INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET APPRAISAL STAGE Report No.: ISDSA2561 Public Disclosure Copy Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 13-Mar-2013 Date ISDS Approved/Disclosed: 25-Mar-2013 I. BASIC INFORMATION 1. Basic Project Data Country: Niger Project ID: P126049 Project Name: Skills Development for Growth Project (P126049) Task Team Boubou Cisse Leader: Estimated 27-Feb-2013 Estimated 30-Apr-2013 Appraisal Date: Board Date: Managing Unit: AFTEW Lending Specific Investment Loan Instrument: Sector: General information and communications sector (10%), Secondary education (20%), Tertiary education (20%), Vocational training (50%) Theme: Education for the knowledge economy (80%), Managing for development results (20%) Financing (In USD Million) Total Project Cost: 30.00 Total Bank Financing: 30.00 Public Disclosure Copy Total Cofinancing: Financing Gap: 0.00 Financing Source Amount BORROWER/RECIPIENT 0.00 International Development Association (IDA) 30.00 Total 30.00 Environmental B - Partial Assessment Category: Is this a No Repeater project? 2. Project Objectives The project development objective is to improve the effectiveness of formal technical and vocational training, short term skills development and apprenticeship programs in priority sectors. 3. Project Description The project will be in the amount of US$30 million and will consist of the following three main components. Page 1 of 7 The first component will support interventions that aim at improving the effectiveness of formal technical and vocational training through supporting new demand-driven institutions and Public Disclosure Copy strengthened school to work transition. The second component will target short-term skills needs and the stock of out of school youth by promoting informal skill delivery programs. Both components target selected priority sectors in both the formal and informal sector. The third component will mainly support the institutional strengthening of the main implementing agency, the Ministry of Professional Training and Labor, and co-executing or other implementing institutions. Component 1: Improving the Effectiveness of Formal Training (US$ 11.4 millions ) The objective of this component is to help Niger address the demand for skills in the economic sectors with the highest growth and employment potential and improve youth employability by supporting interventions that aim at improving the effectiveness of formal technical and vocational training. Effectiveness improvements will be undertaken, specifically, by supporting new demand- driven institutions and a strengthened school-to-work transition. Sub-Component 1.1: Demand-Driven Approach to Formal Vocational Training (US$ 9.8 millions) The objective of this sub-component is to improve the quality and relevance of TVET institutions in four key sectors. Sub-Component 1.2: Improving School to Work Transition (US$ 1.6 million) The objective of this sub-component is to strengthen the transition from formal education and training to the labor market. It will do so by supporting job counseling and internships for technical secondary and tertiary graduates. Component 2: Developing Short Term Skills Development and Apprenticeships Programs (US$ 12.5 million) The objective of this second component is to help Niger address the demand for skills in the Public Disclosure Copy economic sectors with the highest growth and employment potential and improve youth employability by supporting short term skills development and apprenticeships programs. While medium and longer-term capacity is improved through Component 1, informal shorter-term training mechanisms are necessary to promote faster response to economic opportunities in the formal and informal sector. At the same time, these mechanisms can also be helpful to address the skill needs of out of school youth with limited education and therefore support youth employability in the short run. This component focuses on apprenticeships for out of school youth with limited education (sub- component 2.1), and short term training programs for out of school youth with varying education levels. Short term courses include an on-demand training scheme (sub-component 2.2) and entrepreneurship training (sub-component 2.3). The component includes support to a pilot reform (the on-demand training mechanism) and the scaling-up of an existing pilot (the dual apprenticeship program) striving to achieve a good balance between innovation and mainstreaming and limit risks. Sub-component 2.1: Expanding Apprenticeships (US$ 4.9 million) The objective of this sub-component is to expand apprenticeship programs in priority sectors. Sub-component 2.2: Developing Short-Term On-Demand Training Programs (US$ 4.7 million) The objective of this sub-component is to support short-term skills development by developing an on-demand training program. Sub-component 2.3: Promoting Short-Term Entrepreneurship Training (US$ 2.9 million) Page 2 of 7 The objective of this sub-component is to support short-term skill development for Niger’s youth by promoting short-term entrepreneurship training. Public Disclosure Copy Component 3: Institutional Capacity Strengthening and Project Management (US$6.1 million) The main objective of this component is to provide effective implementation of the project and support its implementation arrangements, by establishing a project coordinating unit (PCU) embedded within MFPE and reporting to the SG as well as the Project Steering Committee. The PCU will be a small group of dedicated staff assisting MFPE and all participating agencies for effective coordination and monitoring and evaluation, as well as the implementation of an information and communications strategy. The proposed component will fund key staff to be hired for the implementation of the proposed Project. This will, inter alia, include an Executive Director, Procurement Officer, Financial Management Officer, M&E Officer, IT Specialist and consultants in different areas of expertise. The component will also fund institutional strengthening activities for FAPCA, the main agency involved in the second component, and FNAN; ANPE; and CCIA. Finally, other activities to be financed under this component will include an Independent Monitoring Firm (IMF) to support M&E activities for the project and the ministry; the impact evaluations of the school to work transition, on-demand and entrepreneurship sub-components, TA and operational costs related to the bi-annual beneficiary assessments; and, as needed, TA on supporting the new Law on Technical and Professional Training.; and the funding of minor goods and materials related to overall project implementation. 4. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) The project areas will potentially cover the eight regions of the country. The salient physical characteristics relevant to safeguards analysis are to be determined. 5. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists Serigne Omar Fye (CICAF) Africa Eshogba Olojoba (MNSEN) Public Disclosure Copy Melissa C. Landesz (AFTSG) 6. Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment OP/ Yes Due to the planned civil works and BP 4.01 infrastructure expansion in clearly defined areas, the project triggers the OP on Environmental Assessment and since there are three different sites where construction will take place, the most appropriate safeguards instrument is an ESMP. The ESMP covers the three sites where the small civil works will occur (rehabilitation of existing buildings; new construction of classrooms and laboratories; construction of latrines, etc). Although the small scale civil construction activities under the Project are not expected to trigger OP 4.11 on Physical Resources, as a precautionary measure, chance finds procedures will be included in civil works contracts terms of reference. Page 3 of 7 Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 No Public Disclosure Copy Forests OP/BP 4.36 No Pest Management OP 4.09 No Physical Cultural Resources OP/ No BP 4.11 Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 No Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP No The project will not support any activities that 4.12 trigger OP 4.12 The project will not finance activities involving involuntary taking of land, loss of assets or access to assets, loss of income sources or means of livelihood or the voluntary restriction of access to legally designated parks and protected areas. Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No Projects on International No Waterways OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP No 7.60 II. Key Safeguard Policy Issues and Their Management A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues Public Disclosure Copy 1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the Restructured project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts: The project is not restructured and there are no large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts as the best part of the project is rehabilitation of existing structures /buildings and limited new construction in designated areas. In the construction /rehabilitation and decommissioning phases, adverse effects will include increased noise, vibration, air pollution (dust) levels due to decommissioning and construction, and to a lesser extent soil erosion, water flows obstruction, impairment of non-critical natural habitat, and minimal water pollution due to construction related activities. No major contamination of soil or surface water is envisaged. The bidding documents will include chances fines procedures for any physical cultural artifacts that may be found during construction. 2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: No direct or indirect long term impacts are anticipated from the implementation of the project. 3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. Since there is no long term direct or indirect impacts anticipated from the project activities, alternatives to the proposed approach were not considered. Page 4 of 7 4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described. The Project is not expected to have adverse environmental and social impacts on the human and Public Disclosure Copy biophysical environment as it will finance the rehabilitation of existing training facilities and the construction of new facilities in designated areas. Measures taken to address safeguard policy issues are primarily to prepare ESMP to ensure that the activities at each site will be implemented with no or minimal negative impact on the environment and the populations. Measures required to prevent minimize, mitigate, or compensate for any potential adverse impacts include improved environmental performance to be included in the bidding documents and contracts documents to ensure that good engineering, environmental management, and occupational health and safety practices will be applied during construction/rehabilitation. The contractors will be made aware of this obligation and their safeguard performance during construction/rehabilitation will be closely supervised and monitored by the project team with close supervision by the supervision consultants. The implementation capacity of the Executing Agency (MFPE) is low given its recent creation. This could lead to slow or poor implementation of the ESMP. MEASURES TO MITIGATE THESE IMPACTS. To mitigate these impacts, a team of staff and contract-hired environmental and social consultants will be hired by the project to ensure proper screening and implementation of the mitigation measures .Coupled with these measures, Niger’s National Environment Agency is fully involved in the implementation of the ESMP. The role of the Bureau will be to assist the PCU with the analysis of impacts and efficacy of corresponding mitigation measures. It will also be charged with the responsibility of monitoring and reporting to the MFPE through the PCU. Existing capacity of the co-executing agencies will be strengthened to effectively monitor and enforce the simple environmental safeguards required for the rehabilitation of training facilities and the construction of new ones. Furthermore, technical assistance will be provided to ensure proper implementation of the ESMP. Public Disclosure Copy 5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. The key stakeholders in this process are: • Direct beneficiaries of skills training ; • The local communities in the participating Districts. • The District Administrations • The Prefectures • The Government • Local NGOs • Other international donor agencies • Local civil society associations, • The Chamber of Commerce, University of Niger, Center of Arts, National Environment Agency, etc. CONSULTATION .This stage involved consultation with the client, and all the relevant key stakeholders who were identified through a Stakeholder Identification Process. Through a scoping study which entailed an initial and broad assessment of the project, policies, regulations and baseline data, the team generated a scope for the study including geographical coverage, stakeholders (interested parties), significant impacts (areas of study) and the levels of detail in each particular impact study. The scoping exercise in addition involved review of literature and a Page 5 of 7 field visit that generated the spatial dimensions on the zones of influence of the project. The consultant proceeded to assess the environmental context and baseline data within which the project is to be set. Parameters that were examined were varied and included physical Public Disclosure Copy environment, biological environment and socio-cultural environment. A public consultation for stakeholders was held on March 1, 2013 to discuss the contents of the ESMP. The ESMP will be disclosed in country and at the Bank InfoShop on before project appraisal. B. Disclosure Requirements Environmental Assessment/Audit/Management Plan/Other Date of receipt by the Bank 28-Feb-2013 Date of submission to InfoShop 06-Mar-2013 For category A projects, date of distributing the Executive Summary of the EA to the Executive Directors "In country" Disclosure Niger 06-Mar-2013 Comments: 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: C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level OP/BP/GP 4.01 - Environment Assessment Are the cost and the accountabilities for the EMP incorporated Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] in the credit/loan? Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Policy on Disclosure of Information Have relevant safeguard policies documents been sent to the Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] World Bank's Infoshop? Have relevant documents been disclosed in-country in a public Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] place in a form and language that are understandable and accessible to project-affected groups and local NGOs? All Safeguard Policies Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? Have costs related to safeguard policy measures been included Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] in the project cost? Does the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the project Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] include the monitoring of safeguard impacts and measures related to safeguard policies? Have satisfactory implementation arrangements been agreed Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] with the borrower and the same been adequately reflected in the project legal documents? Page 6 of 7 III. APPROVALS Task Team Leader: Boubou Cisse Public Disclosure Copy Approved By Regional Safeguards Name: Alexandra C. Bezeredi (RSA) Date: 12-Mar-2013 Coordinator: Sector Manager: Name: Peter Nicolas Materu (SM) Date: 25-Mar-2013 Public Disclosure Copy Page 7 of 7