multiple reasons.10

a) Enrollment in pre-primary and in primary school has decreased at a national level, especially in regions affected by the socio-political crisis in the anglophone regions. Between 2016 and 2018, pre-primary enrollment decreased by 7 percent at the national level, by 29 percent in the South West region, and by 60 percent in the North West region. At the primary level, total enrollment decreased by 5 percent at the national level, 59 percent in the North West region, and 27 percent in the South West region. Enrollment in secondary education also decreased at the national level: by about 15 percent at the junior secondary level and 14 percent at the senior secondary level.

b) The education system is very inefficient, as observed by its high rates of repetition and dropout. One third of primary school age children do not reach the final grade of primary (CM2 or Class 6). In the 2017–18 school year, the primary completion rate was 67 percent compared to 76 percent in 2015–16. The proportion of repeaters is about 14 percent in francophone primary and junior secondary schools, while it is less than 5 percent in the anglophone system overall. The proportion of repeaters is higher in senior secondary than in primary and junior secondary. The drop-out rate at the primary level is high. Furthermore, the transition rate from primary (CM2/CL6) to lower secondary (Form 1/6ème) as well as between the last two grades of primary (CM1/CL5 to CM2/CL6) is low and decreasing. These trends represent a major concern.

c) Children from poor families, in rural areas, and girls are the most disadvantaged groups in terms of low access to school and very low retention at the level. In Cameroon, the primary intake rate among children from the poorest households is 76 percent compared with 98 percent from the wealthiest households.11 The retention rate at the primary level is as low as 38 percent among the poor, compared with 96 percent among the rich and less than 60 percent for students residing in rural areas compared with 88 percent for students residing in urban areas. The retention rate among girls is 3 percentage points lower than among boys. Although the transition rate from primary to junior secondary is almost the same for boys and girls (55 percent), there is a 22- percentage point difference in transition rates is between rural and urban areas, and a 40- percentage point difference between the poorest and the wealthiest.

10. Basic classroom conditions (such as textbook availability and pupil-teacher ratio) are still weak. As other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Cameroon faces challenges with distribution, storage, and textbook usage.12,13 The early grade reading assessment/early grade mathematics assessment 2019 finds

10 MINEDUB, 2019 Cameroon Education Sector Analysis. 11 Cameroon, Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey 5, 2014 12 S. Bashir, M. Lockheed, E. Ninan, and J.P. Tan, 2018. Facing Forward: Schooling for Learning in Africa. Washington, DC: World Bank. 13 Read, T. 2015. Where Have All the Textbooks Gone? Toward Sustainable Provision of Teaching and Learning Materials in Sub- Saharan Africa. Washington, DC: World Bank.

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

that only 41 percent of students in the anglophone system had a reading texbook in class and 38 percent had a math textbook in class. The situation was worse in the francophone system, where only 27 percent of students had a reading book and 17 percent had a math book in class. The evaluation of the Cameroon Equity and Quality for Improved Learning Project (CEQUIL or Projet d’Amélioration de l’Equité et de la Qualité de l’Education au Cameroun) finds that although the project led to an improvement in the number of books per pupil (from 1 book per 12 level-1 students to 1 book per 2 level-1 students at targeted levels), many schools did not use the books because they were either insufficient or misaligned with the new Government rules related to school books.14

11. The country also faces a shortage of state-paid teachers and significant structural challenges regarding teacher management and deployment. According to the 2019 ESA, while 99 percent of primary school classrooms in the Litoral region had less than 40 students per teacher, more than a fourth of the classrooms in the North have more than 60 students per teacher.15 The continued increase in student enrollment, combined with high levels of teacher attrition (due to retirement and/or the use of teachers by other public agencies) has compelled Parent-Teacher Associations (Associations de Parents d’Elèves et des Enseignants, APEE) to hire community teachers (maîtres des parents) who are paid by parents. As a result, the Government finances only 62 percent of the total wage costs for primary and pre-primary school teachers, with the remainder being financed directly by poor parents. Since the number of teachers hired by the Government is substantially lower than the number of education graduates, after completing their Teacher Training Institute (Ecoles Normales d'Instituteurs de l'Enseignement Général, ENIEG) exams and passing the competitive process, the main entry points to a teaching position are parent-paid teaching posts in disadvantaged regions and rural schools (with a significantly lower wage than state contract teachers and civil servants). Thus, parent’paid teachers usually aim to: (a) be converted into state contract teachers; (b) be re-deployed to urban regions with higher living standards; and (c) in some cases, leave the education sector and move to other public administration positions with a clearer career path. The sector’s weak governance and ineffective control system leads to a systemic lack of teachers in rural and poor schools.

12. Although the concept of Priority Education Zones (Zones d’Éducation Prioritaires—ZEPs) has been used since the ESS (2006-2013), it did not lead to significant progress in lagging areas. Despite the designation of ZEPs and at-risk areas (such as borderlands, conflict-affected communities, and refugee zones) as education priority areas, the distribution of resources remains heavily skewed toward wealthier regions and major cities while the ZEPs and rural areas are systematically underfunded. The lowest levels of per student spending are observed in the areas with the greatest need. Per student spending on teacher salaries is systematically lower in ZEPs (which include the North, Far North, East, and Adamawa Regions) than in other regions (particularly the Central, Littoral, and South). Public primary schools in ZEPs are also much less likely to access electricity and potable water than are schools in the Western or Central areas. For this reason, the Government is currently rethinking its financing mechanisms to increase the share of education budget directed to the poorest and the rural areas. Allocating the budget according to clear, predetermined criteria, particularly at the school level instead of at a regional level, could improve the equity of education spending and enhance its effectiveness. This direction, supported by the ERSP through the provision of support to schools based on effective needs, will be strengthened in the proposed AF.

14 CEQUIL 2019. Rapport de clôture du Programme d’Amélioration de l’Equité et de la Qualité de l’Education au Cameroun 15 World Bank. 2019. Cameroon Education Country Status Report. On-going. Washington, DC: World Bank - Chapiter on quality.

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

13. The recent COVID-19 pandemic is likely to exacerbate the challenges already faced by pre- primary and primary education subsectors in Cameroon. In the short- and medium-runs, prolonged school closure and economic shocks may affect education demand and supply. On the supply side, the COVID-19 crisis is expected to put further strain on the Government budget, leading to a cut in education spending, especially on non-salary expenditures that support quality education. On the demand side, economic vulnerability faced by households and repeated/prolonged school closures are likely to result in an increase in drop-out rates and lower learning levels, leading to higher Learning Poverty especially among the most vulnerable. In the long-run, lasting effects are expected on Learning Poverty, human capital, wages, economic development and welfare. These impacts will likely be worse for girls, as they may be exposed to more violence, teenage pregnancy, early marriage, sexual exploitation and sex abuse as a result of the deterioration of socioeconomic conditions.

C. Proposed Development Objective(s)

Original PDO The Project Development Objective is to improve equitable access to quality basic education, with a focus on selected disadvantaged areas

Current PDO

The Project Development Objective is to improve equitable access to quality basic education, with a focus on selected disadvantaged areas

Key Results

14. The project Results Framework will be updated to reflect the impact of the scale-up, extended duration, and additional activities. The parent project indicators will be retained (with revised targets to account for the proposed AF and an extension in the parent project closing date) and a number of new indicators will be added to the Results Framework. The adjusted PDO-level indicators are as follows:

• Percentage of public primary schools with at least three state-paid teachers (only schools enrolling more than 100 pupils) (nationwide) • Percentage of students having essential textbooks (based on the new curriculum) at public primary level (nationwide) • Pre-primary enrollment in CPCs in rural areas • Completion of newly developed standardized national assessments for grades 4 and 6 in academic year 2020–2021 • Number of public primary schools receiving a package of grant funding and school-level interventions in refugee-affected and IDP-affected areas with the following sub-indicators:

o Number of pupils enrolled in public primary schools receiving a package of grant funding and school-level interventions in refugee-affected areas

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

o Number of refugee pupils enrolled in public primary schools receiving a package of grant funding and school-level interventions in refugee-affected areas o Number of pupils enrolled in public primary schools hosting internally displaced pupils receiving a package of grant funding and school-level interventions

15. In addition, new indicators for the proposed AF will include “share of learners at the end of primary who reach the minimum proficiency level of reading”.

D. Project Description

16. The proposed AF will be funded by an IDA credit in the amount of US$45 million equivalent and a GPE grant in the amount of US$52.45 million. The proposed AF will span six years (2020–26). The activities to be financed by the proposed AF are described below under each of the components.

Component 1: Improving Access, Quality, and Education System Management (amount US$2.930 million; Program: US$2.930 million including original financing and additional financing of US$171 million among which original financing IDA: US$95 million equivalent—IDA Credit: US$72 million equivalent, IDA Grant: US$23 million); and proposed AF IDA Credit: US$36 million equivalent; GPE Grant: US$40 million)

17. Component 1 supports three government priority areas as defined in ESS: (a) enhancing equitable access to quality pre-primary and primary education (Priority Area 1), (b) strengthening education system management (Priority Area 2), and (c) supporting the education needs of public schools in host communities with refugees (Priority Area 4).

18. The proposed AF will expand the scope of Priority Area 1: Enhancing equitable access to quality pre-primary and primary education, through the following DLIs:

a. DLI1: Improved distribution of teachers recruited by the state in public primary schools. This DLI will be expanded to support the achievement of this result for two additional years. While the objective of DLI1 of three state-paid teachers in each public primary school will remain unchanged to ensure the sustainable implementation of the teacher policy reform, the extended duration of the project justifies an additional effort from the Government. It will be expected that 95 percent of schools having more than 100 students will maintain the presence of at least three state-paid teachers during the lifetime of the project. All teachers hired to reach the DLI will be part of the state’s wage bill, ensuring the continuation of the activity after the project ends. Further, their hiring will be coherent with both the comprehensive teacher management system (which will in turn be aligned to the new ESS) and the sector’s medium- and long-term financial plan.

As mentioned in the ’Sectoral Context‘ section, Cameroon faces a shortage of state-paid teachers and significant structural challenges regarding teacher management and deployment. As recognized by the Government, this issue has important budgetary, political, and social implications. Tackling it will require a major structural reform to promote stability in human resource management and to provide the right incentives at

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

the government level. Considering this, the project will aim to capitalize on synergies with the recently approved IDA-financed Strengthening Public Sector Effectiveness and Statistical Capacity Project, which includes support to line ministries in public investment management (including human resources management), program budgeting, and an in- depth analysis of teacher recruitment.

As a first step in the process, the project will support the establishment and implementation of a comprehensive teacher management system. This system will develop a career management policy for teachers, considering qualifications for entry, appointment, mobility, and promotion. In its design, the policy will anticipate the potential resistance from diverse interest groups and will have a plan to counter it. In parallel, the project will incentivize the regularization of 18,000 parent-paid teachers in rural areas, who will be converted into state-paid contract teachers.

The Directorate of Human Resources within MINEDUB, which has vast experience with teacher recruitment and deployment, will be directly responsible for implementation under this results area. It will have the support of the Inspector General of Education, the Directorate of Pre-primary and Primary Education (Direction de l’Enseignement Maternel et Primaire, DEMP), and relevant ministries and agencies, including regional agencies and schools.

b. DLI2: Increased capacities of teachers in the effective and efficient use of the new curriculum in pre-primary and primary schools. This DLI will be expanded to 14,500 additional primary school teachers. Thus, all newly recruited and existing teachers will benefit from innovative training on the new curriculum on content and pedagogy under DLI2. Like the parent project, the curriculum training will be complemented by other topics, including innovative pedagogy, textbook utilization and conservation, SGBV sensitization, COVID-19 prevention strategies and environment. In line with international best practice, innovative training will be continuous and practical and involve in-class observation and feedback. Training will include utilization of digital technologies such as computers, smart phones, interactive boards, and so forth, as well as distance learning and open source resources that are particularly relevant to prepare the education system resilience in a context of crisis like COVID-19. The training will also include the utilization of highly scripted teacher guides for early grade reading and will be supported by the use of the classroom observation tool TEACH and piloting the feedback tool COACH (which will be explained in more detail under Component 3). To prepare for school reopening, training will also include a module on methods to manufacture protective equipment against COVID-19. Like the parent project, the teachers targeted by the proposed AF will also include schools in refugee-affected local councils. The proposed AF will, as such, allow the project to increase the number of teachers trained, to provide the training for three additional years and to provide remediation training to at most 25 percent of teachers.

c. DLI3: Increased availability of essential textbooks in public primary schools. This DLI will be expanded. Instead of targeting at least 50 percent of students enrolled in public

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

primary schools with three essential textbooks, it will now target at least 90 percent of students enrolled in public primary schools with the three essential textbooks until the closing date. To foster the sustainability and effectiveness of the activity, this policy will be supported by the development of textbook quality standards and criteria and by the strengthening of the capacity of the new textbook technical unit to ensure quality, relevance, and availability of textbooks. To incentivize textbook use, textbook utilization and conservation will be a part of the teacher training provided under the project (under DLI2). Further, there will be an evaluation of how books are distributed, stored, and used in the third year of the project, which will result in proposed recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the increased availability of textbooks.

d. DLI4: Increased access to preschool in rural areas through community preschool according to standards. This DLI will be expanded to increase the target for enrollment in CPCs in rural areas. This will help the Government meet the objectives proposed in the national strategy for preschool. This strategy intends to increase drastically pre-primary school coverage through community preschools. The proposed AF will support the expansion of the support to the 1,000 CPCs under the parent project in line with agreed upon standards. Moreover, the AF will support the development of an IAI program (or the adaptation of an existing high-quality one) for the 1,000 CPCs. The characteristics of the 1,000 CPCs in the parent project would include the minimum norms (among others) for the following: a safe structure for children; tables and chairs for children; the existence of a School Management Council (Conseil d’École/Établissement, SMC); a trained animator; teaching materials; a schedule for supportive supervision and continuous training by MINEDUB; a schedule for parental education on nutrition and the importance of early stimulation; and a range of WASH solutions including age-appropriate gender sensitive toilet, a potable drinking water source, and hand washing device. The project will achieve the standards at the school level by providing an integrated package of capacity building, sensitization activities, and school grants to beneficiary CPCs. The project will include the definition of norms and standards applying to a CPC. However, while this project supports the achievement of standards, constructions are not eligible under this financing. The Project Operational Manual will explicitly detail the positive and negative lists of eligible expenditure for the grant. In addition, the name of the DLI will be simplified from “Increased access to preschool in rural areas through community preschool according to standards” to “Pre-primary enrollment in community preschool centers in rural areas” to align with the GPE variable indicator on equity.

19. The proposed AF will also expand the scope of activities under Priority Area 2: Strengthening Education System Management:

a. DLI5: Establishment of a standardized student learning assessment system for primary and secondary education and increased share of learners achieving minimum proficiency in reading. The parent project supports the institutionalization of a national assessment framework and a comprehensive program for national assessment; the establishment of an entity with enough autonomy, capacity, functions, and links with other institutions to

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

effectively manage this system; and the undertaking of pilots and national large-scale student learning assessments in selected grades of primary and secondary in mathematics, French, and English. The proposed AF will expand DLI5 through the implementation of an additional assessment in the final year of the project and the inclusion of a second round of PASEC in 2024. In addition, the name of the DLI will be revised to reflect the expected result from the additional assessment from “Establishment of a standardized student learning assessment system for primary and secondary education” to “Establishment of a standardized student learning assessment system for primary and secondary education and increased share of learners achieving minimum proficiency in reading.” Under Results Area 5, baseline and end-line data will be collected and analyzed to assess the performance of the system after implementation of reforms supported by the project and to test the robustness of the assessment tools and units within the ministries. Data collection will use cost-effective digital technologies such as tablets and smartphones.

b. DLI6: Integrated education management information system functional and operational. This DLI supported the development of an integrated EMIS for MINEDUB, MINESEC, MINESUP, and MINEFOP, as well as the deconcentration to subnational levels (when applicable). This DLI will be slightly increased to allow the Government to finance three additional years of preparation and dissemination of the integrated sectorial statistical yearbook following standards agreed on in the related DLI protocol. Cost-effective digital technology will also be utilized for data collection, analysis, and dissemination.

20. The proposed AF will scale up the Government’s efforts to support the educational needs of public schools in host communities affected by all forced displacement (Priority Area 4). While the parent project only supported host communities receiving refugees, the proposed AF will include support to schools in host communities receiving IDPs. DLI7 (Improved learning environment and quality of education for children in host community schools with refugees) will be expanded to reach public primary schools hosting IDPs. The new Results Area 7b will use the same mechanism used for refugees to target IDPs,16 including the preparation of a response strategy and plan for communities receiving children; the provision of support grants to eligible schools and communities affected by refugees to complement the Government allocations or parent’s contributions (covering, for example, non-salary operational expenditures and learning materials); awareness programs to prevent school dropout and on the sociocultural obstacles that influence attendance; provision of WASH items to prevent COVID-19 transmission, community mobilization and sensitization, and psychosocial support for children and specific content in teacher training. All these measures will be useful to prevent school dropout and ensure school retention of vulnerable children of host communities affected by influx of refugees and internally displaced households. For activities for both refugees and IDPs, affordable digital technology will be explored to assure cost-effectiveness of interventions. The related new DLI added under the proposed AF will be Improved learning environment and quality of education for children in host- community schools with IDPs (DLI7b).

16 IDP targeting will be provided by using MINEDUB-specific data collection and will be independently verified in the context of DLI achievements.

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Additional Financing to the Education Reform Support Project (P172885)

Component 2: Improving School Effectiveness through Performance-based Financing (new amount: US$28 million equivalent; original financing : US$15 million equivalent—IDA Credit: US$12 million equivalent; IDA Grant: US$3 million equivalent; proposed AF : US$13 million equivalent—IDA Credit: US$5 million equivalent; GPE Grant: US$8 million)

21. Component 2 is aligned to the Government’s efforts to improve service delivery through PBF at the school level (Priority Area 3). Under this component, schools will receive a grant based on their performance on an agreed set of criteria which may include, among others, student retention and participation (and girls’ retention and participation); teacher absenteeism; improvement of learning conditions (with tables, materials, and so forth); improvement in pedagogic supervision; improvement in budget transparency; and increase in community satisfaction.17 Payment will be based on independent verification by the local partner agencies hired by the project. The project will support efforts to strengthen the management of these resources and enhance accountability.

22. This model seeks to incentivize changes in the governance of the education system and entails two main changes: (a) a transition from inputs-based financing to PBF at the school level, which aims to improve service delivery, the quality of schooling, student retention, and school governance; and (b) a flow of direct resources to schools, which enables them to strengthen the school council’s capacity to act based on action plans that respond to the needs on the ground and make them accountable, while ensuring that funds reach their intended destination. This is an important shift from the current mechanism for transfers to schools (where districts receive the non-wage expenditures of the sector).

23. The PBF grant received by each school will be based on the number of students and will range from US$500 to US$1,500 annually. This amount is equivalent to between 20 percent and 30 percent of the budget of an average school, of which 95 percent derives from families through APEEs.18 According to Cameroon’s recent Public Expenditure Review, the Government transfers additional funds for non-salary education expenditures to departmental delegates, who in turn are supposed to distribute them to schools based on their enrollment. However, qualitative surveys find that these funds do not always reach schools. The PBF school-grant transfer will thus help alleviate the financial burden of parents and allow for a significant improvement of schooling conditions through the provision of learning materials, incentives for teachers, and/or minor repairs, while being fiscally sustainable.19 Grant utilization include costs associated to the necessary adjustment of schooling due to COVID -19 crisis including WASH items to prevent disease and strengthening of interventions needed to improve access and retention of girls at school and therefore mitigate a potential widening in gender disparity. An equity prime will be included to support schools with fewer teachers paid by the state. To ensure simplicity in implementation modalities, schools benefitting from Results Area 7 grant financing will not be eligible for participation in the PBF program.

17 Performance measures are indicated in the PBF section of the Project Implementation Manual. 18 A survey undertaken in the pre-pilot found that the average budget of a school ranged between CFAF 2,5000 and CFAF 5,000 (US$5 to US$10 per pupil). 19 As documented in Cameroon’s Public Expenditure Review (2019), the Government’s per student allocation (which is not directed to teacher salaries) in each school is US$2.4. This amount is higher than the expected per student grant (which will range from US$1.5 to US$2.25, equivalent to 20–30 percent of the average amount received by schools—US$7.5). Thus, if the government choses to reassign the non-salary state budget allocated to schools and provide a direct transfer to schools through PBF, it could do so following the project’s design within its current spending.

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24. The design of this component is informed by a pre-pilot supported by a World Bank -executed trust fund that covered 20 rural schools in Lagdo. While it is not possible to draw conclusions regarding the effects of the RBF intervention on access or quality given the small sample size, the pre-pilot showed the feasibility of the intervention and found positive outcomes for the targeted schools and broader impacts at the school and national levels. Participating schools experienced increased enrollment (including of girls), greater teacher engagement, and increased transparency in school management and budgets. A pilot (which is taking place under the parent project and covers 400 schools) will further inform the intervention. While the parent project supported the expansion of the PBF grant-funding model to approximately 3,000 schools, this AF will support a scale-up of this activity by increasing the number of targeted schools up to about 5,000 primary schools. This scale is transformational, reaching more than 40 percent of the total number of public primary schools in the country.

25. The intervention will undergo a rigorous impact evaluation and will be adapted based on its findings. In addition, to monitor the progress made with this component during the execution of the project, the following two intermediate results indicators will be measured: (a) number of schools included in the PBF school grants and (b) percentage of schools included in PBF program improving their performance on the areas incentivized by the grant.20

Component 3: Institutional Strengthening and Project Management (new amount US$28.8 million equivalent: original financing : US$20 million equivalent—IDA Credit: US$16 million equivalent; IDA Grant: US$4 million equivalent; proposed AF : US$8.45 million equivalent—IDA Credit: US$4 million equivalent; GPE Grant: US$4.4 million)

26. Component 3 aims to strengthen the capacity of the education sector line ministries and relevant agencies toward the achievement of the ESS (2013-2020) and COVID-19 education action plan objectives and to provide support to project management.

Subcomponent 3.1: Institutional Capacity Strengthening (new amount: US$23 million equivalent: original financing : US$17 million equivalent—IDA credit: US$14 million equivalent; IDA Grant: US$3 million equivalent); proposed AF : US$6 million equivalent—IDA Credit: US$3 million equivalent; GPE Grant: US$3 million)

27. The proposed AF, under Subcomponent 3.1, will support the capacity building of the education sector line ministries and relevant agencies. It will do so by increasing knowledge, improving sector performance, further building systems of accountability, and supporting other activities for overall sector development (including ESS (2013-2020) joint reviews, studies, and so forth). In addition, the proposed AF will finance the provision of TA on critical activities for the attainment of DLRs under each results area. The proposed AF will also strengthen innovation and the use of ICT in existing DLIs and PBFs (DLI2 on teacher training and learning materials, DLI5 on learning assessment, DLI6 on EMIS, and DLI7 and DLI7b on refugee/host communities and IDPs) to increase their reach, to promote cost-effectiveness of interventions, and to promote changes in classroom practices through innovative pedagogy using technology.

20 For further details regarding the expected evolution of these indicators, please refer to Section VIII, “Results Framework and Monitoring.”

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28. In addition to improvements in learning environment, school management, allocation and training of teachers, and provision of textbooks and other teaching and learning materials, Subcomponent 3.1 will support the strengthening of continuous professional development (CPD) of teachers through the combination of TEACH21 and COACH.22 These tools should positively influence teacher in-classroom practice and performance and student learning achievement. As documented by Beteille et al. (2018), the most effective interventions to improve student learning rely upon teachers.23 Furthermore, teacher professional development programs that make a difference in what happens in the classroom tend to be practical, personalized, and continuous (including a face-to-face component and follow-up visits in teachers’ own classrooms) (Popova et al. 2017).24 To ensure the effectiveness of teacher training, the proposed AF will also support the integration of a classroom observation tool such as TEACH in the pedagogical supervision chain of the ministry.25 Unlike other free classroom observation tools, TEACH was developed by experts over a three-year period to ensure adaptability to low- and middle- income settings, reliability, high inference, ease of use, and the monitoring of behaviors that can be easily changed by teachers. The use of a tool like TEACH will allow the Government to

a. First, understand the initial status of teachers in terms of time-on-task, the quality of teacher practices (in classroom culture, instruction, and socio emotional skills), and the quality of instructional practices that nurture children’s cognitive and socioemotional skills; b. Second, it can be used to adjust CPD (teacher training content and modalities) based on the diagnostic. By using TEACH to strengthen the classroom observation protocols used by the pedagogical supervision chain of MINEDUB (which will receive training under the project), it can also be used as a CPD tool for teachers. As such, the tool can help identify individual teachers’ strengths and weaknesses and give personalized and actionable feedback in a continuous manner. When possible, cost-effective digital technology will be used to collect data and train trainers. The proposed AF will support consultancy services, training workshops, tool adaptation, training of trainers, rollout of the classroom observations, and a final report on the pilot; and

21 TEACH is a free classroom observation tool that captures practices that nurture children’s cognitive and socioemotional skills. Teach is the first tool to holistically measure what happens in the classroom, including time spent on learning and the quality of teaching practices. The tool is intended to be used in primary classrooms (grades 1–6) and was designed to help low- and middle- income countries track and improve teaching quality. 22 COACH means: Create an evidence-based approach to improve in-service professional development in low- and middle-income settings; Oversee adaptation and implementation of this new approach; Act on evidence, closely monitoring implementation and assessing impact of the program; Change teaching at-scale by building a learning platform to help countries adapt and adopt this approach; and Harness technology wisely to accelerate the impact of the program [source: World Bank, 2019, “Coach Concept Note,” World Bank, Washington, DC]. 23 Beteille, T., and D.K. Evans. 2019. Successful Teachers, Successful Students: Recruiting and Supporting Society’s Most Crucial Profession. Washington, DC: World Bank Group. Retrieved from http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/235831548858735497/Successful-Teachers-Successful-Students-Recruiting-and- Supporting-Society-s-MostCrucial-Profession.pdf. 24 Popova, Anna, David K. Evans, Mary E. Breeding, and Violeta Arancibia. “Teacher Professional Development around the World: The Gap between Evidence and Practice.” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 8572. World Bank, Washington, DC.

25 This will include the adaptation of the tool to include elements of existing classroom observation practices, the development of the training protocol (collecting video footage from at least 15 Cameroonian classrooms in diverse contexts), incorporation of contents in the training for pedagogical supervisors, and the implementation of the pilot in selected schools.

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c. Finally, it can help monitor the effectiveness of the policies contained of the comprehensive training strategy and operational plan for pre- and in-service teacher training to improve teacher practices.

29. To complement TEACH classroom observation, Subcomponent 3.1 will also support the piloting of COACH, the coaching tool currently under development by the World Bank. The objective of COACH is to accelerate student learning by improving in-service professional development in lower- middle- income settings. COACH is focused on helping teachers improve pedagogical techniques that are relevant to everyday classroom practices; that is, the tool focuses on improving teaching practices building on what is actually happening in classrooms. Utilizing the findings from TEACH, the proposed AF will support TA on the piloting of the COACH tool, including a technical report on the pilot. In particular, the pilot will test the incorporation of the COACH tool in the pedagogical supervision chain of MINEDUB as a continuous and pertinent feedback mechanism to teachers. The findings from COACH will also inform the World Bank piloting of this program in other countries.

30. This component will also support the country in fighting Learning Poverty by revamping teachers’ capacity to teach early grade reading. Building on the CEQUIL Project (which distributed leveled readers for students in grades 1–3) and on the acquisition of mini-libraries in CPCs, this project will support the creation of scripted lesson plans to effectively use the readers for the acquisition of literacy (and pre- literacy) skills. If necessary, it will also support the reprinting and distribution of leveled readers for early grades. The lesson plans will be based on the science of learning, guiding teachers in the provision of the types, sequences, and amounts of instruction that students need to learn to read. Finally, the effective use of lesson plans will be guided through practical and focused in-service training (both face-to-face and in CPD delivered through the pedagogical supervision chain), leveraging technology where possible, based on global lessons learned.26,27

31. Under this subcomponent a range of communication campaigns will be supported to spread relevant messages on available remote learning opportunities and to fight COVID-19 at school. This will complement the dissemination of the health protocol during school reopening and sensibilization of the school community including the school council, parent association, and teachers on measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission and on agenda and good practices to benefit from remote learning opportunities.

Subcomponent 3.2: Institutional Capacity Strengthening (new amount : US$5.45 million equivalent:;original financing :US$3 million equivalent—IDA credit: US$2 million equivalent; IDA Grant: US$1 million equivalent; proposed AF :US$2.45 million equivalent—IDA Credit: US$1 million equivalent; GPE Grant: US$1.45 million)

32. The proposed AF, under Subcomponent 3.2, will contribute to paying for costs related to project management during the lifetime of the project and activities related to M&E. These include the costs associated with the independent verification.

26 The World Bank. 2018. World Development Report: Learning to Realize Education’s Promise. Washington, DC: World Bank.

27 The World Bank. 2019. Ending Learning Poverty: What Will It Take? Washington, DC: World Bank.

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Component 4: Contingent emergency response component (CERC) (estimated IDA contribution US$0 million equivalent)

33. A CERC will be included under the proposed project in accordance with OP 8.00 to help the Government improve response times in the event of future situations where urgent assistance is needed. A CERC allows for rapid reallocation of project proceeds in the event of a future natural or man-made disaster or crisis that has caused or is imminently likely to cause a major adverse economic and/or social impact. This component will have no funding allocation initially. In the event of a future emergency, it could be used to draw resources from the unallocated expenditure category and/or allow the Government to request the World Bank to recategorize and reallocate financing from other project components to cover emergency response and recovery costs, if approved by the World Bank.

34. The project implementation manual will be revised to reflect the inclusion of CERC. Particularly, the CERC manual will be attached as annex to the Project Implementation Manual.

E. Implementation

Institutional and Implementation Arrangements

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35. The proposed AF will use the same implementation arrangements as the parent project. At the central level, MINEDUB, in coordination with the other three education ministries and MINEPAT, is responsible for the overall implementation and monitoring of the project. The proposed AF will use the same Project Steering Committee (PSC), as well as the same PCMU.

36. M&E. As in the parent project, M&E will be carried out through (a) regular monitoring of activities and related indicators, (b) semiannual implementation support missions, (c) a Midterm Review (MTR), (d) a comprehensive evaluation of project outcomes at the end of project implementation, (e) a rigorous impact evaluation of the PBF incentive mechanism, and (f) independent verification of the project’s results. The project’s Components 1 and 2 will use an RBF approach: Component 1 will feature IPF DLIs disbursing against independently verified achievement of pre-agreed annual results, and Component 2, PBF through school grants disbursing to schools against independently verified school achievement of pre- agreed performance indicators.28 For indicators related to the variable part of the GPE grant, in addition to the World Bank, the independent verification report must be cleared by the LEG.

37. The M&E specialist of the PCMU will be responsible for overall project M&E, including provision of (a) regular status reports on project implementation by each activity financed under the project, (b) status reports on the progress made on all PDO-level and intermediate results indicators specified in the Results Framework (see section B), (c) information on the level of achievement for each of the agreed DLIs, and (d) interim unaudited financial reports (IUFRs) and annual progress and audit reports. The project M&E data will inform the MTR and annual reviews of the ESS. Building on lessons learned from previous projects, the ERSP will focus on outcomes rather than inputs. The M&E specialist will be supported by M&E specialists from the Directorate of Policy and Planning of MINEDUB.

38. Each results area and component will have a specific M&E mechanism. This system will be sufficiently robust to verify results, disburse against agreed indicators (DLIs), monitor funding to ensure that it is being used for intended purposes, prepare regular reports, and evaluate the impact of reforms supported under the project. To ensure the expected progress, baseline information and baseline indicators will be defined for each results area.

39. Monitoring of activities will be carried out with the support of the key actors involved in the implementation. Monitoring of activities will be carried out by an M&E specialist hired under the project, who will be responsible for coordinating the actors within the system and integrating activities at different levels (central, regional, divisional, inspectorate, schools, and communities). To the extent possible, M&E activities will build on the existing reporting mechanisms and infrastructure within the education system (statistical yearbook and regular data collection and regular school supervision), to be complemented by third-party validation.

.

28 The independent verification has an estimated cost of US$300,000. It will be financed under Component 3. The Bank will support the national team in the process of hiring and oversight. For indicators related to the variable part of the GPE grant, in addition to the World Bank, the independent verification report must be cleared by the LEG.

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F. Project location and Salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known)

The AF like the parent project will cover the whole country. However, in line with the Country Partnership Framework, it will put a special focus on the most disadvantaged areas of the country and those with the lowest education performance, particularly the North, Far North, Adamawa and East regions, and other disadvantaged areas selected using needs-based criteria, specifically, areas receiving refugees and IDPs and facing service delivery pressures. In addition, under the AF, an unallocated amount will be added to support regions affected by the crisis (Back to school North West and South West region) if the crisis ends during the lifetime of the project or if adequate implementation and supervision arrangements are agreed between the Government and the Bank. The North, Far North and Adamawa are located in the Sudano-sahelian and Guinean savannah zones (These are dry zones that are mostly affected by pressures such as fuel wood harvesting, land degradation, exposure to floods, which always bring a threat of cholera) whereas the East region is located is covered by thick forests and is inhabited by Indigenous People (the Baka, Bakola, Bagyéli and Bedzang pygmies).

G. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team

Albert Francis Atangana Ze, Environmental Specialist FNU Owono Owono, Social Specialist

SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY

SAFEGUARD_TBL Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Activities of the AF like the parent project do not include small works such as construction of classrooms, latrines, fencing and housing as previously set at the final preparation stage. No large scale, significant or irreversible negative environmental impact is foreseen to be induced by the project activities. However, this policy is Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 Yes triggered because project activities will impact indigenous peoples (Baka, Bakola, Bagyéli and Bedzang pygmies Baka). Based on this potential impact on IPs, the AF is maintained as Category B. The borrower has updated and disclosed the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) in Cameroon as well as at the World Bank's external website on February 18, 2020. The updated

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ESMF reflects the key impacts of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on project host communities as well as corresponding mitigation measures. If the CERC's component is activated, the Borrower will prepare a brief CERC-ESMF in early implementation of the project. The CERC-ESMF will include a screening process for the potential activities, the institutional arrangements for environmental and social due diligence and monitoring, any needed capacity- building measures, and generic guidance on OHS measures. Performance Standards for Private Sector No NA Activities OP/BP 4.03 Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 No The project will not affect natural habitats. The AF will not have impacts on the health and Forests OP/BP 4.36 No quality of forests. Activities under the AF will not involve pest Pest Management OP 4.09 No management The project will not finance works such as construction of classroom which are likely to cause damage on movable or immovable objects, sites, Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 No structures, groups of structures, and natural features and landscapes that have archaeological, paleontological, historical, architectural, religious, aesthetic, or other cultural significance. The project triggers OP/BP 4.10 (Indigenous People) in response to the presence of indigenous peoples in regions impacted by project activities. An Indigenous Peoples Plan Framework (IPPF), which sets guidelines related to activities to be directed to Indigenous Peoples, was also prepared and disclosed on January 17, 2018. The IPPF was then updated and disclosed on February 18, 2020 in Cameroon and in Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 Yes the World Bank's site. An Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) will be prepared as an additional safeguards instrument to complement the IPPF. The IPPF will be updated to reflect potential risks associated to the CERC's component activation. The IPP will be updated to reflect specific risks associated to activities to be implemented in the framework of the CERC. The project does not foresee any involuntary Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 No resettlement or acquisition of land. The project does not involve the construction of Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No dams.

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Projects on International Waterways No The AF will not affect international waterways. OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 No The AF does not finance activities in disputed areas.

KEY SAFEGUARD POLICY ISSUES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT OPS_SAFEGUARD_SUMMARY_TBL 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 parent project did not undertake any physical investments and it’s then difficult to draw lessons that could enhance E&S performance under the AF. It is worth noting that the project effectiveness was delayed which leads to the fact that activities did not start on the ground yet. Safeguards compliance of the parent project is satisfactory as the main safeguards instruments (IPPF and ESMF) were prepared and disclosed by the borrower. A social audit on refugee children’s access to schools in rural areas was also prepared to address social risks on refugees in project areas.

The proposed AF is expected to generate positive social impacts by increasing school attendance, improving the quality of education delivered, and providing critical education materials to targeted populations. There are no significant long-term or irreversible adverse environmental impacts expected from project implementation. The AF is not expected to support any construction activities that would necessitate compensation and resettlement. Thus, OP 4.12 (Involuntary Resettlement) will not be triggered because the project activities will not include school repairs.

Activities of the AF do not include small works such as construction of classrooms, latrines, fencing and housing as previously set at the final preparation stage. No large scale, significant or irreversible negative environmental impact is foreseen to be induced by the project activities. However, this policy is triggered because project activities will impact indigenous peoples (Baka, Bakola, Bagyéli and Bedzang). Based on this potential impact on IPs, the AF is maintained as Category B. The borrower has updated and disclosed the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) in Cameroon as well as at the World Bank's external website on February 18, 2020. The AF has included the CERC component. All activities to be financed through the CERC will be subject to the World Bank safeguards policies. These activities are not known at this stage. However, it is envisaged that these activities being limited to scaling up the activities financed by the parent project, support new activities to complement the existing program and ensure these changes are reflected in indicators. CERC's component associated impacts and risks will be reflected in the safeguards instruments to ensure that those risks are well taken into consideration during implementation.

Like the parent project, the AF triggers OP/BP 4.10 (Indigenous People) as few regions, where indigenous people live, will be targeted. The Indigenous Peoples Plan Framework (IPPF), which sets guidelines related to activities to be directed to Indigenous Peoples, was prepared and disclosed on January 17, 2018. The IPPF was then updated and disclosed on February 18, 2020 in Cameroon and on the World Bank's website. An Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) will be prepared as an additional safeguards instrument to complement the IPPF. The IPP would align overall project goals to fit into the Indigenous Peoples’ context though specific actions and activities, with a focus on DLI. A gender and GBV risks analysis will be conducted with Bank’s technical assistance. Based on the recommendations of the risks’ analysis exercise, a mitigation plan will be elaborated and will include capacity strengthening and GBV's outreach activities as well as un specific GBV's cases management protocol in case of incidents.

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Special attention will be given to Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) in the context of the NOSO crisis. Key safeguards instruments as the updated ESMF the key impacts of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on project host communities as well as corresponding mitigation measures. Recommendations of the ongoing Cameroon Economic and Social Analysis in the Anglophone Regions would help to build up specific measures to be applied to this project.

A grievance and redress mechanism (GRM) has been developed by the Client (based on the recently closed Cameroon Equity and Quality for Improved Learning Project) and approved by the World Bank safeguard team. It integrates synergies with the GRMs supported under other projects (Health, Local Governance, Social safety nets) in the context of the IDA refugees window. The GRM would be further updated by the borrower to incorporate Gender/GBV considerations. The project has not recorded complaints from beneficiaries or field operators given that project activities have not yet begun on the ground.

2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: The AF is unlikely to have any potential indirect and/or long term negative environmental impacts through its future activities. To the extent that the focus is on improving access to quality of education, alongside educational systems strengthening, some unintended positive environmental and social development effects may accrue in project areas. For instance, education awareness for indigenous children may encourage facilitating of registration through greater availability of information, thereby removing a huge barrier to education for many children in rural areas, who have difficulty later on in presenting for examinations due to not being registered.

3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. N/A

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. There are adequate legal frameworks in the country to ensure compliance with World Bank safeguards policies triggered by the proposed project. MINEPDED (Central ESIA authority) reviews and approves ESIAs whereas Divisional Committees (multi-stakeholders committee including CSOs, private sector and municipalities) are divisional ESIA authorities in charge of monitoring ESMPs in accordance with national environmental laws and the respective regulations. They have a weak capacity and lack resources to undertake proper compliance monitoring. Their technical capacity will be reinforced, and the costs associated with the operation of divisional committees (supervision and inspection missions) will be supported under component 3. This includes resources to be allocated for training, workshops and seminars as well as environmental supervision, inspection and ESMP follow up missions.

The costs associated with the operation of Divisional committees will be included in the AF. The Ministry of Basic Education does not have prior experience of World Bank safeguards requirements and will rely on the PMU E&S staff to plan and manage environmental, social risks and impacts associated with the AF. The recruitment of a PMU E&S staff was completed.

During supervision, the WB safeguards team will also verify the project's compliance with safeguards requirements. The project will also mobilize adequate financial resources for safeguards implementation and monitoring. The related TORs has already been reviewed and approved by the Bank.

If the CERC's component is activated, the Borrower will prepare a brief CERC-ESMF in early implementation of the project. The CERC-ESMF will include a screening process for the potential activities, the institutional arrangements for

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environmental and social due diligence and monitoring, any needed capacity-building measures, and generic guidance on OHS measures. The IPPF will be updated to reflect potential risks associated to the CERC's component activation. The IPP will be updated to reflect specific risks associated to activities to be implemented in the framework of the CERC.

5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. During the preparation of the parent project, the stakeholders (affected people, CSOs and public administration partners) were consulted during the preparation of the main safeguards instruments. A workshop was organized in Yaoundé to present the main safeguards instruments (ESMF and IPPF) on January 17, 2018. Since the additional funding activities are a continuation of the parent Project’ activities, key actors in the public administration were consulted during the update of the Environmental and Social Management Framework. During the launch of project activities, consultations will be organized in the main project areas to ensure ownership by the main stakeholders of the safeguards instruments. Further consultations will be organized when elaborating the IPP planned and carrying out the social assessment in host communities.

OPS_SAFEGUARD_DISCLOSURE_TBL B. Disclosure Requirements (N.B. The sections below appear only if corresponding safeguard policy is triggered)

EnvironmentalOPS_EA_DISCLOSURE_TABLE 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 14-Jan-2020 18-Feb-2020

"In country" Disclosure Cameroon 18-Feb-2020 Comments

OPS_IP_DIS CLOSURE_TAB LE

Indigenous Peoples Development Plan/Framework Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission for disclosure 14-Feb-2020 18-Feb-2020

"In country" Disclosure

Cameroon 18-Feb-2020

Comments

OPS_PM_PCR_TABLE

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If the project triggers the Pest Management and/or Physical Cultural Resources policies, the respective issues are to be addressed and disclosed as part of the Environmental Assessment/Audit/or EMP. If in-country disclosure of any of the above documents is not expected, please explain why:

OPS_COMPLIANCE_INDICATOR_TBL C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level (to be filled in when the ISDS is finalized by the project decision meeting) (N.B. The sections below appear only if corresponding safeguard policy is triggered)

OPS_EA_COMP_TABLEOP/BP/GP 4.01 - Environment Assessment

Does the project require a stand-alone EA (including EMP) report? No OPS_IP_COMP_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? Yes If yes, then did the Regional unit responsible for safeguards or Practice Manager review the plan? Yes If the whole project is designed to benefit IP, has the design been reviewed and approved by the Regional Social Development Unit or Practice Manager? NA

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

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OPS_ALL_COMP_TABLE All Safeguard Policies

Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? Yes 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

Harisoa Danielle Rasolonjatovo Andriamihamina Senior Education Specialist

Vincent Perrot Senior Education Specialist

Borrower/Client/Recipient

Ministry of Economy and Planning Guy Ronel Guemaleu Sous-Directeur de la Coopération et de l'Intégration Régiona [email protected]

Implementing Agencies

Ministry of Basic Education Ambroise Owotsogo Chef de Division de la planification des Projets et de la Co [email protected]

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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

Harisoa Danielle Rasolonjatovo Andriamihamina Task Team Leader(s): Vincent Perrot

Approved By

Safeguards Advisor: Nathalie S. Munzberg 08-Sep-2020

Practice Manager/Manager: Halil Dundar 09-Sep-2020

Country Director: Abdoulaye Seck 18-Sep-2020

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