The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P148291) Higher Education Project (P148291) EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA | Tajikistan | Education Global Practice | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing | FY 2015 | Seq No: 8 | ARCHIVED on 15-Nov-2019 | ISR38369 | Implementing Agencies: Ministry of Education and Science, Republic of Tajikistan Key Dates Key Project Dates Bank Approval Date: 30-Jun-2015 Effectiveness Date: 29-Feb-2016 Planned Mid Term Review Date: 15-Jul-2019 Actual Mid-Term Review Date: 15-Jul-2019 Original Closing Date: 31-Oct-2021 Revised Closing Date: 31-Oct-2021 pdoTable Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The objective of the project is to develop mechanisms that improve and monitor the quality and labor-market relevance of higher education Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No Components Table Name Institutional-Level Improvements:(Cost $12.70 M) System-Level Interventions:(Cost $1.75 M) Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation:(Cost $0.55 M) Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Substantial Substantial Implementation Status and Key Decisions Project implementation has accelerated to overcome significant delays during earlier years of project implementation, with substantive progress having been made since October 2018. The largest progress is evident in the Competitive Grants Program (CGP) sub-component, with Round 1 sub-projects now under implementation and the contracts for Round 2 signed in October 2019. About USD 8.8 million (60 percent) of Project funds are committed under this sub-component. Also, some of the systemic interventions under Component 2, including the piloting of the institutional accreditation and of graduate tracer study are also well advanced and likely to meet their targets by project closing date. At the same time, despite some progress the planned work on curriculum revisions and higher education financing are lagging. For both these activities, a detailed time-bound action plan and next steps were agreed. Concrete actions and mitigation measures to maintain an accelerated pace of implementation were agreed with the Ministry of Education and Science. 11/15/2019 Page 1 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P148291) Risks Systematic Operations Risk-rating Tool Risk Category Rating at Approval Previous Rating Current Rating Political and Governance Substantial Substantial Substantial Macroeconomic High High High Sector Strategies and Policies Substantial Substantial Substantial Technical Design of Project or Program Moderate Substantial Substantial Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Sustainability Substantial Substantial Substantial Fiduciary Substantial Substantial Substantial Environment and Social Moderate Moderate Moderate Stakeholders Moderate Substantial Substantial Other -- Substantial Substantial Overall Substantial Substantial Substantial Results PDO Indicators by Objectives / Outcomes To develop mechanisms that improve the quality and labor-market relevance of higher education. IN00738392 ►Number of clusters of academic specialties with standards revised utilizing a process that incorporates employer feedback (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 5.00 Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 Modernization of the academic specialty standards and curriculum for pedagogical cluster is underway with technical assistance provided by the Tartu University. About 18 standards were revised until October Comments: 2019, and their finalization is expected in the coming months. The employers' survey to guide a curriculum upgrades in priority sectors is completed and findings shared with HEIs and policymakers. IN00738394 ►New quality assurance standards and guidelines, aligned with Bologna Process, for institutional accreditation are developed, piloted , and approved by the government (Text, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target MOES selected HEIs for MOES selected HEIs Standards and guidelines an institutional for an institutional Standards and Value not aligned with Bologna accreditation to start in accreditation to start in guidelines approved. Process. fall 2019. Standards and fall 2019. Standards guidelines developed. 11/15/2019 Page 2 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P148291) and guidelines developed. Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 The new standards and guidelines for institutional accreditation are finalized and agreed with the MoES. The three pilot universities are selected, and the piloting of the self-assessment tools initiated in July 2019. This is the fist step in the process of institutional accreditation, and the universities have until Comments: December 2019 to complete the self-assessment. Based on progress to date, this indicator is likely to be achieved by the Project’s closing date. IN00738395 ►Percentage of peer reviewed CGP sub-grants that are assessed to have improved the quality and relevance of the targeted program (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 65.00 Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 The selected Round 1 CGP sub-projects are under implementation, and contracts for Round 2 were signed in October 2019. Altogether, 49 projects under Window 1 and Window 2 of the program will be implemented. The indicator is reported as zero given that the assessment or peer review of the sub- Comments: projects is expected to be done after the sub-project is implemented. To date, none of the supported sub- projects are completed. To develop mechanisms that monitor the quality and labor-market relevance of higher education. IN00738393 ►Percentage of HEIs conducting graduate tracing surveys to monitor employment outcomes of alumni (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 40.00 Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 GTS pilot with participation of 12 HEIs comprising 31% of all HEIs in the country started in July 2019 and is expected to be completed and report produced by no later than January 2020. The second pilot Comments: covering all HEIs is expected to be completed by December 2020. Intermediate Results Indicators by Components Institutional-Level Improvements IN00738441 ►Number of students enrolled in short-term offerings (courses or programs) developed in response to labor market demand (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 1,900.00 3,499.00 1,200.00 Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 This indicator was achieved in September 2018. Comments: IN00738446 Sub-indicator: Number of female students enrolled (Number, Custom Breakdown) 11/15/2019 Page 3 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P148291) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 1,040.00 2,009.00 300.00 Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 IN00738447 ►Number of CGP sub-projects that engage employers to implement at least one strategic initiative focused on improving relevance (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 9.00 9.00 30.00 Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 Under Round 1 of CGP, the number of CGP sub-projects that engage employers in the implementation of at least one initiative is 9 (nine). The second call is issued and the Government expects to complete the Comments: process and sign the contracts by end September 2019. IN00738450 ►Number of female students receiving custom academic and student support services (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 500.00 500.00 2,000.00 Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 The estimated number of female beneficiaries under Round 1 sub-projects is 500. Comments: System-Level Interventions IN00738442 ►Number of HEIs that complete a pilot institutional accreditation process in accordance with the newly developed accreditation standards and guidelines (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.00 Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 The standards and guidelines are developed and approved, the pilot in three universities is initiated, and the entire process is expected to be completed by May or June 2020. Since the pilot is not completed, the Comments: indicator cannot be updated. IN00738444 ►Number of working groups established to revise curriculum for selected clusters of academic specialties (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 1.00 1.00 5.00 Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2018 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 One working group for pedagogical academic specialties is established as is functional. Comments: IN00738448 ►Draft legislative amendments to improve the performance-orientation of the higher education financing system are submitted to the government and an action plan is proposed by the MoES/MOF/MOEDT (Text, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target 11/15/2019 Page 4 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P148291) The MoES has prepared a draft report assessing the current financing model, and has provided some recommendations to the MoES on the way Draft legislative The MoES report forward. Revisions to the amendments are No assessment assessing the current Value report, including developed and conducted. financing model in introducing a action plan, proposed by draft form. and a roadmap for MOES/MOF/MOEDT. implementation is being discussed currently. The final output is expected by early September 2019. Date 13-May-2015 25-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 The MoES has prepared a draft report assessing the current financing model, and has provided some recommendations to the MoES on the way forward. Revisions to the report, including introducing a action plan, and a roadmap for implementation is being discussed currently. The initial report needs to be Comments: complemented with best practices and international evidence. A complementary technical assistance to support this work is expected to be contracted by end-December 2019. A. Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation IN00738443 ►Number of NGOs involved in planning and implementation of project-related activities (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 Date 13-Dec-2018 26-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 IN00738445 ►MoES responds and/or resolves the grievance received within the stipulated service standard for response times (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 90.00 Date 13-May-2015 26-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 The GRM materials in English, Russian and Tajik are available in MOES website Comments: (http://maorif.tj/asosi/rushdi-tasiloti-olii-kasb). To date, no grievances were received. IN00738449 ►Direct project beneficiaries (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 3,550.00 3,600.00 15,250.00 Date 13-May-2015 26-Jun-2019 08-Nov-2019 31-Oct-2021 To date, 50 professors and 3,550 students Comments: IN00738451 Female beneficiaries (Percentage, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target 11/15/2019 Page 5 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P148291) Value 0.00 42.00 42.00 40.00 Data on Financial Performance Disbursements (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P148291 IDA-57020 Effective USD 8.25 8.25 0.00 0.00 8.31 0% P148291 IDA-D0820 Effective USD 6.75 6.75 0.00 3.08 3.69 46% Key Dates (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Orig. Closing Date Rev. Closing Date P148291 IDA-57020 Effective 30-Jun-2015 07-Aug-2015 29-Feb-2016 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2021 P148291 IDA-D0820 Effective 30-Jun-2015 07-Aug-2015 29-Feb-2016 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2021 Cumulative Disbursements 11/15/2019 Page 6 of 7 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P148291) Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Project(s) There are no related projects. 11/15/2019 Page 7 of 7