Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, and Information Technology (MoFEP) and Ministry of Health, Wellness and Environment (MoHWE) Strengthening Health System Resilience Project (P176559) [Draft] ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) April 28, 2022 1|Page ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN 1. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (hereinafter the Recipient) will implement the Strengthening Health System Resilience Project (P176559) (the Project), with the involvement of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology (MoFEP) and the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Environment (MoHWE), as set out in the Financing Agreement. The International Development Association (hereinafter the Association) has agreed to provide financing for the Project, as set out in the referred agreement. 2. The Recipient shall ensure that the Project is carried out in accordance with the Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) and this Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), in a manner acceptable to the Association. The ESCP is a part of the Financing Agreement. Unless otherwise defined in this ESCP, capitalized terms used in this ESCP have the meanings ascribed to them in the referred agreement. 3. Without limitation to the foregoing, this ESCP sets out material measures and actions that the Recipient shall carry out or cause to be carried out, including, as applicable, the timeframes of the actions and measures, institutional, staffing, training, monitoring, and reporting arrangements, and grievance management. The ESCP also sets out the environmental and social (E&S) instruments that shall be adopted and implemented under the Project, all of which shall be subject to prior consultation and disclosure, consistent with the ESS, and in form and substance, and in a manner acceptable to the Association. Once adopted, said E&S instruments may be revised from time to time with prior written agreement by the Association. 4. As agreed by the Association and the Recipient, this ESCP will be revised from time to time if necessary, during Project implementation, to reflect adaptive management of Project changes and unforeseen circumstances or in response to Project performance. In such circumstances, the Recipient, through the MoFEP or MoHWE, and the Association agree to update the ESCP to reflect these changes through an exchange of letters signed between the Association and the Recipient through the Director of MoFEP or the Permanent Secretary of MoHWE. The Recipient shall promptly disclose the updated ESCP. 2|Page ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Strengthening Health System Resilience Project (P176559) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY MONITORING AND REPORTING A REGULAR REPORTING Submit quarterly reports to the MoFEP and MoHWE [Joint Association throughout Project reporting] Prepare and submit to the Association regular monitoring reports on the environmental, implementation, commencing 3 months social, health and safety (ESHS) performance of the Project, including but not limited to after the Effective Date. Submit each the implementation of the ESCP, status of preparation and implementation of E&S report to the Association no later than instruments required under the ESCP, stakeholder engagement activities, and 45 days after the end of each reporting functioning of the grievance mechanism(s). period. B INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS Notify the Association no later than 48 MoFEP and MoHWE [Joint hours after learning of the incident or reporting] Promptly notify the Association of any incident or accident related to the Project which accident. has, or is likely to have, a significant adverse effect on the environment, the affected communities, the public or workers, including, inter alia, cases of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment (SH), and accidents that result in death, serious or multiple injury. Provide sufficient detail regarding the scope, severity, and possible Provide subsequent report to the causes of the incident or accident, indicating immediate measures taken or that are Association within a timeframe planned to be taken to address it, and any information provided by any contractor acceptable to the Association. and/or supervising firm, as appropriate. Subsequently, at the Association’s request, prepare a report on the incident or accident and propose any measures to address it and prevent its recurrence. C CONTRACTORS’ MONTHLY REPORTS Submit to the Association, upon the MoFEP and MoHWE Association’s request, the monthly Require contractors and supervising firms to provide monthly monitoring reports on reports developed by contractors and ESHS performance in accordance with the metrics specified in the respective bidding supervising firms. The monthly reports documents and contracts and submit such reports to the Association. for the corresponding quarter shall be annexed to the report to be submitted under action A above. ESS 1: ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RISKS AND IMPACTS 1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE a) The Specialists shall be contracted or MoFEP and MoHWE assigned to the PCT no later than ninety (90) days after the Effective Date and thereafter maintained throughout Project implementation. 3|Page ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Strengthening Health System Resilience Project (P176559) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY a) Establish and maintain a Project Coordination Team (PCT) within MoFEP in close b) The designated personnel shall be coordination with the MoHWE with qualified staff and resources to support maintained throughout Project management of ESHS risks and impacts of the Project including one Environmental implementation. Specialist and one Social Specialist based on the agreed Terms of Reference (ToR) and with qualifications and experience acceptable to the Association. b) The MoFEP has designated the Project Officer and the Environmental Resource Analyst of the Public Sector Investment Programme Management Unit (PSIPMU) within MoFEP’s Economic Planning Division as the Social Focal Point and Envir onmental Focal Point, respectively, for the Project. The MoFEP shall ensure sufficient time and resources of the Focal Points for the Project’s environmental and social risk management throughout Project implementation to ensure effective ESHS management. 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INSTRUMENTS a) At the detailed design review of the MoFEP and MoHWE hospital. a) Update, consult, disclose, and finalize the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), and corresponding Environmental and Social Management Plans b) Adopt the ESIA and ESMP prior to (ESMPs) for the Project, consistent with the relevant ESSs and in a manner acceptable to initiating the bidding process of civil the Association. works, and thereafter implement the ESIA and ESMP throughout Project b) Adopt and implement the ESIA, and corresponding ESMPs for the Project, consistent implementation. with the relevant ESSs. c) Before preparation of the respective c) Carry out additional environmental and social assessments for the activities not procurement documents. covered under the ESIA. 1.3 MANAGEMENT OF CONTRACTORS a) As part of the preparation of MoFEP and MoHWE procurement documents and respective a) Incorporate the relevant aspects of the ESCP, including, inter alia, the relevant E&S contracts. instruments (e.g., ESIA and ESMPs), the Labour Management Procedures (LMP), and code of conduct, into the ESHS specifications of the procurement documents and b) Supervise contractors and contracts with contractors and supervising firms. supervision firms throughout Project implementation. b) Ensure that the contractors and supervising firms comply and cause subcontractors to comply with the ESHS specifications of their respective contracts. 1.4 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Throughout Project implementation. MoFEP and MoHWE 4|Page ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Strengthening Health System Resilience Project (P176559) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY Ensure that the consultancies, studies (including different technical studies to strengthening health system resilience), capacity building, training, and any other technical assistance activities under the Project are carried out in accordance with terms of reference acceptable to the Association, that are consistent with the ESSs. Thereafter ensure that the outputs of such activities comply with the terms of reference. 1.5 CONTINGENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE FINANCING a) The adoption of the CERC manual in MoFEP and Coordinating form and substance acceptable to the Authority a) Ensure that the Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC) Manual Association is a withdrawal condition includes a description of the ESHS assessment and management arrangements for the under Section [XX] of Schedule 2 of the implementation of the Component 4 (CERC component) in accordance with the ESSs. Financing Agreement for the Project. b) Adopt a CERC-Environmental and Social Management Framework (CERC-ESMF) which b) Adopt CERC-ESMF and include it as shall be required for activities under Component 4 (CERC component), in accordance part of the respective bidding process, if with the CERC Manual and the ESSs, and thereafter implement the measures and actions applicable, and in any case, before the required under CERC-ESMF, within the timeframes specified in said CERC-ESMF. carrying out of the relevant Project activities for which the CERC-ESMF is required. Implement the CERC-ESMF in accordance with their terms, throughout Project implementation. ESS 2: LABOR AND WORKING CONDITIONS 2.1 LABOR MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES Prepare a draft LMP by July 15, 2022. MoFEP and MoHWE Finalize and adopt the LMP no later Prepare, consult, disclose, finalize, adopt and implement LMP for the Project, including, than ninety (90) days after the Effective inter alia, provisions on working conditions, management of workers relationships, Date, and thereafter implement the occupational health and safety (including personal protective equipment, and LMP throughout Project emergency preparedness and response), code of conduct (including relating to SEA and implementation. SH), forced labour, child labour, grievance arrangements for Project workers, and applicable requirements for contractors, subcontractors, and supervising firms. 2.2 GRIEVANCE MECHANISM FOR PROJECT WORKERS Establish grievance mechanism prior to MoFEP and MoHWE engaging Project workers based on Establish and operate a grievance mechanism for Project workers, as described in the draft LMP, update it (as required) after LMP and consistent with ESS2. finalization of LMP, and thereafter maintain and operate it throughout Project implementation. ESS 3: RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT 5|Page ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Strengthening Health System Resilience Project (P176559) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY 3.1 WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN Same timeframe as for the preparation, MoFEP and MoHWE adoption, and implementation of the Prepare, adopt, and implement a Waste Management Plan (WMP) as part of the ESMP, ESMP, under action 1.2a and 1.2b. to manage hazardous and non-hazardous wastes, including health care waste consistent with ESS3. 3.2 RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT Same timeframe as for the preparation, MoFEP and MoHWE adoption, and implementation of the Incorporate resource efficiency and pollution prevention and management measures in ESMP, under action 1.2a and 1.2b. the ESMP to be prepared under action 1.2 above. ESS 4: COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY 4.1 TRAFFIC AND ROAD SAFETY Same timeframe as for the preparation, MoFEP and MoHWE adoption, and implementation of the Incorporate measures to manage traffic and road safety risks as required in the ESMP to ESMP, under action 1.2a and 1.2b. be prepared under action 1.2 above. 4.2 COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY Same timeframe as for the preparation, MoFEP and MoHWE adoption, and implementation of the Assess and manage specific risks and impacts to the community arising from Project ESMP, under action 1.2a and 1.2b. activities including, inter alia, risk of exposing communities to transmissible diseases, behaviour of Project workers, risks of labour influx, response to emergency situations, and include mitigation measures in the ESMPs as consistent to ESS4. 4.3 SEA AND SH RISKS Same timeframe as for the preparation, MoFEP and MoHWE adoption, and implementation of the Adopt and implement a SEA/SH Action Plan as part of the ESMP, to assess and manage ESMP, under action 1.2a and 1.2b. the risks of SEA and SH. 4.4 SECURITY MANAGEMENT Prior to engaging security personnel MoFEP and MoHWE and thereafter implemented Assess and implement measures to manage the security risks of the Project, including throughout Project implementation. the risks of engaging security personnel to safeguard project workers, sites, assets, and activities, as set out in the Security Management Plan as part of ESMP, guided by the principles of proportionality and Good International Industry Practice (GIIP), and by applicable law, in relation to hiring, rules of conduct, training, equipping, and monitoring of such personnel. ESS 5: LAND ACQUISITION, RESTRICTIONS ON LAND USE AND INVOLUNTARY RESETTLEMENT This standard is not currently relevant. ESS 6: BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF LIVING NATURAL RESOURCES This standard is not currently relevant. ESS 7: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES/SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED TRADITIONAL LOCAL COMMUNITIES 6|Page ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Strengthening Health System Resilience Project (P176559) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY This standard is not currently relevant. ESS 8: CULTURAL HERITAGE 8.1 CHANCE FINDS Same timeframe as for the preparation, MoFEP and MoHWE adoption, and implementation of the Prepare, adopt, and implement the chance finds procedures (CFP) as part of the ESMP ESMP, under action 1.2a and 1.2b. and consistent to ESS8. ESS 9: FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES This standard is not currently relevant. ESS 10: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 10.1 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION Update the SEP by the end of Appraisal. MoFEP and MoHWE Finalize and adopt the SEP no later than Update, consult, disclose, finalize, adopt, and implement a Stakeholder Engagement Plan sixty (60) days after the Effective Date (SEP) for the Project, consistent with ESS10, which shall include measures to, inter alia, and thereafter implement the SEP provide stakeholders with timely, relevant, understandable, and accessible information, throughout Project implementation. and consult with them in a culturally appropriate manner, which is free of manipulation, interference, coercion, discrimination, and intimidation. 10.2 PROJECT GRIEVANCE MECHANISM Establish the grievance mechanism MoFEP and MoHWE based on draft SEP, update it (as Establish, publicise, maintain, and operate an accessible grievance mechanism, to required) with the finalization of SEP, receive and facilitate resolution of concerns and grievances in relation to the Project, and thereafter maintain and operate promptly and effectively, in a transparent manner that is culturally appropriate and the mechanism throughout Project readily accessible to all Project-affected parties, at no cost and without retribution, implementation. including concerns and grievances filed anonymously, in a manner consistent with ESS10. The grievance mechanism shall be equipped to receive, register, and facilitate the resolution of SEA/SH complaints, including through the referral of survivors to relevant gender-based violence service providers, all in a safe, confidential, and survivor-centered manner. CAPACITY SUPPORT CS1 Develop and implement an Environmental and Social Training Plan (ESTP) acceptable to The first year ESTP shall be submitted to MoFEP and MoHWE the Association to ensure the required capacity for environmental and social the Association as early as possible, but implementation of the Project. The plan shall include a schedule, budget, goals, and no later than ninety (90) days after the indicators. The training shall be focused on project workers, contractors, and Effective Date. community-based organizations. The plan shall include the following topics: 7|Page ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Strengthening Health System Resilience Project (P176559) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY • Applicable Environmental and Social Standards • Project Environmental and Social Management Instruments Trainings will be provided during Project • World Bank Group Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines implementation by the PCT and/or their • Stakeholder Engagement and Grievance Redress Mechanism and Management supervision consultants or other • Stakeholders mapping and engagement consultants retained for Project • Community and worker health and safety support, in accordance with an agreed • Gender Based Violence (GBV) Risk Mitigation timeline as per the ESTP. • Health Care Waste Management CS2 Develop and implement training for Project workers on occupational health and safety Develop the plan before initiating any MoFEP and MoHWE including on emergency prevention and preparedness and response arrangements to bidding process and implement the plan emergency situations. throughout the project implementation. 8|Page