Document of The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No: PAD2751 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION PROJECT APPRAISAL DOCUMENT ON A PROPOSED GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF (SDR 48.7 MILLION) (US$70 MILLION EQUIVALENT) TO BURKINA FASO FOR A HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORT PROJECT June 18, 2018 Education Global Practice Africa Region This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (Exchange Rate Effective April 30, 2018) Currency Unit = CFA Francs (CFAF) CFAF 541 = US$1 US$1 = SDR 0.69538182 FISCAL YEAR January 1 – December 31 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 2iE International Institute for Water and Environment Engineering ACE Africa Centers of Excellence AWPB Annual Work Plan and Budget BCEAO West Africa Central Bank (Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest) BUNEE National Agency for Environmental Assessment (Bureau National des Evaluations Environnementales) CAMES African and Malagasy Higher Education (Conseil Africain et Malgache pour l’Enseignement Supérieur) CCA Climate Co-Benefits Assessment CPF Country Partnership Framework DA Designated Account DCMEF Department for the Regulation of Public Procurement and Finance (Direction du Contrôle des Marchés et des Engagements Financiers) DFIL Disbursement and Financial Information Letter DGESS General Directorate of Studies and Sector Statistics (Direction Générale des Etudes et des Statistiques Sectorielles) DLI Disbursement-Linked Indicator DLR Disbursement-Linked Result DMP Department for Public Procurement (Direction des Marchés Publics) DSS Directorate of Sectoral Statistics (Direction des Statistiques Sectorielles) EAQIP Education Access and Quality Improvement Project (Projet d’Amélioration de l’Accès et de la Qualité de l’Education) EEP Eligible Expenditure Program EHS Environmental Health and Safety ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (Etude d’Impact Environnemental et Social) ESW Economic and Sector Work ETSP Education and Training Sector Plan FasoREN Burkina Faso NREN FM Financial Management FONDIR National Fund for Research and Innovation for Development (Fonds National de la Recherche et de l’Innovation pour le Développement) FONER National Fund for Education and Research (Fonds National pour l'Éducation et la Recherche) GBV Gender-based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GHS Greenhouse Gas GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism GRS Grievance Redress Service HEI Higher Education Institution HEISC Higher Education Institutional Steering Committee (Comité de Pilotage Institutionnel de l’Enseignement Supérieur) ICT Information and Communication Technology (Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication) ICR Implementation Completion and Results Report IDA International Development Association (Association Internationale de Développement) IEC Independent Evaluation Committee (Comité Indépendant d’Evaluation) IECI Independent Evaluation Committee for Innovations (Comité Indépendant d’Evaluation des Innovations) IFAC International Federation of Accountants (Fédération Internationale des Comptables) IFR Interim Financial Report IPF Investment Project Financing IQAU Internal Quality Assurance Unit IRR Internal Rate of Return IVA Independent Verification Agency (Agence Indépendante de Vérification) LMD License (Upper Secondary Certification)-Master’s-Doctorate (Licence-Master-Doctorat) M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MDENP Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Economy (Ministère du Développement de l’Economie Numérique et des Postes) MESRSI Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation (Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche Scientifique et de l'Innovation) MINEFID Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Development (Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances, et du Développement) MIS Management Information System MOOC Massive Open Online Course NQAF National Quality Assurance Framework PCU Project Coordination Unit PDO Project Development Objective PEFA Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability PforR Program for Results PIM Project Implementation Manual PIMA Public Investment Management Assessment PNADES National Plan for the Development of Higher Education (Plan National d’Action de Développement de l’Enseignement Supérieur) PPA Project Preparation Advance PPP Public-Private Partnership PPSD Project Procurement Strategy for Development RAP Resettlement Action Plan RBF Results-Based Financing SAF Division of Administration and Finance (Service Administratif et Financier) SCD Systematic Country Diagnostic SOE Statement of Expenditures STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization UV-BF Virtual University of Burkina Faso (Université Virtuelle du Burkina Faso). WACREN West and Central African Research and Education Network WAEMU West African Economic and Monetary Union (Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine) Regional Vice President: Makhtar Diop Country Director: Pierre Frank Laporte Senior Global Practice Director: Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi Practice Manager: Meskerem Mulatu Task Team Leader(s): Shobhana Sosale The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) BASIC INFORMATION BASIC INFO TABLE Country(ies) Project Name Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project Project ID Financing Instrument Environmental Assessment Category Investment Project P164293 B-Partial Assessment Financing Financing & Implementation Modalities [ ] Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) [ ] Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC) [ ] Series of Projects (SOP) [ ] Fragile State(s) [✓] Disbursement-linked Indicators (DLIs) [ ] Small State(s) [ ] Financial Intermediaries (FI) [ ] Fragile within a non-fragile Country [ ] Project-Based Guarantee [ ] Conflict [ ] Deferred Drawdown [ ] Responding to Natural or Man-made Disaster [ ] Alternate Procurement Arrangements (APA) Expected Approval Date Expected Closing Date 06-Jul-2018 Bank/IFC Collaboration No Proposed Development Objective(s) The development objective of the Project is to strengthen higher education institutions to increase access and deliver quality education in priority subject areas. Components Component Name Cost (US$, millions) Enhancing Access to Higher Education: Establishment of the Virtual University of 23.50 Burkina Faso (UV-BF) Page 1 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Strengthening Higher Education Institutions and Supporting Innovations 40.50 Project Coordination, Management, and Implementation Activities 6.00 Organizations Borrower: Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Development Implementing Agency: Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation [Ministère de l'Enseignement Supér PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 70.00 Total Financing 70.00 of which IBRD/IDA 70.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing International Development Association (IDA) 70.00 IDA Grant 70.00 IDA Resources (in US$, Millions) Credit Amount Grant Amount Total Amount National PBA 0.00 70.00 70.00 Total 0.00 70.00 70.00 Expected Disbursements (in US$, Millions) WB Fiscal Year 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Annual 11.00 3.10 8.60 16.85 17.35 13.10 Cumulative 11.00 14.10 22.70 39.55 56.90 70.00 Page 2 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) INSTITUTIONAL DATA Practice Area (Lead) Contributing Practice Areas Education Jobs Climate Change and Disaster Screening This operation has been screened for short and long-term climate change and disaster risks Gender Tag Does the project plan to undertake any of the following? a. Analysis to identify Project-relevant gaps between males and females, especially in light of Yes country gaps identified through SCD and CPF b. Specific action(s) to address the gender gaps identified in (a) and/or to improve women or Yes men's empowerment c. Include Indicators in results framework to monitor outcomes from actions identified in (b) Yes SYSTEMATIC OPERATIONS RISK-RATING TOOL (SORT) Risk Category Rating 1. Political and Governance z High 2. Macroeconomic z Substantial 3. Sector Strategies and Policies z Moderate 4. Technical Design of Project or Program z Substantial 5. Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Sustainability z Substantial 6. Fiduciary z Substantial 7. Environment and Social z Moderate 8. Stakeholders z Substantial 9. Other Page 3 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) 10. Overall z Substantial COMPLIANCE Policy Does the project depart from the CPF in content or in other significant respects? [ ] Yes [✓] No Does the project require any waivers of Bank policies? [ ] Yes [✓] No Safeguard Policies Triggered by the Project Yes No Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 ✔ Performance Standards for Private Sector Activities OP/BP 4.03 ✔ Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 ✔ Forests OP/BP 4.36 ✔ Pest Management OP 4.09 ✔ Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 ✔ Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 ✔ Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 ✔ Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 ✔ Projects on International Waterways OP/BP 7.50 ✔ Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 ✔ Legal Covenants Sections and Description No later than six months from the Effective Date, and prior to the submittal of a withdrawal request as set forth in Section IV below, the Recipient, through MESRSI, shall engage, under terms of reference and with qualifications satisfactory to the Association, an Independent Verification Agent, for purposes of preparing and delivering Independent Verification Agent Reports in respect of DLIs 1 through 6 set forth in Section III of Schedule 2 to the Financing Agreement (FA). Sections and Description Page 4 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) No later than November 30 of each calendar year during Project implementation, the Recipient shall furnish to the Association a complete Independent Verification Agent Report including all the findings as well as the certifications from the Independent Verification Agent of the degree of achievement of the Disbursement Linked Results. Sections and Description The Recipient shall furnish to the Association each Project Report not later than one month after the end of each calendar semester, covering the calendar semester. Sections and Description The Recipient shall recruit, not later than three (3) months after the Effective Date, an internal auditor for the Project, with qualifications, experience, and terms of reference satisfactory to the Association. Sections and Description The Recipient shall recruit, not later than five (5) months after the Effective Date, an external auditor for the Project, with qualifications, experience, and terms of reference satisfactory to the Association. Sections and Description The Recipient shall furnish to the Association, as soon as available, but in any case not later than November 30 of each year (except for the annual work plan and budget for the Project for the first year of Project implementation which shall be furnished no later than one (1) month after the Effective Date), the annual work plans and budgets, for their review and approval. Only the activities included in an annual work plan and budget expressly approved by the Association (each an “Annual Work Plan and Budget”) are eligible to a financing from the proceeds of the Financing. Conditions Type Description Effectiveness The Recipient has established the Project Review Committee, in a manner and with composition, functions, and resources satisfactory to the Association, as set forth in Section I.A.2. of Schedule 2 to the Financing Agreement (FA). Type Description Effectiveness The Recipient has strengthened the SP/PNADES in a manner and with resources and terms of reference satisfactory to the Association, including (i) a financial management officer, (ii) one accountant, (iii) a monitoring and evaluation specialist, (iv) a procurement specialist, (v) an environmental safeguards specialist; and (vi) a social safeguards specialist. Type Description Effectiveness The Recipient has adopted the Project Implementation Manual, including the financial management and procurement procedures for the Project, in form and substance satisfactory to the Association. Page 5 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Type Description Effectiveness The Project accounting software satisfactory to the Association is in place, with adequate built-in controls, capable of tracking Project resources and expenditures and generating financial reports, including interim financial reports (IFRs). Type Description Effectiveness The Recipient has opened two accounts acceptable to the Association for depositing the Financing proceeds. Type Description Effectiveness The Recipient has created a budget line item within its Ministry of Higher Education for purposes of implementation of Parts 1 and 2 of the Project. Type Description Disbursement Schedule 2, Section III. Withdrawal of the proceeds of the financing, sub-section B: Withdrawal Conditions, Withdrawal Period No withdrawal shall be made: (a) for payments made prior to the Signature Date; and (b) for any DLR, until and unless the Recipient has furnished evidence satisfactory to the Association that said Disbursement-Linked Result (DLR) has been achieved. 2. With respect to withdrawals under Category 1, and as provided under paragraph B.1(b) of this Section, payments shall be made in December of, or a soon as practicable thereafter in, each year during Project implementation upon timely submittal by the Recipient of a withdrawal request acceptable to the Association and pursuant to the Disbursement and Financial Information Letter (DFIL). Such withdrawal request shall include evidence in form and substance acceptable to the Association of: (i) Eligible Expenditure Programs (EEPs) incurred, as presented in a Customized Statement of Expenditures Report; and (ii) supporting documentation confirming the Recipient’s achievement of the respective DLR, as referred to in Schedule 3 to the Financing Agreement, and as set forth in the Verification Protocols. The Association may accept withdrawal requests submitted pursuant to the provisions of this section, in respect of any Disbursement-Linked Indicator (DLI), except Scalable DLIs, achieved prior to the date by which such DLI is set to be achieved. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs B.1(b) and B.2 of this Section, if the Association is not satisfied that any DLI under Category (1) has been achieved by the date by which the respective DLI is set to be achieved, as set forth in Schedule 3 to the Financing Agreement, the Association may at any time, and by notice to the Recipient, decide, in its sole discretion to: Page 6 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) (a) With respect of Scalable DLIs (DLIs 1, 2 (except for DLR 2.1), 3 (except for DLR 3.2), 4, and 5 (except for DLR 5.1)): (i) authorize the withdrawal of such lesser amount of the unwithdrawn proceeds of the Financing then allocated to the said Scalable DLI which, in the opinion of the Association, corresponds to the degree of achievement of said Scalable DLI calculated as set forth in the Verification Protocols; (ii) authorize that the unwithdrawn amount by which the corresponding disbursement for a partially achieved Scalable DLI had been reduced, be carried forward to the immediately subsequent withdrawal, pending further achievement of the respective Scalable DLI; and/or (iii) cancel all or a portion of the proceeds of the Financing then allocated to said Scalable DLI. (b) in respect of any DLI which is not a Scalable DLI: (i) withhold the unwithdrawn proceeds of the Financing then allocated to said DLI until the Association is satisfied that said DLI has been fully achieved; or (ii) (1) reallocate all or a portion of the proceeds of the Financing then allocated to said DLI to any other DLI; and/or (2) cancel all or a portion of the proceeds of the Financing then allocated to said DLI. 4. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs B.1, B.2, and B.3 above, the Association shall not be required to make further disbursements if the Recipient shall have failed to furnish to the Association any of the reports required to be furnished to the Association pursuant to Section I.C of Schedule 2 to this Agreement. 5. If, at any time, the Association determines that any portion of the amounts withdrawn by the Recipient under Category (1) was made: (i) for ineligible expenditures; or (ii) not in compliance with the provisions of part B.2 of this Section, the Recipient shall promptly refund any such amount to the Association as the Association shall specify by notice to the Recipient. The Association shall cancel such refunded amount. Page 7 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) BURKINA FASO BURKINA FASO HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORT PROJECT TABLE OF CONTENTS I. STRATEGIC CONTEXT .................................................................................................... 10 A. Country Context ................................................................................................................ 10 B. Sectoral and Institutional Context .................................................................................... 11 C. Higher Level Objectives to which the Project Contributes ............................................... 15 II. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES ............................................................................ 15 A. PDO.................................................................................................................................... 15 B. Project Beneficiaries .......................................................................................................... 15 C. PDO-Level Results Indicators............................................................................................. 16 III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................... 18 A. Project Components.......................................................................................................... 18 B. Project Cost and Financing ................................................................................................ 25 C. Lessons Learned and Reflected in the Project Design ...................................................... 28 IV. IMPLEMENTATION ......................................................................................................... 30 A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements ............................................................. 30 B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................... 31 C. Sustainability ..................................................................................................................... 32 D. Role of Partners................................................................................................................. 33 V. KEY RISKS ........................................................................................................................ 34 A. Overall Risk Rating and Explanation of Key Risks.............................................................. 34 VI. APPRAISAL SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 37 A. Economic and Financial (if applicable) Analysis ................................................................ 37 B. Technical............................................................................................................................ 40 C. Financial Management ...................................................................................................... 41 D. Procurement ..................................................................................................................... 42 E. Social (including Safeguards) ............................................................................................. 43 F. Environment (including Safeguards) ................................................................................. 44 G. Other Safeguards .............................................................................................................. 45 Page 8 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) H. World Bank Grievance Redress ......................................................................................... 46 VII. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND MONITORING .................................................................... 47 ANNEX 1A. DLIS, DISBURSEMENT ARRANGEMENTS, AND VERIFICATION PROTOCOLS .......... 65 ANNEX 1B: THEORY OF CHANGE AND RESULTS CHAIN ......................................................... 82 ANNEX 1C: KEY ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION ......... 87 MAP .................................................................................................................................. 102 Page 9 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) I. STRATEGIC CONTEXT A. Country Context 1. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. Its gross national income per capita was only US$640 in 2016. Burkina Faso is ranked 185 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Development Program Human Development Index. It has the lowest mean years of schooling of all countries for which data are available—a mere 1.4 years. Eight out of ten citizens live on less than US$3 per day. In recent years, access to quality basic education has been receiving significant attention from the Government and development partners. Burkina Faso has been making significant improvements in basic education. 2. Demographic context. Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in the Sahel region in West Africa and has a national territory that spans 274,200 km. The population is currently estimated at 18.5 million, with an annual population growth rate of about 3.2 percent. Burkina Faso is a young country, with most of the population being under 30 years of age. The secondary-school-age population (ages 12 to 18) is projected to increase from 2.78 million in 2013 to 3.39 million by 2020, and a similar surge is estimated in the university-age population, resulting in a potential ‘demographic dividend’ consisting of a large and growing working-age population. Consequently, this young population will put enormous pressure on the education system and the labor market. Whether that population will be able to generate economic growth will depend on many factors, chief among them being their foundational and academic skill sets and training levels. 3. Political context. Since Independence in 1960, Burkina Faso has experienced long periods of political stability interrupted by relatively short-lived crises. While these political crises have had a range of causes, they can be partly explained by the growing concentration of political and economic power. In recent years, the political system has become increasingly unstable, especially after the discovery of massive gold reserves, which has created new revenue opportunities for the elites. The most recent episode of instability occurred in 2014 with a popular uprising that led to ousting from power the previous regime. The transition period lasted one year, ending with the organization of free and fair presidential and legislative elections in November 2015. 4. Economic context. In recent years, Burkina Faso has made progress in terms of building a stable macroeconomic environment and of working toward an integrated and open regional economy. Over the past 15 years, the economy of Burkina Faso has expanded by about 5.4 percent annually from the reserves of gold and cotton. The projected demographic changes in the population will present Burkina Faso with a demographic dividend as well as with a demographic crisis unless the labor force can acquire the skills needed to continue this growth. As of 2014, an overwhelming 42.3 percent of the working-age population was already under age 30, and three-quarters of this population had little to no education. 5. Geographic context. As Burkina Faso is situated in the Sahel region, it experiences some of the most radical climatic variation in the world, ranging from severe flooding to extreme drought. This unpredictability means that more and more families who formerly relied on agriculture are having to seek nonfarm income sources and often have to travel outside of their regions to find employment. 6. Social context. Across the country, poverty has gradually declined over the last decade, and inequality has also been reduced. Nevertheless, poverty rates remain extremely high, and almost all poor Page 10 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) families still have no access to electricity and piped water and their children have no access to post- primary education. Health indicators are among the lowest in the world, with infant and maternal mortality rates being particularly high—65 deaths for every 1,000 for children ages 0 to 4 and 0.7 deaths for every 1,000 women ages between 15 and 49.1 Although Burkina Faso has a very large rural population, it is becoming more urbanized as cities have better infrastructure and more schools than rural areas. Youth are moving into the capital Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso, and other regional cities in search of job opportunities. This has led to overcrowding. With regard to gender, the high prevalence of early marriages and adolescent pregnancies limit girls’ participation in schooling. All of these problems vary in severity by ethnic group and are worse in rural areas than in urban areas, and the poor are particularly at risk. B. Sectoral and Institutional Context 7. Over the last decades, Burkina Faso has made significant strides with raising literacy rates and bringing access to formal education to a broader segment of its largely rural population. Access to primary schooling has grown particularly rapidly (from 44.0 percent in the 2000/01 school year to 83.7 percent in 2014/15). However, the growth and success of the post-primary educational system has been relatively slow. Enrollment rates for lower secondary education increased from 25.9 percent in 2008/09 to 42.7 percent in 2014/15, while upper secondary education increased from 8.0 percent in 2008/09 to 15.7 percent in 2014/15. However, enrollment rates in technical education and vocational training decreased from 5.5 percent in 2008/09 to 3 percent in 2014/15. More investments in post-primary education, an improved and more relevant curriculum, and increased staffing are all urgently required in the education sector. 8. The Government has finalized a new Education and Training Sector Plan (ETSP) for 2017–2030. The plan includes strategies for increasing access to and improving the quality of education at all levels in line with the transformative needs of the economy. The new ETSP recognizes the low quality of education and training provision and the key constraints faced by education providers: (a) formal basic education suffers from overcrowding and low quality of teaching (insufficient and low quality infrastructure, teachers with minimal training, lack of teaching aids, absence of textbooks, and insufficient classroom- based instruction); (b) nonformal education suffers from low quality and gender inequalities; (c) there is a mismatch between the supply and demand for technical and vocational education and training; (d) there is a crisis in tertiary education due to insufficient infrastructure and access, surplus students, and difficulties with system governance; and (e) the education system as a whole suffers from weak management. To address these constraints, the ETSP provides a framework for achieving priority education outcomes by 2030, which emphasizes adapting higher education to the needs of the economy and strengthening overall governance to ensure that resources are translated into tangible results. 9. Primary school enrollment has doubled over the last 10 years, reaching 83.7 percent of all eligible children by 2014/15. Between the late 1990s and 2013, secondary school gross enrollment rates increased from around 10 percent to 28 percent. This is substantial progress, but most youths over the age of 12 are still unable to access educational opportunities. In addition, quality issues are a growing concern as the gradual expansion in enrollment has not been matched by comparable improvements in teaching and 1Burkina Faso. 2010. Enquête Démographique et de Sante et a Indicateurs Multiples. Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INSD) Ministère de l’Économie et des Finances Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Page 11 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) learning. By 2025, enrollments are expected to nearly quadruple in the private sector and double in the public sector compared to their 2015/16 numbers as a result of growing demand for secondary education and slower growth in the number of public sector institutions. The rapid increase in the number of secondary school graduates (baccalauréat) has increased demand for higher education as families and youths regard a tertiary degree as one of the few ways to acquire a well-paying job. For instance, in 2011, approximately 18,274 students received their baccalauréat, of whom 37.2 percent were girls, compared to 26,954 in 2015 (37.6 percent of whom were girls). However, investments are urgently needed now to prepare the tertiary education sector for the growing demand. 10. In terms of demand, the need for both skilled and unskilled labor is enormous, and firms report that they face great difficulty with recruitment. Traditional apprenticeships can help young people develop their skills and competencies in both the formal and informal sector jobs, but these opportunities are not widely available. Out-of-school youths who are neither in employment nor education and training constitute another population segment who deserve a second chance. Burkina Faso needs to boost investment in post-primary education to align the higher education system more closely with the needs of the labor market in a relatively short period. Key Issues in Higher Education 11. The higher education system in Burkina Faso is confronted with complex issues. Tertiary education enrollments more than doubled from 2005 to 2012, with annual growth in public university enrollment at roughly 11 percent. However, the sector’s infrastructure and teacher staffing levels are not growing at a sufficient rate to accommodate this boom in enrollment. There are currently only four public universities and three polytechnic university centers, which are slated to become universities in the future in Burkina Faso. While the Francophone Council for African and Malagasy Higher Education (Conseil Africain et Malgache pour l’Enseignement Supérieur, CAMES) sets standards for curriculum and faculty, most of the higher education institutions (HEIs) are unable to fully adhere to the standards. 12. Specifically, the system faces the following challenges: (a) inadequate infrastructure and pedagogical equipment; (b) high student-teacher ratios; (c) outdated curricula and teaching methodology; (d) high failure rates and repetition, particularly in the first years of university education; (e) low relevance of programs in relation to employment outcomes; and (f) student strikes reducing lecture time and learning. A more complete discussion of the challenges is provided in annex B. 13. These challenges are propelling the Government to consider ways to overcome the deficiencies of the current system. However, the decisions made so far to expand access have been taken with little regard for quality. For example, over the last few years, the Government has created several new universities but hardly any new fields of studies. It has also opted to invest in large amphitheaters and is progressively pursuing a policy of recruiting voluntary teachers. 14. Burkina Faso would benefit from a forward-looking higher education policy that anticipates (a) the social demand for higher education as a result of rapidly expanding primary and secondary enrollments, (b) the numbers and types of faculty members needed and the need for improved working conditions, and (c) the need to introduce higher education programs that are aligned with the demands of the labor market and teach entrepreneurial skills. Page 12 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) 15. Gender disparity. Investing in girls’ education is smart economics. The gender gap in enrollments, which begins in primary education, gets wider with each rung of the education ladder. This needs to be turned around for efficiency and equity reasons. There is a dearth of girls enrolling in the science disciplines. This is directly related to the subjects that they choose to study in secondary education. This is also reflected in disparities in the issuing of scholarships: only 4 out of the 100 girls enrolled at the University of Ouagadougou received student scholarships compared with 6 out of 100 boys in 2016. This disparity is especially worrisome given that, over the years of university education, girls tend to drop out because of a lack of funding for their studies. 16. Scholarships to address the gender disparity. Most national student aid comes from the National Fund for Education and Research (Fonds National pour l'Éducation et la Recherche, FONER). FONER provides nonreimbursable grants to new secondary school graduates who are enrolling in any university in the country, and it also provides loans for students during their last year of education. Another body, the National Information Center for Student and Professional Orientation and Scholarhips [Centre National de l’Information, de l’Orientation Scolaire et Professionnelle et des Bourses (CIOSPB)] provides bachelor’s degree scholarships for which all new secondary school graduates can apply. Once the quota of scholarships has been awarded, there are further 300 scholarships available only to young women. Girls accounted for a total of 24.2 percent of scholarship fellows in 2013. 17. In conclusion, the present quality of academic teaching and learning in Burkina Faso is affected by the same constraints as all traditional francophone education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The available academic programs are not aligned with the country’s development needs. The existing poor infrastructure and limited incentives are resulting in students leaving the country on Government scholarships and not returning. The Government has been unable to attract qualified professionals back to Burkina Faso to train future generations, and the number of university teachers in Burkina Faso is fast dwindling due to natural attrition. Rationale for the Proposed Project 18. The proposed project aims to improve the quality of the Burkina Faso higher education system and reduce failure rates by introducing better pedagogical methods, revising the curriculum, providing adequate inputs, increasing the number of qualified teachers, increasing access, diversifying programs, and strengthening the management capacity of the ministry and HEIs. The project aims to make the entire higher education system more regionally balanced, more adequately resourced, more relevant to the 21st century, more accessible, more gender sensitive, and better governed and managed. 19. The project builds on recommendations and lessons learned from the World Bank-financed economic and sector work (ESW) entitled ‘Burkina Faso: Post-Primary Education Development’, which closed in FY17. The ESW recommended five key focus areas to address the issues in post-primary education in Burkina Faso. First, there is a need to develop appropriate post-primary education programs for building students’ cognitive and socioemotional skills. Second, the country needs to develop basic digital infrastructure, and creating post-primary courses in math, science, and technology is critical to achieving this. Third, as both an economic driver and a key measure for climate resilience, the country should invest in post-primary education that fosters environmentally responsive innovations in the fields of agriculture, water, and mining. Page 13 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) 20. Among various ongoing solutions, the Africa Centers of Excellence (ACE I and III) programs are training students at the postgraduate level. However, too few students are attaining this level of education in the sectors needed for the economy—science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), business, law, and finance. The proposed project would complement these efforts by focusing on undergraduate higher education as well. 21. The higher education system is already experimenting with distance, which enables university teachers to reach a wider student population. The advent of information and communication technology (ICT) and massive open online courses (MOOCs) are creating new opportunities in higher education. Burkina Faso is positioning itself to be one of three knowledge hubs (technopôles) in West Africa, the other two being Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. The country is well set up with basic ICT infrastructure. The addition of a dedicated cloud for the Government of Burkina Faso is being sponsored by Norway, and the Government is already developing an e-learning platform. The proposed project aims to extend these technological developments into the higher education sector at the undergraduate level. 22. The proposed project has three components that are complementary: (1) Enhancing Access to Higher Education: Establishment of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF); (2) Strengthening High Education Institutions and Supporting Innovations; and (3) Project Coordination, Management, and Implementation Activities. The first component, creating a virtual university in the mold of community colleges in the United States or the Open University in the United Kingdom, will help address some of the key structural issues that affect the current system such as the high failure rate at the baccalaureate exams and in the first year of university, over-enrollment in the humanities, and the lack of diversity in the fields of study offered. The Virtual University of Burkina Faso (Université Virtuelle du Burkina Faso, UV-BF) could also begin a process of collaboration with existing universities, through which the use of technology to improve teaching could be widely adopted, resources could be shared, and joint programs of studies could be developed and delivered. Among these joint programs will be digital literacy, which every higher education student will be required to take during the first year of the induction program. Similarly, the UV-BF will be used for the training of teachers, and the development of online programs such as MOOCs will also be one of the joint programs offered jointly by the UV-BF and HEIs. 23. Noting its stewardship responsibility, the Government is also focusing on quality improvements in higher education. The second component will support HEIs in priority subject areas by financing the acquisition of laboratory equipment and supplies, textbooks and scientific journals, the training of teachers, and the recruitment of contract teachers both from home and overseas, particularly to build a critical mass of qualified academics in selected fields to start research and doctoral programs. The project will support these universities through a competitive fund mechanism to develop new study programs, improve existing ones, revise the curriculum, and introduce pedagogy that is in tune with the Internet era. The increased teaching staff and the introduction of new programs of studies combined with UV-BF remedial instruction could lead to an increasing number of students enrolling in fields other than the humanities. 24. The third component aims to address the lack of vision and forward planning and the limited management capacity of universities. Therefore, it will finance the strengthening of capacity in the areas of policy planning and of the supervision and management of HEIs. Page 14 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) C. Higher Level Objectives to which the Project Contributes 25. In concert with the Africa Centers for Excellence (ACE III) Project (P164546), the higher-level objective of the proposed project is to meet the labor market’s demand for skills in specific areas and to foster innovation where there are skill shortages that are negatively affecting the country’s development, economic growth, and poverty reduction. The proposed project aims to support the Government’s efforts to enhance the long-term capacity of the education system to produce new university graduates in priority skill and subject areas relevant for development and to foster innovation within the higher education system to make it relevant to the needs of the labor market. 26. Links to the Country Partnership Framework (CPF). The World Bank is preparing a new CPF Report No. 123712-BF for FY18–FY21 for Burkina Faso. The proposed project is aligned with the objective of the CPF to invest in human capital and social protection systems (CPF Focus Area 2), specifically, Objective 2.1 to support the development of an inclusive and market-oriented education system. 27. The project is also in alignment with the World Bank’s Regional Integration Assistance Strategy for Africa, which underscores the importance of strengthening competitiveness and employment by producing semiskilled and skilled human resources for priority growth sectors. The project is well aligned with the World Bank’s orientation for tertiary education in Africa and with the consultations and findings of the new Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) entitled “Burkina Faso: Priorities for Poverty Reduction and Shared Prosperity–Systematic Country Diagnostic”, March 2017, which underscores the need to address the low levels of human capital and identifies skills development as a key priority for poverty reduction, shared prosperity, and sustainability. The project uses DLIs for some of the activities. II. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES A. PDO 28. The development objective of the proposed project is to strengthen higher education institutions to increase access and deliver quality education in priority subject areas.2 B. Project Beneficiaries 29. The project beneficiaries will be (a) 3,891 students in participating HEIs enrolled in the priority subject areas relevant to the labor market who will benefit from increased access to new, revised, accredited, and innovative programs of study; (b) 75 faculty and staff in the participating HEIs who will benefit from increasing their 2 “Priority Subject Areas” means the subject programs grouped in areas as follows: Area 1--agriculture, agribusiness, logistics associated with value-chain, entrepreneurship training, trade and other economic activities. Area 2—health sciences, Area 3-- environmental education, and Area 4--promoting teacher training in teaching mathematics and sciences in accordance with modern practices. Page 15 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) pedagogical capacity and facilities; (c) 7 public and at least 14 private sector participating HEIs who will benefit from strengthened capacity and quality improvement measures aligned with regional standards in tandem with the ACE institutions; and (d) Public and private sector employers of graduates in the priority subject areas who will have access to well-trained personnel. 30. The project is also likely to yield some spillover benefits, potentially including new jobs in the communities supporting the HEIs and providing facilities support such as technological infrastructure, distance learning (software including content development, programming), management and administration of learning laboratories, and other services to participating HEIs specifically. C. PDO-Level Results Indicators 31. The following PDO indicators will measure progress: x Number of undergraduate students enrolled in priority subject areas funded by the project , of which percent females [DLI 1] x Increase in the percentage of students who have successfully completed the first-year program at the HEIs financed by the project, of which percent females x Teachers trained, or teachers recruited x Students benefiting from direct interventions to enhance learning, of which females Intermediate Indicators x UV-BF established and operational [DLI 2] x Employers satisfied with trainees x Percentage of institutions achieving annual milestones specified in the PIM and the performance contract [DLI 3] x Number of HEIs with Internal Quality Assurance Units (IQAUs) [DLI 4] x Number of additional undergraduate higher education students enrolled in programs funded by the project, of which 25 percent females x Amount of externally generated revenue [DLI 6] x MIS developed and operational [DLI 5] Page 16 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Figure 1. Theory of Change and Results Chain Activities DLIs Outcomes PDO DLI 1. Increased number of x Number of students who students in priority areas: have participated in their Increase in the number Number of undergraduate first-year examination in of undergraduate higher students enrolled in Year 1 in priority subject education students priority areas funded by areas funded by the enrolled in priority the project, of which project domains funded by the females (%) project, of which females x Number of programs (%) (new, adapted), including DLI 2. Establishment and English language, digital operation of the Virtual Number of direct project literacy, math, and University of Burkina Faso beneficiaries, of which science financed through (UV-BF) females (%) the project and delivered by the UV-BF x At least 80% of the Increase in the number awarded competitive DLI 3. Implementing competitive funding: of higher education Strengthen higher grants report results as students retained who education specified in the Implementation and results of the grants for the have successfully institutions to Competitive Fund completed the first year, priority sectors increase access Operational Manual of which females (%); x Contracting faculty (male and deliver quality Catch-up virtual learning education in and female) courses/tutorials would x Faculty development priority subject DLI 4. Strengthening quality help improve the success x IQAU functioning rate and allow students areas assurance: Internal Quality benchmarked to sub- to continue their Assurance Units (IQAUs) regional ACE IDA Project education. functioning to agreed x 7 IQAUs in HEIs criteria functioning according to Increase in the number the scorecard set out in of contractual faculty the Project (national and Implementation Manual international) evaluated (PIM) to agreed criteria by the x Matching grant for hiring committee in the externally generated DLI 5. Project Management revenue project selected HEIs, of Information System (MIS): which females (%) x 80% of the awarded Development and institutions deliver functioning of the MIS for Functioning of MIS reliable data to monitor the project development for the the implementation project status of the project. DLI 6. External revenue generation Page 17 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION A. Project Components 32. The development objective of the project would be achieved by (a) offering training for young people through distance and blended (both face-to-face classroom-based and distance) learning in the selected priority subject areas, (b) enhancing training for university teachers, and (c) increasing the management capacity of existing institutions to use a wider range of delivery models to increase access to quality education. 33. The proposed project will complement the ACE III project (P164546) that aims to increase the number of highly skilled professionals by improving the quality of training and research programs at the master’s and doctorate levels. 34. The project comprises three components. Component 1 will diversify higher education service delivery by helping create a cost-effective online university, UV-BF. Component 2 will support competitively selected HEIs in improving the quality and increasing the relevance of priority programs by financing the acquisition of laboratory equipment and supplies, textbooks and scientific journals, the training of university teachers in providing distance learning, and the recruitment of contract teachers both incountry and from overseas. This component will also support the selected HEIs in implementing a set of labor market-oriented academic programs in partnership with regional and international academic institutions, as well as relevant employers and industry. Component 3 comprises activities to strengthen the governance and management of higher education; increase the sector’s overall institutional capacity to monitor systemic changes; develop an MIS; monitor the achievement of project activities; track, measure, and address gender-based violence (GBV) incidents through a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM); monitor the climate co-benefits of the project; and increase evaluation, communications, and project coordination capacity. For a full project description and details of its implementation arrangements, see annex 1c and the annex in the Project Files. Component 1. Enhancing Access to Higher Education: Establishment of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF) (total costs including contingencies US$23.5 million (SDR 16,341,459) IDA financing) 35. The objective of Component 1 is to diversify higher education delivery models and transform access to quality and innovative higher education in line with the priorities and transformation needs of the economy by supporting the establishment of an autonomous UV-BF in Ouagadougou. This will be achieved through DLI 2: Establishment and operation of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF): UV-BF established and operational. Ten Disbursement Linked Results (DLR) over the life of the project implementation period (estimated to be from October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2023) would result in the achievement of DLI 2 for a total value of US$23.5 million. Detailed description of the DLRs by targets to be achieved in each of the five project implementation years is provided in annex 1a. 36. Component description and scope. The UV-BF will be an autonomous institution with its own budget. It will receive financing from the Government, raise revenue, retain the revenue to sustain its operating costs, and be managed by an independent Board of Directors with a mix of public and private Page 18 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) sector members. The mandate of the UV-BF will be to develop new programs, adapt and adopt existing open source content or commercial packages in French, Arabic, and English languages for young people, and promote teacher training in modern practices of math and sciences teaching. It will deliver most of the courses and will confer degrees, diplomas, and certificates under the aegis of the UV-BF. The broader higher education sector will share certain of the UV-BF’s resources such as the digital library, faculty members, the online learning platform or the Learning Management System, the MIS, guest lectures, and other training outreach under collaboration arrangements yet to be defined. 37. The new model will be used to address systemic problems within the higher education system in Burkina Faso. First, it will aim to provide higher quality and more relevant education and training at the tertiary level. However, this will depend on practical factors such as having enough tutors available to teach in the virtual spaces as well as having electricity, and the bits and bytes flowing. Second, it will address some key issues that tend to be ignored in reforms such as establishing a maintenance department and budget. Third, it will also clearly emphasize the types of skills, terms of reference, and performance that are in demand in national and regional labor markets. Finally, it will offer different types of programs including foundation programs, academic remediation programs, and new courses of study. These programs will be listed on a functioning higher education website, and students will sign up for the programs online through self-selection. 38. The activities of this Component will comprise (a) preparing a feasibility study; (b) reviewing and revising prevailing regulation(s) to adapt them to facilitate the establishment of an autonomous UV-BF; (c) facilitating the preparation of a strategic business plan for the UV-BF and its design that would undergo rigorous FM, procurement, and safeguards assessments; (d) supporting the creation of technological infrastructure and learning platform through phase construction and equipment for three learning centers and equipping them with servers, work stations, TV monitors, and videoconferencing facilities); (e) supporting the renovation of existing infrastructure (such as amphitheaters, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and media centers) to facilitate connectivity; (f) supporting the establishment of high-speed broadband/Internet connection to all public education institutions; (g) financing the acquisition and development of a Learning Management System; (h) undertaking necessary background studies such as capacity building mainly for tutoring, coaching, distance learning management needs, learning, and pedagogy; (i) preparing the necessary procurement terms of reference, specifications, and contracts; undertaking the environmental and social safeguards studies; (j) conducting a climate screening exercise to identify risks and put mitigation measures in place; (k) supporting the development, adaptation, adoption, and dissemination of academic programs and content in French, Arabic, and English for young people; (l) implementing foundation programs, academic remediation programs, and new courses; developing a functioning website that includes all programs to facilitate electronic online registration; (m) adopting a management model for the UV-BF; (n) creating a digital library; (o) recruiting national and international contractual teachers; (p) facilitating public-private partnerships (PPPs) and university- industry links for (1) internet service provision contracts for faculty and students, (2) fostering the acquisition of digital material, and (3) financing teaching and learning material (hardware and software) to facilitate teaching and learning; and (q) support the setting up the UV-BF management system, including the preparation of timetables, student management, facilities reservations. 39. In May 2017, the Burkina Faso National Research and Education Network (NREN) called the FasoREN signed a partnership agreement with the regional West and Central African Research and Page 19 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Education Network (WACREN).3 WACREN intends to promote collaboration between national, regional, international research and education communities. Additional support to this initiative (in the form of technical expertise, equipment, and/or supply of international capacity)4 will help materialize the benefits expected, with a focus on gender initiatives (to improve education for girls and women): as highlighted by the World Development Report 2016, digital technologies can empower women economically and socially, but education and trainings on ICT targeting women/girls remain critical to bridge the gender gap. Specific actions to address the distinct needs of women/girls (men/boys) will therefore be implemented during the project, leveraging the NREN platform (education programs, trainings, communication, and so on). Component 2. Strengthening Higher Education Institutions and Supporting Innovations (total costs including contingencies US$40.5 million (SDR 28,162,941) IDA financing) 40. The objective of Component 2 is to improve the quality and increase the relevance of priority programs by supporting the implementation of a set of improved labor market-oriented academic programs. This would be achieved through four sub-components, as outlined below. Component-level achievement would be based on achieving targets set out for each of Years 2, 3, 4, and 5 through eight DLRs and measured through DLI 1: Increased number of students in priority subject areas: Number of undergraduate students enrolled in priority subject areas funded by the project, of which female (%). Subcomponent 2.1: Support a Competitive Grants Program (cost including contingencies US$23 million IDA financing) 41. The objective of Subcomponent 2.1 is to provide grants to foster the development and implementation of quality improvement subprojects in priority subject areas in project selected HEIs. A single mechanism will be used to allocate the competitive funds. Selected HEIs will sign a performance contract with the MESRSI setting out annual milestones to be achieved as described in the individual HEI sub-project proposal. Financing for the subcomponent would be based on achieving six targets to be achieved during each of Years 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the project implementation period. Sub-component achievement would be measured by DLI 3: Implementing Window A competitive funding: Implementation and results of the grants for the priority subject areas: Percentage of institutions achieving annual milestones specified in the PIM and the performance contract. 42. Each HEI will be responsible for implementing its own strategic plan that outlines the project activities and how these will be monitored and evaluated. There will be two grant windows (see Table 1) within the competitive framework. The criteria for selecting HEIs will draw on the criteria for the ACE III project. This will ensure clarity, transparency, and efficiency. There will be a selection committee with PPP membership. The selection committee will include key members from ministries, the private sector, and national and international evaluators to provide expert guidance and inputs. A collaborative virtual space will be set up to discuss and share information and evaluation reports, studies, annual reports for the project, facilities, and access to the digital library. The focus of the selection committee will be on the content of the proposals and on benchmarking the proposals to regional and international standards as 3See http://lefaso.net/spip.php?article77011. 4 The FasoREN is already getting support from the World Bank-funded Education Access and Quality Improvement Project (P148062). The activities carried out through the additional financing will complement those carried out through this project, as needed. Page 20 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) feasible. The selection committee’s approach will be transparent, practical, and modest to start with (for example, focusing on English language instruction, digital literacy, and remedial mathematics and science education), allowing these to be the inspiration for how other programs are selected. Table 1. Competitive Grants Window Competitive Grant To A Capacity Window x Strengthening selected HEIs to develop strategic plans; change their Strengthening the curricula; modernize learning; adopt new pedagogical approaches; capacity of selected contract short- and long-term experts (national and international); HEIs to provide courses foster academic partnerships; introduce environmental education, in priority subject areas sciences, and sustainable development subjects and specialization; and foster the market for teaching and learning materials x Developing faculty by promoting professional development opportunities, visiting scholar program, faculty exchanges, and specific training in new pedagogical methods in mathematics and science B Innovations Window x Fostering the piloting of innovations across all HEIs that are not Supporting innovations selected for Window A Window A. Capacity Window: Strengthening the capacity of selected HEIs to provide courses in priority subject areas (cost including contingencies US$18 million IDA financing) 43. Window A of Subcomponent 2.1 will finance a short-listed number of HEIs selected through an open, objective, transparent, and merit-based competitive process. The MESRSI will announce a call for proposals before the end of May 2018. An independent evaluation committee (IEC) comprising national and international experts will assess the proposals based on transparent criteria, particularly whether the HEI provides courses in the following subject areas that are crucial for the country’s development: (a) Area 1 consisting of agriculture, agribusiness, logistics associated with value chains, entrepreneurship training, trade, and other economic activities; (b) Area 2 consisting of health sciences; (c) Area 3 consisting of environmental education, sciences, and sustainable development; and (d) Area 4 consisting of the teaching of math and science. The other criteria aim to establish whether the proposal is of the highest quality and if the HEI has sufficient institutional capacity, if its student intake is geographically balanced, and if it is eligible for IDA funding. The IEC will use a two-step process to assess the HEIs: first a technical evaluation and then an on-site and leadership evaluation. The selected HEIs will then undergo FM, procurement, and safeguards assessments. 44. The project will provide (a) Grants for the Improvement of Higher Education Institutions for institutional improvement in teaching, learning, and research pertaining to the Priority Subject Areas, including to support (i) the development of quality strategic plans of the Higher Education Institutions receiving Competitive Grants in line with criteria set forth in the Project Implementation Manual; (ii) modernization of learning programs and methods in French, Arabic, and English languages; (iii) modernization of training and learning facilities, including laboratories; (iv) the development of academic partnerships; (v) development of the faculty; and (vi) recruitment of national and international contractual teachers; and (b) Grants to Foster Innovation at the Higher Education Institutions, to support the Page 21 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) resolution of a challenge to the development of the Recipient, as identified and proposed to be overcome by the selected HEI.5 45. The project will finance the introduction of environmental education, sciences, and sustainable development at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels in the selected HEIs. This effort will build on programs that are already being provided by the HEIs and by the International Institute for Water and Environment Engineering (2iE). The new curriculum will include (a) climate-smart technologies that are already being tested in-country; (b) new technologies that could be cost-effectively introduced; (c) information about how to increase resilience to climate change risks; (d) information about how greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be reduced; (e) ways to improve existing carbon pools; (f) ways to reduce energy use; (g) how to foster the use of renewable energy; and (h) information about the economics of environmental assessment including the valuation of climate change, risks, and mitigation measures, and other cost-efficient measures. 46. The competitive grants will finance, for example, (this is a non-exhaustive list), (a) specialized technical assistance; (b) the recruitment of national and international teachers; (c) the acquisition of equipment (including practical laboratories and educational technology platforms) and documentary resources; (d) the renovation of existing infrastructure; (e) the reinforcement of the skills of staff and trainers through training, certification (skills), and internships; and (f) enhancing of the mobility across programs for students, teachers, and administrative and technical staff. 47. The strategic plans of the selected HEIs will undergo rigorous FM, procurement, and safeguards assessments and be screened for climate risks. If any risks are found, risk mitigation measures will need to be incorporated. Any infrastructure rehabilitation and/or new construction for the UV-BF that incorporates green buildings, renewable energy options, or other climate change resilience measures (for example, fortification against the Sahara dust and rain that can damage assets such as computers, furniture, and servers) will result in the HEIs and the UV-BF being allocated climate co-benefits funds based on an initial and subsequent periodic assessments. 48. Further, the activities in this window are likely to generate a related market for teaching and learning materials on environmental education, sciences, and sustainable development. 5 Development challenges to be overcome by the selected HEIs could include: (a) revision to existing curricula, developing new curricula (constructed with and for professionals and in French, Arabic, and English languages), or adapting available curricula that use open source material and are relevant to the needs of the labor market; (c) introducing innovative pedagogical approaches (such as work-study options, pedagogy specifically adapted to projects, learning-by-doing, learning by accessing digital resources, individualized learning, and internships); (d) developing faculty capacity and broaden their range of expertise; and (e) fostering academic partnerships with the regional centers of excellence and via joint or double graduation (co- and double diplomation) with the wider national and international socio-professional community through internships, valuation of the end- of-studies results, joint resource generation through continuing education, and the provision of specialized expertise and consultancies. Page 22 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Window B. Innovations Window: Supporting innovations (cost including contingencies US$5 million IDA financing) 49. The project will foster innovations in the priority subject areas in those HEIs that are not selected to receive financing under Window A. The HEIs selected to receive financing through Window A would be excluded from receiving financing through Window B. 50. The activities of this subcomponent will comprise financing HEIs selected through an open, objective, transparent, and merit-based competitive process. The MESRSI will announce a call for proposals, and an independent evaluation committee for innovations (IECI) comprising national and international experts will assess the proposals based on the following objective and transparent criteria:6 (a) whether the proposal addresses a specific challenge for the development of Burkina Faso; (b) whether the proposal specifies the expertise needed to pilot the innovation (national, sub-regional, regional, and international); (c) if the proposal is of the highest quality; (d) if the HEI has sufficient institutional capacity; (e) if the HEI’s student intake is geographically balanced; and (f) if the HEI is eligible for IDA funding. The IECI will use a two-step process to assess the HEIs: first a technical evaluation and then an on-site and leadership evaluation. The selected HEIs will then undergo FM and procurement safeguards assessments. 51. The competitive grants will finance, for example, (this is a non-exhaustive list), (a) technical assistance; (b) the recruitment of national and international contract teachers; (c) the acquisition of equipment (including practical laboratories and educational technology platforms) and documentary resources; (d) the renovation of existing infrastructure; (e) the reinforcement of the skills of staff and trainers through training, certification (skills), and internships; and (f) enhancing of the mobility across programs for students, teachers, and administrative and technical staff. Subcomponent 2.2: Support Faculty Development in HEIs (cost including contingencies US$8 million IDA financing) 52. This subcomponent will provide financing to enable the selected HEIs cluster to (a) pay for professional development opportunities for their academic staff; (b) promote a visiting scholars’ program; (c) foster faculty exchanges nationally, intra-regionally, and internationally; and (d) train academic staff in new pedagogical methods in mathematics and science. 53. The subcomponent will also fund efforts to increase the higher education teaching body locally through the écoles doctorales,7 which are bodies within public universities and HEIs that provide research- oriented doctoral training and are authorized to confer doctorates in specific subject areas. It will also support the expansion of courses of study in priority subjects by identifying, selecting, and recruiting qualified international teachers and by providing scholarships to doctoral students in those subject areas. 6 The criteria will be aligned with those applied for the ACE III. 7 ‘Les écoles doctorales’ are doctoral schools. They are bodies within public universities and HEIs that provide doctoral training and are authorized to confer doctorates in specific subject areas. The degrees that they confer are designated as research- oriented postgraduate training. Each doctoral program brings together the resources of research units on a specific scientific subject. The program organizes the recruitment of its own doctoral candidates, provides them with an administrative and intellectual community on campus, and offers them a menu of advanced courses. Page 23 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Subcomponent 2.3: Strengthening Quality Assurance in HEIs (cost including contingencies US$2.50 million IDA financing) 54. The objective of this subcomponent is to build the capacity of HEIs to manage internal quality assurance. Targets measured by DLRs for each of the project implementation period Years 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 would result in disbursements. The overall achievement would be measured by DLI 4: Strengthening quality assurance in HEIs: Number of HEIs with Internal Quality Assurance Units (IQAUs). The project will finance quality improvements in the teaching and learning of subject areas that are key to the development needs of Burkina Faso and increase the capacity of the MESRSI to implement and manage them. 55. As a key area of support, this subcomponent will finance the development of HEIs’ capacity to manage internal quality assurance. Specifically, it will support the creation of IQAUs; raise awareness about opportunities for reinforcing and extending logistical support to attain the objective; lay the foundation for HEIs to evaluate their own programs of study and incorporate their findings into their institutional strategic plans; and raise the overall quality of training, learning, and management within HEIs. 56. The activities in this subcomponent will comprise (a) implementing relevant aspects of higher education governance in HEIs and meeting the requirements of the license (upper secondary certification)-master’s-doctorate, LMD) and the African and Malagasy Higher Education (Conseil Africain et Malgache pour l’Enseignement Supérieur, CAMES); (b) establishing quality assurance units in the HEIs selected by the project and a National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF) with benchmarks of evaluation to link up with regional quality assurance practices through the World Bank’s ACE program; (c) increasing the capacity of universities to implement projects (irrespective of the source of financing); and (d) strengthening the management and communication capacity of the HEIs to embrace and adapt to diversified delivery models. Subcomponent 2.4: Strengthening the Management Capacity of HEIs (cost including contingencies US$7.0 million IDA financing) 57. The objective of the subcomponent is to strengthen the management capacity of HEIs. Achievement of the objective would be measured in part by DLI 6: External revenue generation: Regulatory framework and matching grant based on four DLRs for each of target Years 1, 2, and 3. It is expected that from thereon, external revenue generation would be institutionalized. The project will finance the strengthening of the capacity of all HEIs to improve their academic, technical, governance, financing, and project management. Capacity development workshops will be financed in the areas of FM, auditing, accounting, procurement, safeguards (environmental and social), and climate and disaster risk screening. Academic faculty members will receive training in writing research proposals for grants, budgeting, preparing results frameworks, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Administrative staff capacity will be strengthened in the areas of developing coherent strategic plans, budgeting, planning, preparing results frameworks, and M&E. 58. A financing of higher education study will focus on (a) which types of financing to choose for the UV-BF (scholarships, loans, or cost sharing) and who should decide (the Government or the HEIs themselves); (b) matching grants as an incentive for HEIs to consider cost recovery options in their Page 24 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) financing plans; and (c) the possibility of allowing HEIs to retain revenues. The project could provide matching grants on a sliding scale basis with more HEIs retaining a greater portion of the revenues than in current practice. Component 3: Project Coordination, Management, and Implementation Activities (total costs including contingencies US$3 million (SDR 2,097,800) IDA financing) 59. The objective of Component 3 is twofold—to strengthen (a) the governance and management of higher education and (b) the capacity of the Permanent Secretariat of the National Plan for the Development of Higher Education (Plan National d’Action de Développement de l’Enseignement Supérieur, PNADES) to undertake the tasks required to implement the Project. Achievement of Component 3 and overall project targets would be measured by DLI 5: Functioning of Project Management Information System (MIS): MIS developed and operational. The achievement of three DLRs for each of Years 1, 2, and 3 of the project would result in setting the pace for the MIS data collection, verification, and reporting. 60. Activity 3.1: Strengthening the governance and management of higher education through improving institutional capacity in the system overall to better monitor systemic changes, develop a management information system (MIS), address gender-based violence incidents, monitor climate co- benefits of the Project. 61. Activity 3.2: Strengthening the capacity of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES to implement the project, the component’s activities will include hiring the staff needed to handle the day-to-day fiduciary, procurement, and safeguards aspects of implementation; monitoring the achievement of project activities; tracking, measuring, and evaluating performance contracts between the MESRSI and the HEIs; strengthening the MESRSI’s communications capacity; and coordinating the project overall. The proposed project will finance the operating costs and the project-specific activities of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES and the Education Access and Quality Improvement Project (EAQIP) (P148062) Project Coordination Unit (PCU). It has been agreed that the salaries and indemnities of Government staff working on the project would be paid by the Government. Financing will also be provided to strengthen the MESRSI’s capacity to govern the tertiary education system and to undertake analytical studies to provide the information necessary to drive the policy dialogue and inform decisions about reforms. B. Project Cost and Financing Lending Instrument 62. The project will be financed by a US$70 million IDA Grant using two financing modalities. The first part will comprise Components 1 and 2 and will be financed using a Results-Based Financing (RBF) modality to progressively introduce policy reforms and improve higher education governance and financing. The second part will comprise Component 3 and will be financed using a traditional reimbursement mode based on statements of expenditures (SOEs) following the completion of activities. Financing for each component is summarized in the following paragraphs. The hybrid Investment Project Financing (IPF)-disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs) approach is appropriate for introducing a results- based focus to address the challenges at the higher education level and for showing that improvements can result from using an incentive or rewards-based results-oriented approach. Page 25 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) 63. The IPF grant will finance the project activities and will be disbursed based upon the achievement of DLIs in Components 1 and 2 and based upon SOEs in Component 3. The RBF approach will be used in Components 1 and 2 because the focus of those components will be the delivery of results. The financing approach has two main features: (a) Disbursements under Components 1 and 2 will be made against selected (eligible) principal budget line items of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation (Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche Scientifique et de l'Innovation, MESRSI) and HEIs budgets. The line items are referred to as Eligible Expenditure Programs (EEPs). Disbursements would be capped to absolute amounts. (b) A capacity development and technical assistance component (Component 3) for which financing would be for essential activities to facilitate the implementation of Components 1 and 2 by strengthening the implementation capacity of the MESRSI and the HEIs to meet disbursement conditions. The approach would engender necessary reforms already initiated or to be initiated by the MESRSI and concentration on implementation and results. 64. The project will be the second hybrid IPF-DLIs to be implemented in the country, following the ACE I project, which has yielded good results and the following key lessons: (a) the need to be prudent when estimating implementation capacity and time required to produce results, (b) the importance of focusing on results that are within the control of the implementing agencies, and (c) the need to specify a clear verification protocol. The project will not be using the Program-for-Results (PforR) instrument at the express request of the implementing agency (MESRSI). Using the PforR instrument would have prolonged the preparation time substantially and would have increased the level of risk from Substantial to High. 65. The DLIs for the project have the following characteristics: Selected DLIs reflect priority aspects in the Government’s reform program, the DLIs are intended to incrementally improve implementation performance toward achieving intermediate targets over the life of the project, and they include DLRs to anchor progressive achievement of results. Together, the disbursement-linked results (DLRs) for a DLI help achieve the results specified in the Results Framework. Some DLIs are intended to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of higher education, and others to institute development changes that have lasting effects beyond the life of the project such as improving access to quality and relevant higher education. Together, the DLIs are key to achieving the PDO. Noncompliance with a DLI in a period means that the disbursement of funds associated with the DLI could roll over to the next period. However, other DLIs would not be affected. 66. The total disbursement allocated to each DLI is apportioned across DLRs, from one to a maximum of three, for each of the target years. Some DLIs have prior actions to ensure that reforms are introduced early in the project implementation period. Particularly, the legislation to establish the UV-BF and the selection of the HEIs as prior actions are intended to ensure the full development of the UV-BF and reforms in HEIs from the first year of project implementation. HEIs would sign performance contracts with the MESRSI. The timely release of Government budget that includes project financing will be a legal covenant to ensure a greater chance for the MESRSI and the HEIs to achieve the PDO. Disbursements will be pegged to the agreed list of line items in the budget as EEPs (annex 1) and will be based on the Page 26 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) assessment by independent verification agent(s) (IVAs) of the expenditure and performance reports linked to meeting the DLRs annually, as well as the DLIs. 67. Components 1 and 2 would be governed by the application of country systems for financial management (FM) and procurement. The World Bank’s FM and procurement guidelines would apply to the technical assistance and capacity development activities for Component 3. The project activities would be subject to the Government’s social and environmental safeguards frameworks and would rely on the GRM for addressing issues on time. Project Cost and Financing 68. Total project financing required from IDA is estimated at US$70 million (SDR 48.7 million). Government counterpart financing will be in kind. The EEPs to be financed by the project account for approximately 91.4 percent of the project costing and about 8 percent of the Government’s higher education program expenditures during the investment period. The benefits would extend beyond the life of the project and the costs are sustainable. Proposed EEPs include both large expenditure programs (for example, recurrent expenditures) as well as smaller ones. The largest EEPs are the recurrent grants, salaries of the MESRSI and HEIs, and investment programs. 69. EEPs. Disbursements for Components 1 and 2 would be based on achieving DLIs and against EEPs. The expenditure mechanism satisfies World Bank 2018 policy/guidelines on IPF-DLIs financing in that (a) they are necessary and intended to achieve the project objectives, (b) they are productive, (c) they contribute to solutions within a fiscally sustainable framework, and (d) acceptable and required oversight arrangements such as verification protocols are in place. A detailed description of disbursements against the EEPs, scalability, and rollover of financing is provided in annex 1 and in the Project Implementation Arrangements in the Project Files. Table 1 shows the EEPs and the related line items of the budget. Table 2. EEPs and Budget Codes EEPs Budget Codes Program Action Chapter Activity Paragraph EEP1: Salary of MESRSI staff 062 06201 1999000311 0620199 661; 663; 664; 666 063 06301 1999000311 0630199 661; 663; 664; 666 064 06401 1999000311 0640199 661; 663; 664; 666 065 06501 1999000311 0650199 661; 663; 664; 666 066 06601 1999000311 0660199 661; 663; 664; 666 EEP2: Transfers to HEIs for Salary of staff 062 06202 4001000311 0620204 641 (public institutions) 062 06202 4002000311 0620205 641 062 06202 4003000910 0620207 641 062 06202 4004000605 0620206 641 062 06202 4019000809 0620211 641 062 06202 4020000115 0620213 641 062 06202 4021001029 0620212 641 062 06202 4005000311 0620401 641 EEP3: UV-BF (Rehabilitation of administrative 062 06201 1802800311 0620109 233 buildings for technical use, goods, and 062 06201 1802800311 0620109 234 consultancy services) 062 06201 1802800311 0620109 622 Note: In the MESRSI Budget: EEP 3: Mettre en œuvre UV-BF et le système d’information: Bâtiment administratifs à usage technique; Matériels et outillages techniques; et prestations de services. Page 27 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Table 3. Project Costs and Financing Project Components Project IDA Financing IDA Financing Cost (Grant in US$) (SDR) 1. Enhancing Access to Higher Education: Establishment 23,500,000 23,500,000 16,341,459 of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF) 2. Strengthening Higher Education Institutions and 40,500,000 40,500,000 28,162,941 Supporting Innovations 2.1 Support a Competitive Grants Program 23,000,000 23,000,000 15,993,769 Window A Competitive Financing to Strengthen 18,000,000 18,000,000 12,516,861 Beneficiary Institutions in Priority Areas Window B Competitive Financing for Innovations 5,000,000 5,000,000 3,476,906 2.2 Support Faculty Development in HEIs 8,000,000 8,000,000 5,563,050 2.3 Strengthening Quality Assurance in HEIs 2,500,000 2,500,000 1,738,455 2.4 Strengthening Management Capacity in HEIs 7,000,000 7,000,000 4,867,669 3. Project Coordination, Management, and 3,000,000 3,000,000 2,097,800 Implementation Activities Project Preparation Advance (PPA) 3,000,000 3,000,000 2,097,800 Total costs 70,000,000 70,000,000 48,700,000 Total project costs 70,000,000 70,000,000 48,700,000 Total financing required 70,000,000 70,000,000 48,700,000 Note: There are no Trust Funds for the project. Counterpart Funds will be in kind. C. Lessons Learned and Reflected in the Project Design 70. The project design is based on lessons learned and implementation experience from previous IDA projects in Burkina Faso, especially the 2iE and the national ACE project. In addition, lessons from the Africa Region ACE I and II projects, particularly on the use of the RBF modality, have also been considered. Implementation experiences from other World Bank-financed higher education projects globally have also been considered in the project design. x Prepare an HEI-level strategic plan to focus on skills for competitiveness and development. The project’s design is aligned with the World Bank’s recommended approach to supporting tertiary education in Africa and is consistent with the African Action Plan including building skills for competitiveness and development. The approach used to achieve the project objectives of the 2iE is consistent with the approach to be outlined in the strategic plan for Page 28 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) the UV-BF in Component 1, which will also be informed by existing analytical work and lessons learned from similar projects. The strategic plan for the UV-BF will be drawn up by a national and international team of experts with the necessary skills to ensure that it is strongly aligned with the country’s overarching development strategy and complements the work of other development partners in the higher education sector. x Build the capacity of HEIs to design and implement subprojects. The project’s design draws on lessons learned from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The first key lesson is the necessity to build the capacity of universities to implement projects rather than to put in place alternative formulae. Therefore, each project-selected HEI will have a dedicated unit with a full-fledged team for implementing the project as evidence from the ACE I project has shown that those institutions that have a dedicated unit perform significantly better than those that do not. Having a dedicated team not only helps keep project implementation on track but also build the capacity of the team members. x Develop a sustainability plan at the start of the project implementation period. The second key lesson, learned from the experience of the National Agency for the Promotion of Information Communication Technology [L’Agence Nationale de Promotion des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication (ANPTIC)] and WACREN, is that a sustainability plan needs to be introduced from the beginning of the project implementation period. This will require negotiations and advocacy during the preparation cycle for current fiscal year budget to ensure that counterpart funds are available for the next fiscal year. The third key lesson is that the Distance Learning Institute (Institut de formation à distance) in Burkina Faso has demonstrated that distance learning is a viable option. x Prepare architectural and engineering plans early in the implementation stage, and ensure that a dedicated full-time team is in place to follow up on implementation. The experience of the 2iE has yielded many useful lessons for the higher education system. First, to avoid any delays, architectural and engineering studies must be undertaken very early in the implementation of the project. Second, the fact that 2iE staff members have been responsible for the managing the project in addition to their regular work reduced the efficiency of the project’s operations given that their time to work on the project was limited. To avoid such issues, specific staff were eventually recruited and appointed to work full time on the project. Finally, several contractors experienced various types of problems during the execution of their contracts, and if better contractors had been chosen, this would have increased the overall efficiency of the construction activities. x Hiring bilingual professors, organizing language laboratories, and developing multilingual activities helps widen the scope of learning for students, faculty, and administrators. The 2iE had a mandate to increase its enrollment of students from English-speaking countries to 10 percent of total enrollment by 2011. Therefore, the institute needed to hire bilingual professors, organize language laboratories, and progressively develop multilingual activities. Francophone students had already received an increased number of English lessons each year—150 hours in 2007, up from 30 in 2005—and were to receive 210 hours in 2008. A similar language program was to be set up for Anglophone students in French. The objective was to develop the master’s programs in both French and English. To graduate, students Page 29 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) were required to score 750 in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam. The 2iE has demonstrated that it is possible to achieve results using the specific criteria outlined above. The UV-BF and potentially the other HEIs selected by this project could benefit from adopting a similar approach. x RBF mechanisms from the previous and ongoing ACE projects already serve as a good foundation and can be scaled up at the national level. Many design features will be leveraged for the proposed project. For instance, (a) the focus on the results-based approach through performance-based contracts to address quality DLI through benchmarking programs accreditation; (b) promoting of sustainability through revenue generation; and (c) the focus on industry. The Competitive Fund in the project will extend and build on the ACE approach. It will use education research, industry linkage, and sustainability criteria. The potential for project-level success would help scale up at the regional level. IV. IMPLEMENTATION A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 71. The project will support activities conducted under the authority of the MESRSI, which coordinates and manages the higher education sector. Both public8 and private HEIs will benefit from the project interventions. Public HEIs are managed by the Government whereas private HEIs are independent with autonomous management structures. 72. The MESRSI and the HEIs will be involved in the implementation, supervision, and monitoring of the project activities. The implementation arrangements, responsibilities, and procedures are described in a separate annex on Project Implementation Arrangements in the Project Files. Detailed terms of reference will be provided in the PIM. 73. Government and Review Committee (Comité de revue). On behalf of the Government of Burkina Faso, the Ministry for the Economy, Finance, and Development (Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances, et du Développement, MINEFID) will sign a Financing Agreement with IDA. The MESRSI will be the implementing agency for the proposed project with responsibility for oversight and coordination. The MESRSI will set up a review committee with representatives from the MESRSI, Ministry of Basic Education and Literacy (Ministère de l’Education Nationale et de l’Alphabétisation), MINEFID, Ministry of Youth, Vocational Training, and Professional Integration (Ministère de la Jeunesse, de la Formation et de l’Insertion Professionnelle), and the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Post (Autorité de Regulation des Communications et des Postes). In accordance with the decree issued by the Government in February 2018, the review committee will consist of no more than 20 statutory members 8Public HEIs have restricted autonomy and are largely dependent on the MESRSI. The heads of the public HEIs are appointees of the Government rather than being elected or selected based on a professional search process. Public HEIs receive subsidies from the Government and those that generate income are required to transfer their earnings to the public treasury. Based on action plans prepared by the HEIs each year, the Government allocates a percentage of the annual government budget for higher education through the MESRSI to the HEIs. Public HEI teachers are appointed by the Government as civil servants. Each year, the Government advertises for faculty positions based on need and budget availability. Candidates with the appropriate level of qualification may apply. The African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) administers the qualification test. Based on the outcome, the Council of Ministers confirms positions at higher grades. The MESRSI is responsible for the technical supervision of public HEIs and financial supervision is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. Page 30 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) and observers and the Program Manager of the MESRSI will be the chair. The Program Manager will also be responsible for the project's budget. The composition, roles, and responsibilities of the review committee will be set out in a decree from the MESRSI. This will be a condition of project effectiveness. 74. Project coordination and staffing. The Program Manager of the MESRSI will be responsible for planning and coordinating project activities within the MESRSI and with other Government agencies. The day-to-day management of the project will be the responsibility of the PNADES, which is a unit within the MESRSI. Guided by the recent Government norms prohibiting the creation of new PCUs,9 the fiduciary implementation responsibility of the proposed project will also be coordinated by the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES. The Government will indemnify staff. 75. The detailed implementation procedures will be set out in four manuals: (a) the PIM, (b) a FM manual, (c) a procurement manual, and (d) a competitive grants manual for Windows A and B of Subcomponent 2.1. The PIM is currently under preparation and will contain the administrative and institutional management procedures for the project. The project accounting software will be installed and adapted to the parameters of the proposed project, and a procurement tracking system will also be installed. The fiduciary staff will receive appropriate training on how to use the software. The personnel of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will be given the required training to manage IDA funds. The detailed implementation and institutional details for Components 1, 2, and 3 are presented in the annex on Project Implementation Arrangements, accessible in the Project Files. Finally, a dedicated communication plan will be developed for all stages of the policy development process. This plan will contain different strategies aimed at the different actors involved in the sector, including students, teachers, institutional leaders, employers, civil society members, elected officials, and the Government. B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation 76. An M&E assessment has been conducted by the World Bank project preparation team to determine the institutional arrangements and data verification protocols needed for the project, for both the MESRSI and the HEIs. The MESRSI has a nascent M&E system that is unable to provide reliable data for the management of the higher education system. Data collection is irregular, making it difficult to track trends and inform appropriate reforms. There is little communication and integration among the different HEIs. 77. Under the guidance of the Program Manager of the MESRSI, data collection, validation, analysis, and dissemination will be the responsibility of the General Directorate of Studies and Sector Statistics (Direction Générale des Etudes et des Statistiques Sectorielles, DGESS). All M&E for the project will be guided by the project design and the implementation plan in the PIM. M&E will be conducted in the following ways: (a) monthly meetings chaired by the Program Manager of the MESRSI or another designated representative of the MESRSI; (b) IDA implementation support missions; (c) a midterm review of project implementation; (d) semiannual meetings of the higher education institution steering committee (HEISC); (e) annual data collection by relevant MESRSI units; and (f) beneficiary surveys and assessments at the time of the midterm review and other implementation milestones as shown in the implementation plan. Semiannually (by May 30 and November 30, respectively), the Program Manager of 9 Decree No. 2018-0092/PRES/PM/MINEFID, dated February 15, 2018, setting out the general regulations for projects and programs being developed and executed in Burkina Faso. Page 31 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) the MESRSI will send IDA a progress report on the project’s implementation and outcomes, using the format agreed at negotiations. S/he will also prepare an Implementation Completion and Results Report (ICR) within six months of the project’s closing, and the MESRSI will contribute its own evaluation of the project to the ICR. 78. The monthly meetings of appropriate directorates and HEIs involved in the project and the HEISC meetings will be open to IDA and other development partners. The midterm review is expected to be held no later than 18 months after effectiveness to ensure sufficient time to integrate the conclusions of the third-party evaluation regarding the project implementation framework and progress achieved by that time. The Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will organize two meetings of the HEISC annually under the guidance of the Program Manager of the MESRSI. The first meeting will review interim progress, and the second will assess the annual implementation report and approve the annual work plan and budget (AWPB) for the subsequent year. 79. Independent verification. No later than six months from the project effectiveness date, and before the submittal of a withdrawal request as set out in Section IV of the Financing Agreement, on behalf of the Government, the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES through the MESRSI will recruit, under terms of reference and with qualifications satisfactory to the World Bank an Independent Verification Agent(s) for purposes of preparing and delivering Independent Verification Agent Reports in respect of DLIs 1 through 6 set forth in Schedule 3 to the Financing Agreement. 80. The Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will ensure independent M&E of the project through the preparation and delivery of Independent Verification Agent Reports certifying the extent to which (a) eligible expenditures under the periods covered by the report have been incurred in compliance with the safeguards and procurement arrangements provided for in this agreement and under the PIM; (b) the DLIs for the period covered by the relevant Independent Verification Agent Report have been achieved; (c) HEIs benefitting from Competitive Grants perform under the respective Higher Education Institution Grant Agreements; and (d) the provisions of the Disbursement and Financial Information Letter (DFIL) have been adhered to by the recipient. 81. No later than November 15 of each calendar year during project implementation, the Permanent Secretariat will furnish to the World Bank a complete Independent Verification Agent Report including all the findings as well as the certifications from the Independent Verification Agent of the degree of achievement of the DLRs. C. Sustainability 82. The project’s fiscal sustainability is based primarily on the Government’s sustained support to higher education. The main aim of this project is to expand higher education opportunities for Burkina Faso youth, with the aim of improving efficiency in matching demand and supply of skills in the labor market. The project introduces new activities. These are equivalent to 14 percent of the total budget allocated to higher education in 2016. The project will support the creation of revenue generating activities by the HEIs. Over time, these are expected to generate direct income for the institutions. It is anticipated that the income would be redirected to financing institution-level expenditures that focus on improving the quality of service delivery. The revenue generation would be an important cost-mitigating measure for the long-term sustainability of the project interventions. Stakeholders have also been alerted Page 32 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) about the possibility that the UV-BF might charge nominal fees for courses. This would be instituted based on a study that would be undertaken within the first year of project implementation. 83. The share of education spending as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) was 4.5 percent in 2015, which is within the range of the recommended 4–6 percent of GDP. This implies that Burkina Faso can be expected to increase its spending on education, especially if, as the International Monetary Fund projects, revenue mobilization improves (see the annex on Economic and Financial Analysis in the Project files). The budget allocated to higher education, as a percentage of total education spending, has increased since 2014. In 2016, higher education represented 17.8 percent of total education spending and is expected to increase to 19.4 percent by 2025 with annual growth rate of education spending by 8 percent. This implies that the Government has a strong commitment to the higher education sector. The proposed incremental costs needed to maintain the sector are manageable under the Government’s fiscal space. The project is in line with the Government’s priorities and manageable by the fiscal space of the current budget framework, and therefore the project’s sustainability is not at risk. D. Role of Partners 84. The support given by other development partners to higher education in Burkina Faso has been considered in the design of the proposed project (table 4). Table 4. Development Partners’ Support to Higher Education and Other Relevant Projects Development Partner Period Total Budget Type of Intervention and Project (Fiscal Year) CFAF, thousands Support to the tertiary/university education subsector Islamic Development 2010–2014 Supporting the Government’s strategy for 6,247,260 Bank: Campus project extending student accommodation through (US$12.5 million) in Bobo-Dioulasso the construction and equipping of a university campus in Bobo–Dioulasso ECOWAS Bank for 2013–2014 Providing universities and other advanced 10,625,800 Investment and schools with adequate transportation for (US$21.3 million) Development or EBID: students to access their academic and Project to acquire 135 educational activities buses for universities and advanced training schools in Burkina Faso West African Economic 2014–2018 Installing the Technology Platforms Project 5,851,260 and Monetary Union in the public universities of member (US$11.7 million) (Union Economique et countries Monétaire Ouest Africaine): Technology Platforms Project IDA: Africa Higher 2014–2019 Promoting regional specialization among 4,000,000 Education Centers of participating universities in areas that (US$8 million) Excellence (ACE I) address regional challenges and Project (P126974) strengthening the capacities of these universities to deliver quality training and Page 33 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Development Partner Period Total Budget Type of Intervention and Project (Fiscal Year) CFAF, thousands applied research. Strengthening the 2iE (sub-regional center of excellence) and enhancing regional capacity, evaluation, and collaboration IDA projects related to the proposed project West Africa Regional 2017–2022 Increasing the geographical reach of 17,500,000 Communications broadband networks and reducing the costs (US$35 million) Infrastructure Project of communication services in the territory (P123093) of the recipient and between the recipient and ECOWAS countries Burkina Faso 2017–2023 Increasing the capacity for and the use of 10,000,000 eGovernment Project ICTs by the public administrations and (US$20 million) (P155645) agencies for (a) providing information and public eServices and (b) fostering entrepreneurship in the digital economy, with a specific focus on agriculture and rural areas Source: IDA 2018, Washington, DC. 85. Burkina Faso is also undertaking a project that will create a fiber-optic ‘backbone’ for the country, financed by the EXIM Bank (China). In addition, there are other connectivity projects such as the G-Cloud, which is financed by Danish International Development Agency, and the BKF-021, which includes satellite connectivity for around 800 public offices across all regions financed by the Government of Luxembourg. These are being handled by the National Agency for the Promotion of Information Communications Technologies (L’Agence Nationale de Promotion des Technologies de l’Information des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication), which is also constructing fiber-optic long-haul connectivity between Ouagadougou and Bobo as well as metro-links in a few cities. V. KEY RISKS A. Overall Risk Rating and Explanation of Key Risks 86. The overall risk of the proposed Project is Substantial. The assessment is based on several considerations: (a) Political and governance risk is High. This is due to the problem of terrorism that Burkina Faso is facing, the political instability in 2015, and the challenges surrounding governance in general at the country level. At the level of HEIs, introducing autonomy and merit-based processes and facilitating the flow of funds would help foster innovation and encourage the development of alternative forms of higher education service delivery. Political interference would be likely to dampen reform efforts, result in significant sunk costs, and promote rent seeking. Page 34 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) (b) Macroeconomic risk is also Substantial in keeping with the macro indicators in the country. Burkina Faso is making progress in building a stable macroeconomic environment and in setting up an integrated and open regional economy. The country’s economy expanded by about 5.4 percent annually over the last decade. Projections have shown the potential for a demographic dividend because of the youth working-age population more than doubling in the coming years. However, this could also engender a demographic crisis if there are limited opportunities for young people under the age of 30 to harness their full potential to contribute to the economy. (c) Sector strategies and policies risk is rated Moderate. The Government places a high premium on human development and has already prepared a higher education strategy. There is risk involved in not engaging in the higher education subsector at this stage of the country’s development. (d) The risk related to the technical design of the project is rated Substantial. The project design offers a potentially lasting solution to a complex problem, and appropriate mitigation measures will address the risk factors. Specifically, the technical design will benefit from advances made by countries in the Africa Region and elsewhere. The selection of HEIs will be based on transparent criteria that will be developed through stakeholder consultations, agreed with the public and private HEIs, and sectorally balanced. Leadership commitment will be ensured through a leadership mapping exercise. The selection of appropriate leadership and necessary ownership will be based on global good practices. The UV-BF may be criticized for (i) not giving students enough interaction with their online instructors, (ii) not having enough computers to enable students to access the Internet, and (iii) generally being a second-class option for students who are unable to enter a regular university. These criticisms can be met through key mitigation measures such as (i) fostering twinning arrangements between good practice virtual universities globally and the in-country universities; (ii) systematically and proactively reviewing the risks and designing mitigation measures; (iii) engaging the student population in building the UV-BF into a credible institution on a par with existing universities; and (iv) proactively launching information, education, and communication campaigns to emphasize the value of the UV-BF in widening access to and improving the quality of higher education in Burkina Faso. (e) The institutional capacity for implementation and sustainability risk is also Substantial. The institutional capacity to manage a diversified delivery model needs to be developed, and this will be risky. Significant capacity has been created during the project preparation process to enable the implementation of the project, the first higher education project in the country. The project preparation has been, and implementation process will be managed by some of the best qualified personnel in the country with the help of international advisory committees and subject area experts. (f) Fiduciary risks are also rated Substantial. Project institutions will have limited fiduciary capacity as they have never implemented a World Bank project before. The project will therefore strengthen fiduciary capacity at the central, regional, and institutional levels. Page 35 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) (g) The risks relating to environmental safeguards are Moderate. The required environmental impact assessments have been completed. Environmental mitigation measures related to air, soils water, and environmental health and safety (EHS) will be put in place before the civil works begin and will be adhered to throughout implementation, both internally and externally. If all the mitigation measures are implemented and monitored, then the environmental risk will be Low. (h) The social safeguards risk is Moderate. The social assessment study has been completed by the Government and is under review by the World Bank. The proposed mitigation measures will need to be systematically followed through during implementation, with systematic M&E of problems, solutions, and risks. Even then, the risk will still be Moderate and could escalate to Substantial if there is noncompliance. (i) The risk of nonengagement and pushback from stakeholders is rated Substantial. The Government and World Bank teams have held discussions with various stakeholders, especially representatives of public and private HEIs such as faculty members, university management and administration, representatives of teachers’ unions and student unions/associations, Government policy makers and regulators, and a key private sector telecommunications service provider. Yet, there is a substantial risk of student unrest and strikes aimed at gaining concessions, demanding free higher education, and expressing frustration at the shortcomings of their HEIs. The project’s design will address these eventualities by upgrading the infrastructure of HEIs, providing alternative service delivery options, brokering telecommunications discounts for faculty, students, and administrative staff of HEIs and for the MESRSI to facilitate access to digital literacy material in the digital library and for access to online learning more generally, financing the acquisition of teaching and learning materials (hardware and software), a Learning Management System, and facilitating the recruitment of expatriate and international specialized teachers. Table 5. Systematic Operations Risk-Rating Tool (SORT) Risk Category Rating Mitigation Measures Residual Risk 1 Political and High Largely exogenous to the project. Substantial Governance Solutions should be at the HEI level to avoid politicization of decisions. 2 Macroeconomic Substantial In keeping with the macroeconomic indicators Substantial; for the country, a crisis could be unleashed if Could go down to educational opportunities are not provided to Moderate if project people of all ages. The working age population progress is positive would have greater access to higher education after service delivery has been diversified. 3 Sector Strategies and Moderate The Government places a high premium on Moderate; Policies human development and has already prepared Nonengagement a higher education strategy. would escalate this to Substantial 4 Technical Design of Substantial The technical design would benefit from (a) Substantial; the Project advances in the Africa Region and elsewhere, Due to the nature (b) transparent criteria based on stakeholder of the solution consultations about the selection of HEIs, (c) a Page 36 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) leadership mapping exercise, and (d) global and regional best practices. 5 Institutional Capacity Substantial Significant capacity has been created during Substantial; for Implementation the project preparation process to facilitate Down to Moderate and Sustainability the implementation of the project, which is the over time if the first higher education project in the country. project has early successes 6 Fiduciary Substantial Fiduciary capacity will be strengthened at the Substantial; central, regional, and institutional levels. Down to Moderate over time 7 Environment Moderate Environmental mitigation measures related to Low for air, soil, water, and EHS will be taken before Environmental If all the civil works begin and will be adhered to measures are well throughout the project’s implementation, both implemented and internally and externally. monitored 8 Social Moderate The RAP will be completed and implemented Moderate for before the civil works begin and will be Social; adhered to throughout the project’s Could escalate to implementation. Substantial in case of noncompliance 9 Stakeholders Substantial Efforts will be made to build consensus among Substantial; stakeholders, to co-opt champions to lead the Down to Moderate process, and to provide constituencies with the over time opportunity to debate in a public forum. Overall Substantial Substantial VI. APPRAISAL SUMMARY A. Economic and Financial (if applicable) Analysis 87. The economic and financial analysis provides the rationale for public provision and investing in undergraduate and graduate-level higher education in Burkina Faso and describes the cost-effectiveness of the proposed project. Higher education serves as an engine for human development and generates positive social and private returns. These benefits have been well-documented in previous World Bank policy studies and in IDA investments in regional projects (such as the 2iE, ACE I, and ACE II). The social benefits of higher education according to regional and international evidence include the following:10 (a) A 1 percent increase in the number of higher education graduates leads to a 0.35 percent increase in industrial production, and a 1 percent increase in the number of engineering or natural sciences graduates leads to a 0.15 percent increase in agricultural production. 10 These empirical results are drawn from recent studies that have been completed, particularly the Burkina Faso Post-Primary Education Development ESW, projects under preparation, particularly the ACE III Project, and the now closed 2iE Project in Burkina Faso. Page 37 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) (b) A one-year increase in average tertiary education levels could raise annual GDP growth in Africa by 0.39 percentage points and eventually yield up to a 12 percent increase in GDP. The returns at the country level could be even greater. (c) The empirical results on the returns to higher education from the ACE I project indicate that obtaining a higher education degree is associated with higher earnings. At present, the estimated return in Burkina Faso is about 2.4 percent, but this is likely to increase as knowledge and skills are developed in the priority subject areas. A cost-benefit analysis of the ACE I project component on strengthening capacity of selected universities shows that the internal rate of return (IRR) is about 3 percent in Burkina Faso. (d) Globally, the private rate of return to higher education is 14.6 percent. This is now higher than the return to primary education, which is estimated to be 11.5 percent. The average private rate of return on higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa is 21 percent. Sub-Saharan Africa has a higher rate than other regions because of its relatively low percentage of higher education graduates. The estimated private returns in some of the other countries in West Africa are as follows: 28.7 (2012) in Ghana, 29.7 percent (2011) in Niger, and 21.5 (2005) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 88. Rationale for public provision. Burkina Faso is heavily reliant on exporting raw commodities rather than on finished goods. The country lacks a virtuous cycle of value addition in the value chain of the key raw materials that it produces, particularly cotton, gold, and other mining products. Agriculture could potentially contribute to value chain gains for the country. Burkina Faso could turn around this growth trend by better harnessing its youth population, strengthening their skills and competencies to equip them to contribute productively to the economy. This would require strategic investments in publicly and privately provided post-primary and higher education, and creating a more conducive business environment to promote a private sector interested in the value chain options available in growth sectors. 89. The economic analyses for prior projects in the Africa Region (see ACE I, ACE II, 2iE) present the rationale for limited and targeted public investment in higher education. These are pertinent and current for the proposed Project Higher Education Support Project in Burkina Faso. Positive externalities have been found for higher education graduates in the areas of agriculture, engineering, mathematics, science, and health. Market failures have prevented investments in higher education. Empirical results on returns to higher education show that acquiring higher education degrees is associated with higher earnings: in Burkina Faso returns were 2.4 percent, in Cameroon 30 percent, in Ghana 30 percent, and in Nigeria 15 percent. The cost-benefit analysis of a Center of Excellence showed the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for Burkina Faso to be about 3 percent. The ACE project expenditures represented only about 2.9 percent of public expenditure on higher education in Burkina Faso. 90. Higher education financing. As in many Sub-Saharan African countries, higher education in Burkina Faso has been in a state of crisis for decades. This stems from an increasing disparity between increased demand for quality higher education on the one hand and low resource availability on the other hand. The key recommendations outlined in the 2010 Public Expenditure Review continue to be relevant in 2018: (a) decentralizing an overly centralized system and moving resource allocation from the central Government level to the local/institutional levels to improve service delivery; (b) increasing the effectiveness of public spending by rationalizing processes, taking into account regional inequalities, and Page 38 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) adopting policies aimed at meeting the needs of the population, particularly the most vulnerable; (c) increasing the capacity of institutions to manage funds and make appropriate spending decisions; and (d) promoting transparency. The autonomy of HEIs is established by law in Burkina Faso, but in practice, universities are unable to exercise autonomy because of prevailing centralized controls and institution- level weaknesses in budgeting and management. The proposed project will address some of these key aspects in Component 3. Based on 2009–2014 averages, the proportion of tertiary education students who are enrolled in private institutions is lower in Burkina Faso (about 20 percent) than in many other Francophone countries, including Madagascar (25 percent) and Senegal (35 percent), which shows that there is room for improvement in Burkina Faso. 91. Government financing for education increased dramatically over 2007–2013.11 The share of public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was about 4.7 percent in 2013, having nearly doubled since 2004 (2.9 percent). The Global Partnership for Education recommends that countries should spend 7 percent of their GDP on education.12 Over 2007–2011, the share of the education budget in the national budget averaged 17.7 percent, of which 11.2 percent was for basic education and about 6.7 percent for the secondary and higher education subsectors. In 2015, higher education received a meagre 2.08 percent of the overall budget for education. 92. The Government provides grants, loans, and scholarships to students enrolled in higher education. It provides nonreimbursable grants to all new secondary school graduates who are enrolling in any university in the country and offers loans to students during their last year of education. It also provides bachelor’s degree scholarships for which all new secondary school graduates can apply. Once the quota of scholarships has been awarded, there are a further 300 scholarships that are offered only to young women. The amount spent on grants increased over the three-year period 2013–2016, whereas expenditure on loans has decreased over time. In 2015/16, a total of 2,396 students were awarded a scholarship. Of these, 63 percent were males and 37 percent were females. In addition, scholarships were renewed for about 4,702 students (71 percent of whom were males and 29 percent females). The unit cost of each scholarship was about US$2,265. In 2015/16 twice as many males (67 percent) as females (33 percent) received grants, loans, or scholarships. Therefore, there is clearly both the need and the potential to increase the numbers of female beneficiaries in the future. The proposed project will finance technical assistance through Subcomponent 2.4 to help the Government undertake a financing analysis of higher education and review financing options including student loans, scholarships, and cost recovery. 93. Cost-benefit analysis confirms the cost-effectiveness of the project. The calculations are premised on the following: (a) the UV-BF proves to be successful, (b) the strategic plans of all HEIs focus on quality improvement reforms, and (c) the higher education system governance and management is reformed. As a result, the repetition rates go down for males and females, and the completion rates improve. The rate of return for the individual student would depend on (a) the direct costs of education; (b) the opportunity cost of not remaining enrolled and finishing higher education with relevant skills and instead stopping after a secondary education only and depending on the field of study; and (c) the employment opportunities and overall unemployment rate. The difference between the costs and benefits results in 11 Law No.021-2011/AN on the Finance Law on Government Budget Execution and Management 2012 ( Loi N°021-2011/AN, portant Loi de Finances Rectificative pour L‘Execution du Budget de l ’Etat, Gestion 2016). Government of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. 12 The Fast Track Initiative indicative framework is now the Global Partnership for Education. Page 39 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) positive returns for the individual and for society. During the initial developmental and reform phases costs outweigh benefits. Over time, acquiring a university education in Burkina Faso could potentially increase a student’s income by at least 50 percent compared to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. From a country perspective, having a post-secondary education could help an individual earn about 46 percent more income than completing only a secondary education. 94. The assumptions underpinning the cost-benefit analysis of the project and the calculation of economic profitability ratio of having only a general secondary education versus a higher education are the following: (a) it is envisaged that the proposed project would increase enrollments in the priority areas; (b) with the introduction of diversified service delivery (face-to-face, distance learning, and blended learning), the total number of project beneficiaries will increase over the life of the project; (c) based on the analysis of the 2014 household survey, completing a general secondary education would enable a student to obtain on average only CFAF 80,235 per month (about US$146), whereas completing a higher education program would result in the student obtaining on average at least CFAF 124,000 (about US$235) per month. The salary calculations consider the field of study and unemployment rate in the country, which is minimum since the majority is at least self-employed for survival purposes (see Burkina Faso: Jobs Study 2016); and (d) average annual growth rate in higher education enrollment due to improved secondary education completion, and more students completing their university first-year examination. Based on a conservative estimation, and considering that the rate of return to the existence of a functioning virtual university is not yet known, the higher education profitability ratio (IRR) for two scenarios—without and with project results in an economic profitability ratio of at least 5 percent in the short term for a university graduate compared to only 0.42 percent for a general secondary education graduate. In the medium and long term, the profitability ratio will be greater. More details on the project justification and the economic and financial analysis for the project are available in the separate annex entitled ‘Project Economic and Financial Analysis’ in the Project Files. 95. There is a strong justification for public financing for the project and a clear value addition from World Bank involvement in the project. Burkina Faso has systematically underinvested in skills development. This is partly due to market failure in the country that has resulted in underinvestment in higher education and partly due to difficulties for individuals to get past the first year of university education, the reason being that they are not sufficiently prepared at Baccalaureate level. However, catch-up or remedial programs could upgrade the skills for youth to better tackle higher education. Options for distance learning, just-in-time programs, and access to information could bridge the gap. The World Bank has the accumulated and global experience in Open Learning, the access to bring global knowledge to support Burkina Faso to upgrade the skills for youth. Increasingly, there is awareness that the sunk costs for higher education, especially in the infrastructure for science, technology, health sciences, and agriculture areas, require public-private partnerships. The World Bank has the convening power and the knowledge to bring investments from the public and private sectors and could assist Burkina Faso in bridging schooling and post-graduate education through the proposed project. The World Bank would support the Government of Burkina Faso’s efforts to institute systemic reforms and to foster innovations for lasting solutions. B. Technical 96. Higher education trains and supplies teachers for future generations. Higher education also trains future professionals, decision makers, entrepreneurs, research professionals, and innovators. Therefore, Page 40 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) providing access to quality higher education is key to ensuring that these qualified personnel continue to be available. However, the higher education system in Burkina Faso is failing in this mission because of the absence of investments in infrastructure, quality programs, and teachers. To address the problems of the higher education system in the short term, it is imperative to harness technology to widen the scope and scale of access to higher education. This will require significant public-sector investment through both increased financing and improved governance of the higher education system. It will also be necessary to foster PPPs. The present higher education system in Burkina Faso is based on the traditional francophone system, an inequitable system in which the programs of study currently offered are not aligned with the country’s development needs. The existing infrastructure and incentives are resulting in the brightest students leaving the country on Government scholarships and not returning. The Government has been unable to provide incentives to attract the expatriate community back to Burkina Faso to train future generations, and the faculty base in Burkina Faso is fast dwindling due to natural attrition. There is no short-term solution to building the faculty base. 97. The ACE I and III programs are addressing the need to train students at the master’s and doctoral levels. However, too few students are studying STEM, business, law, and finance, the fields that are required by the economy. The key bottleneck is at the level of undergraduate education. This problem is not unique to Burkina Faso. In many countries across the world, a solution to the infrastructure problem has been to experiment with distance learning to use scarce faculty numbers to reach a wider student population. This is beginning to happen organically in Burkina Faso as the higher education system is experimenting with distance learning on a small scale to teach existing academic courses of study. So far, there has been no pushback from the university system, students, and other stakeholders. The proposed project will provide the Government of Burkina Faso with strategic investments aimed at upgrading the system, increasing access to higher education, hiring more contract teachers, ensuring that HEIs meet national and regional standards, and creating new types of jobs for youths (for example, ICT jobs maintaining the infrastructure of the new virtual university, managing computer labs, helping faculty to prepare and codify digital material, and managing the digital library). C. Financial Management 98. The FM arrangements for the project have been designed considering (a) Burkina Faso’s recent political situation; (b) the country’s overall public financial management (PFM) performance; and (c) the World Bank’s minimum requirements under World Bank Policy and Directive–Investment Project Financing (IPF), which describes the World Bank’s overall policies and procedures for FM. The legislative and institutional framework for public financial management is in place in Burkina Faso. The Division of Administration and Finance (Service Administratif et Financier, SAF) of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will manage the overall FM aspects of the project. An FM assessment of the SAF of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES was conducted in January and February 2018 during project preparation, to assess whether it can manage the proposed project. Risk mitigation measures have been outlined for the implementation phase. Project FM details including funds flow are outlined in a separate annex entitled ‘Project Implementation Arrangements’. The annex is available in the Project Files. 99. The existing EAQIP PCU is providing fiduciary support with managing the PPA. After project effectiveness is declared, the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES would take over project management. In line with the Government’s new decree on the modalities of project implementation in Burkina Faso, the Government will have the option of appointing civil servants or individual consultants to fill the Page 41 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) positions under terms of references acceptable to the World Bank. The Government will indemnify the staff. During the project implementation period, the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will also have the option to contract consultants (individual or firm) to provide technical assistance to improve its FM performance. 100. Upon project effectiveness, both disbursement against the achievement of indicators and transactions-based disbursements will be paid as follows: (a) a Government-managed Designated Account A (DA-A) will be opened in the West Africa Central Bank (Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, BCEAO) for Components 1 and 2; funds will flow from IDA into the DA-A and from there into the Treasury Account (Compte du Trésor) for Components 1 and 2, and (b) a second Government-managed Designated Account (DA-B) will also be opened in the BCEAO for Component 3. The project funds for Component 3 will flow from the World Bank to the DA-B Central African franc and from there to a Transactions Account in Central African franc in a commercial bank acceptable to IDA. 101. The Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will be required to prepare and submit to the World Bank a consolidated AWPB, consolidated unaudited interim financial reports (IFRs), and audited annual financial statements. The timing for each of the reporting requirements is specified in detail in a separate annex in the Project Files entitled ‘Project Implementation Arrangements’. The audit reports of the annual financial statements of the project will be prepared by an independent audit firm recruited under terms of reference acceptable to the World Bank. The annual audit of the project will confirm that the EEPs paid by the World Bank are less than or equal to the Government’s total actual expenditure against each EEP line item. For the project, salary allocated to the budget of the MESRSI including HEIs will represent the EEPs. The project will comply with the World Bank disclosure policy regarding audit reports and post the information on the Government’s official website within two months of the report being accepted as final by the team and the World Bank. The list of budget codes for the EEP are detailed in a separate annex in the Project Files entitled ‘Project Implementation Arrangements’. They relate mainly to the line items of salaries of the MESRSI, project-selected and project-funded HEIs (public and private institutions), and the UV-BF. 102. The World Bank’s assessment indicates that the FM arrangements for the project are appropriate and satisfactory. There are adequate controls and accounting measures that provide assurance that the requirements of the new World Bank Guidelines for IPF-DLIs (2018) will be met. The MESRSI and the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will follow the ‘World Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines: Guidelines on Preventing and Combating Fraud and Corruption in Projects Financed by IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants’ (revised as of July 1, 2016) and will cause the project-financed HEIs to adhere to the same principles. D. Procurement 103. Procurement of works, goods, non-consulting, and consulting services for all components of the project (Components 1, 2, and 3) will be carried out in accordance with the requirements in the World Bank’s new ‘Procurement Regulations for Borrowers under Investment Project Financing (IPF): Goods, Works, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services’ dated July 2016 and revised November 2017; ‘Guidelines on Preventing and Combating Fraud and Corruption in Projects Financed by IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants’ (revised as of July 1, 2016); and the provisions stipulated in the Financing Agreement. Page 42 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Procurement details are provided in a separate Annex entitled ‘Project Implementation Arrangements’. The annex is available in the Project Files. 104. The World Bank team conducted a procurement assessment of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES, the Department for Public Procurement (Direction des Marchés Publics, DMP), and the Department for the Regulation of Public Procurement and Finance (Direction du Contrôle des Marchés et des Engagements Financiers, DCMEF) in the MESRSI during project preparation. This will be the first project to be implemented by the MESRSI in Burkina Faso under the World Bank’s New Procurement Framework. Mitigation measures are presented in a separate annex entitled ‘Project Implementation Arrangements’ in the Project Files. 105. The Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will designate a full-time professional staff member who will be responsible for the procurement activities of the project, and s/he will be trained on procurement regulations for borrowers. After project effectiveness, the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will take over the implementation of all project activities. At that time, the new procurement specialist will still be able to receive training and technical assistance as necessary. S/he will benefit from ongoing collaboration with and the coaching and assistance of the EAQIP PCU procurement specialist. The EAQIP PCU will pool procurement resources, including staffing resources, until project effectiveness when the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will take over full responsibility for procurement management. Using the PPA, the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will hire a senior procurement consultant who will coach and monitor the nominated procurement specialist for Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES and the MESRI’s DMP and DCMEF staff and provide technical assistance. The MESRSI has finalized a Project Procurement Strategy for Development (PPSD) before project appraisal. The PPSD is acceptable to the World Bank. The findings of the PPSD show that the optimal procurement approach during project implementation will be to: (i) resort to strategic procurement that would constitute/necessitate procurement that would engender cooperation avec suppliers and/or the communities of suppliers so as not alienate them; (ii) focus on value for money, guarantee supply of quantities of high quality and value to ensure the smooth implementation of the project; (iii) foster appropriate levels of competition among suppliers to promote cost efficiencies for the project; and (iv) promote effective procurement through simplified methods, execution in a timely manner, and with optimal resources at the level of the implementing entity. The Procurement Plan for the first 18 months of the project implementation period has also been prepared. The World Bank has approved the plan. Updates of the Procurement Plan will be submitted to the World Bank for approval during project implementation. E. Social (including Safeguards) 106. It is expected that the project will have only limited negative social impact. Infrastructure construction is planned in different sites in Ouagadougou, most of which have not yet been identified. The infrastructure construction phase might have adverse social impacts because of land acquisition for investments or the restriction of access to assets or sources of livelihood. It is expected that these negative impacts will be moderate, site specific, and manageable. 107. The project will trigger OP/BP 4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement. Some activities of the project such as creating the technological infrastructure and platform, phased construction, financing existing infrastructure rehabilitation, and new construction as appropriate could have adverse social impacts resulting from land acquisition and/or restrictions on access to resources and sources of income or Page 43 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) livelihoods. All the sites are not yet identified. Therefore, in anticipation of these possible negative social impacts, the client has prepared a Resettlement Policy Framework. This document has been consulted upon, has been reviewed by the World Bank, and has been publicly disclosed within Burkina Faso on May 15, 2018, and on the World Bank website on May 18, 2018. During implementation, an assessment of each subproject will be carried out to determine whether land is being acquired and whether a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) is required for that subproject. The RAPs will be prepared after the sites have been identified and will be submitted to the World Bank for review and disclosure in-country and on the World Bank website before the civil works begin. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) will address any relevant gender issues. 108. The recipient has already benefitted from other (past and ongoing) IDA projects, which have provided it with sufficient capacity to understand and apply safeguards policies. The project team will recruit safeguards staff (environment and social) in the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES. The safeguards specialists who are currently working with the EAQIP PCU will provide support for the proposed project until it is declared to be effective. As a result, the capacity of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will be built up and its staff will be trained to take over following project effectiveness. 109. With respect to gender issues in the project, there may be a risk of higher education-related GBV. In Burkina Faso, there is a high prevalence of early marriages and adolescent pregnancies. These limit girls’ participation in schooling and their entry into higher education. Those who do enroll in higher education are unable to continue even if they get through the first-year end examinations due to the lack of targeted scholarships. The project would address these issues in Component 3, to track, measure, and address GBV through focus group surveys, sensitizing communities about the value of girls’ education and the positive returns to their labor market participation. Factoring social and ethnographic considerations, the project could potentially extend opportunities for females to acquire skills through virtual learning, engage in home-based work, and contribute to the labor force. The action is measured through DLI 5 in the Results Framework. Finally, the Environmental and Social Assessment will address any relevant gender issues. F. Environment (including Safeguards) 110. The proposed project (Category B, Partial Assessment) is not expected to have any large-scale, significant, and/or irreversible impacts. With two environmental policies triggered (OP/BP 4.01: Environmental Assessment and OP/BP 4.11: Physical Cultural Resources), the proposed project aims to finance a wide range of activities among which there will be some rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and construction of new infrastructure in urban areas. These types of investments are often associated with adverse environmental impacts such as dust, noise, solid waste management, and security issues but do not constitute a major adverse impact due to the proposed project. Therefore, the targeted components have an Environmental Category of B (Partial Assessment) and the environmental impacts related to the project are Moderate with respect to potential civil works (rehabilitation and construction). An Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and an ESIA with an emphasis on EHS for the UV-BF in Ouagadougou have been prepared, reviewed, approved, consulted upon, and publicly disclosed in-country on May 15, 2018, and on the World Bank’s website on May 18, 2018. In addition, the Government team had also prepared two Notices of Environment and Social Impact, one for Karpala and the other for Tampouy. These too have been reviewed and cleared. The documents were disclosed in- country and on the World Bank’s Website on May 21, 2018. A GRM is included in the project. The physical footprints of the project activities will be more clearly known during project implementation according to Page 44 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) the ESIA. The recipient has benefitted from other (past and ongoing) IDA projects because of which it should have sufficient capacity for understanding and applying safeguard policies. 111. The borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies has been assessed. The Legal and Regulatory Framework of Burkina Faso has also been assessed, with the National Agency for Environmental Assessment (Bureau National des Evaluations Environnementales, BUNEE) being in charge of environmental assessments in the context of other projects currently being implementation. Assessing the recipient’s capacity has required considering each of the following elements individually and collectively: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the BUNEE, including its operational structure and staff organogram, budgetary resources and inventory, relevant skills and experience, adaptive management, disclosure of information, and stakeholders’ engagement at this stage of the project. 112. The Government of Burkina Faso has several years of experience in applying and implementing projects funded by the World Bank. It is very familiar with the World Bank’s environmental and social safeguard policies requirements. The Project Implementing Entity of the ongoing IDA Education Access and Quality Improvement Project (P148062) is also familiar with the World Bank’s Environmental Safeguard Policies. This has been helpful during the PPA phase. Following project effectiveness on or about October 1, 2018, the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES of the MESRSI will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the project. The Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES will be strengthened with the addition of an environmental safeguards staff member during the preparation phase, who will receive the required training to take over environmental safeguards mitigation measures following project effectiveness. The environmental risk of the project is Moderate. 113. The appraisal stage Project Information Document-Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet was approved on May 22, 2018, cleared and disclosed on May 23, 2018. G. Other Safeguards 114. Climate. Preliminary screening by the GCC Climate Co-Benefits Assessment (CCA) team has revealed that the proposed project has the potential to have climate co-benefits. The design of the proposed project with respect to climate change is based on guidance from the CCA team. Based on the information in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD), the proposed project has been screened for climate risks and mitigation measures. 115. The Country Partnership Framework (CPF) notes that Burkina Faso is an arid, landlocked country in one of the poorest and least stable regions of the world. The CPF further notes that Burkina Faso is 1,000 km from the ocean, access to which depends on other poor countries that have weak governance and are sometimes in conflict. It is a Sahelian country but without the advantage of a major river for irrigation. Climate change increases the risk of natural hazards (such as limited and unreliable rainfall and frequent droughts and floods) while compounding the vulnerability of key economic and social development sectors, especially agriculture. It is estimated that 34 percent of the country’s land area, or Page 45 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) more than 9 million ha of arable land, is already degraded due to climate change and desertification, with an annual progression of around 105,000–250,000 ha.13 116. The project’s climate change vulnerability context is rated Substantial. To address this vulnerability, the project design incorporates climate and disaster risk screening training for project implementers. The plans for the infrastructure for the UV-BF and HEIs covered by the project will use construction and rehabilitation designs that are environmental friendly, using renewable energy wherever feasible. 117. The higher education system in Burkina Faso is already focusing on environmental education through the sub-regional 2iE institution. The project will support the introduction of environmental education, sciences, and sustainable development at the undergraduate level, and the curricula for these subjects will build on the climate-smart technologies that are being tested in-country and will focus on how to increase resilience to climate change risks. This will foster the growth of a market for teaching and learning materials on these topics. The goal of these efforts is to produce a flow of graduates with the skills and knowledge to help the agriculture sector adapt and be resilient to climate change. H. World Bank Grievance Redress 118. Communities and individuals who believe that they have been adversely affected by a project supported by the World Bank may submit complaints to existing project-level grievance redress mechanisms or to the World Bank’s Grievance Redress Service (GRS). The GRS ensures that complaints are promptly reviewed in order to address project-related concerns. Communities and individuals may also submit complaints to the World Bank’s independent Inspection Panel, which determines whether any harm occurred, or could occur, as a result of the World Bank failing to comply with its policies and procedures. Complaints may be submitted at any time after they have first been brought directly to the World Bank's attention and the Bank’s management has been given an opportunity to respond. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank’s corporate Grievance Redress Service (GRS), please visit http://www.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/products-and-services/grievance- redress-service. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank Inspection Panel, please visit www.inspectionpanel.org. . 13 Second Report on the State of Environment in Burkina Faso (REEB2), Government of Burkina Faso, 2011. Page 46 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) VII. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND MONITORING Results Framework Project Development Objective(s) The development objective of the Project is to strengthen higher education institutions to increase access and deliver quality education in priority subject areas. RESULT_FRAME_T BL_ PD O Unit of PDO Indicators by Objectives / Outcomes DLI CRI Baseline End Target Measure Diversify delivery models and transform access to quality and innovative higher education Number of undergraduate students enrolled in priority subject areas DLI 1 Number 0.00 3,891.00 funded by the project [DLI 1] Number of undergraduate students enrolled in priority subject areas Percentage 0.00 25.00 funded by the project, of which female [DLI 1] Increase in the percentage of students who have successfully Number 0.00 75.00 completed the first-year program at the HEIs financed by the project Increase in the percentage of students who have successfully completed the first-year program at the HEIs financed by the Percentage 0.00 30.00 project, of which female Develop faculty in higher education institutions Teachers recruited or trained Yes Number 0.00 1,620.00 Number of teachers recruited Yes Number 0.00 75.00 Page 47 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) RESULT_FRAME_T BL_ PD O Unit of PDO Indicators by Objectives / Outcomes DLI CRI Baseline End Target Measure Students benefiting from direct interventions to enhance learning Yes Number 0.00 140,000.00 Students benefiting from direct interventions to enhance learning - Yes Number 0.00 47,600.00 Female RESULT_FRAME_T BL_ IO Unit of Intermediate Results Indicators by Components DLI CRI Baseline End Target Measure Enhance access to higher education: Establishment of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF) UV-BF established and operational [DLI 2] Text No Yes Strengthening higher education institutions and supporting innnovations Employers satisfied with trainees Text N/A 60.00 Percentage of institutions achieving annual milestones specified in DLI 3 Percentage 0.00 80.00 the PIM and the performance contract [DLI 3] Number of HEIs with Internal Quality Assurance Units (IQAUs) [DLI DLI 4 Number 0.00 7.00 4] Number of additional undergraduate higher education students Number 0.00 135,000.00 enrolled in programs funded by the Project Number of undergraduate higher education students enrolled in Percentage 0.00 35.00 programs funded by the Project, of which female (%) Amount of externally generated revenue [DLI 6] DLI 6 Text US$0.00 US$1.25 million Page 48 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Project coordination, management and implementation activities MIS developed and operational [DLI 5] DLI 5 Text No Yes Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: PDO Indicators Indicator Name Number of undergraduate students enrolled in priority subject areas funded by the project [DLI 1] Data on student admissions in priority areas from the project funded HEIs as reflected in the Annual Definition/Description Statistical Yearbook, and project specific data collected during implementation using project-specific questionnaire. Quarterly and Annually Frequency Data from routine questionnaire filled by designated focal points in ALL HEIs for input into Annual Statistical Yearbook. In addition, specific project data would be collected during the project implementation process until completion. This is to ensure that updated data are available during supervision missions, and for third party evaluations. Data collection tools would be refined at DGESS MESRSI level to ensure that they Data Source capture all data. For example, (i) data on the number of contractual faculty (national) evaluated to international standards by the hiring committee in the project selected HEIs; (ii) data on number of undergraduate students enrolled in priority areas funded by the Project based on an interim examination; (iii) number of students retained who have successfully completed the first-year program at the selected HEIs. Data collection through routine questionnaire administration to all HEIs. Methodology for Data Collection DSS/DGESS/MESRSI Responsibility for Data Collection Page 49 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Number of undergraduate students enrolled in priority subject areas funded by the project, of which Indicator Name female [DLI 1] Definition/Description Same as above. Annually. Frequency Same as above. Data Source Same as above. Methodology for Data Collection DSS/DGESS/MESRSI Responsibility for Data Collection Increase in the percentage of students who have successfully completed the first-year program at the Indicator Name HEIs financed by the project Data on enrolments for the project financed HEIs from the Annual Statistical Yearbook, and data from Definition/Description project financed HEIs based on project implementation specific questionnaire. Annually. Frequency Questionnaire completed by designated focal point(s) in selected HEIs. Data Source Same as above for enrolment/admissions data, and first year-end examination data from the selected Methodology for Data Collection HEIs. DSS/DGESS/MESRSI; and Responsibility for Data Collection Selected HEIs. Page 50 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Increase in the percentage of students who have successfully completed the first-year program at the Indicator Name HEIs financed by the project, of which female Definition/Description Same as above. Annually. Frequency Data from customized questionnaire completed by designated focal point(s) in selected HEIs. Data Source Same as above. Methodology for Data Collection DSS/DGESS/MESRSI; and Responsibility for Data Collection Selected HEIs. Indicator Name Teachers recruited or trained Definition/Description Quarterly. Frequency Data from MESRSI on total number of faculty trained. Data Source Data from MESRSI MIS based on data collected from HEIs. Methodology for Data Collection MESRSI and public HEIs. Responsibility for Data Collection Page 51 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Indicator Name Number of teachers recruited Definition/Description Every six-months. Frequency Increase in the number of contractual faculty (nationally and from overseas) evaluated based on agreed Data Source criteria set out in the PIM by the hiring committee. Data collection through routine questionnaire administration to all HEIs. Methodology for Data Collection MESRSI, Performance contract of the HEIs. Responsibility for Data Collection Indicator Name Students benefiting from direct interventions to enhance learning Definition/Description Continuously. Data collection throughout the project implementation process until completion to inform about student dropout and repetition. The approach would allow for mitigation measures to be put in Frequency place. MESRSI MIS. Data Source Data from MESRSI MIS based on data collected from HEIs. Methodology for Data Collection MESRSI, participating HEIs. Responsibility for Data Collection Page 52 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Indicator Name Students benefiting from direct interventions to enhance learning - Female Definition/Description Continuously. Frequency MESRSI MIS. Data Source Data from MESRSI MIS, gathered from participating HEIs. Methodology for Data Collection MESRSI, HEIs. Responsibility for Data Collection Page 53 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: Intermediate Results Indicators Indicator Name UV-BF established and operational [DLI 2] This indicator focuses on the establishment and functionality of the UV-BF, and as evidenced by having the following elements in place including the decree/bylaws and governance structure, detailed business Definition/Description plan, hiring of a highly qualified manager, and competent staff, with details on the required operationalization of the UV-BF specified in the Project Implementation Plan (PIP). Continuously / throughout project implementation process until completion Frequency As evidenced by the completion of the different steps to operationalize UV-BF (refer description below). Data Source Administration of students, faculty, and administrators' surveys. Methodology for Data Collection DSS/DGESS/MESRSI Responsibility for Data Collection Indicator Name Employers satisfied with trainees This is a proxy indicator to capture the quality of students in HEIs (supply side) from HEIs who participate Definition/Description as trainees, and the level of satisfaction expressed by their employers (demand side). Annually / throughout the project implementation process until completion. Frequency Beneficiary/tracer survey. Data Source Administration of survey to employers. Methodology for Data Collection DSS/DGESS/MESRSI Responsibility for Data Collection Page 54 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Percentage of institutions achieving annual milestones specified in the PIM and the performance Indicator Name contract [DLI 3] This indicator focuses on the implementation of the activities specified in the sub-project proposals, Definition/Description annual milestones specified in the PIM of each sub-project, and the performance contract between MESRSI and the selected HEI. Continuously / throughout the project implementation process until completion. The programs [new, adapted, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)] or other, more specialized short- Frequency term programs offered to staff from other departments (for example for the health sector staff). Tracking of programs developed and delivered through various means and financed through the Project. Data Source Methodology for Data Collection DSS/DGESS/MESRSI Responsibility for Data Collection Page 55 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Indicator Name Number of HEIs with Internal Quality Assurance Units (IQAUs) [DLI 4] This indicator is related to strengthening institutional capacity and higher education system management, and capturing the extent to which quality assurance has been internalized as evidenced by an internal Quality Assurance Unit created within an HEI, with the allocation of sufficient resources and Definition/Description capabilities for the development of international Quality Assurance strategies/policies, their engagement in the self-assessment process--institutional or programs, and the preparation of the external evaluation and/or accreditation. Annually. Frequency As verified by the completion of the different steps to establish an internal quality assurance unit in each Data Source project selected HEI. Independent Verification Agents' report(s). Methodology for Data Collection DSS/DGESS/MESRSI; and Responsibility for Data Collection Selected HEIs Page 56 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Number of additional undergraduate higher education students enrolled in programs funded by the Indicator Name Project This indicator captures the number of students enrolled in programs funded by the Project, and would Definition/Description help to verify the extent to which changes through the Project have increased female enrollment, which has been weak so far. Continuously / throughout the project implementation process until completion. Frequency Designated focal point(s) in HEIs offering programs funded by the Project. Data Source Data from customized questionnaire completed by designated focal point(s) in HEIs offering programs Methodology for Data Collection funded by the Project. DSS/DGESS/MESRSI; and Responsibility for Data Collection Relevant HEIs Page 57 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Number of undergraduate higher education students enrolled in programs funded by the Project, of Indicator Name which female (%) This indicator captures the percentage of female students enrolled in programs funded by the Project, Definition/Description and would help to verify the extent to which changes through the Project have increased female enrollment, which has been weak so far. Continuously / Throughout the project implementation process until completion. Frequency Designated focal point(s) in HEIs offering programs funded by the Project. Data Source Data from customized questionnaire completed by designated focal point(s) in HEIs offering programs Methodology for Data Collection funded by the Project. DSS/DGESS/MESRSI; and Responsibility for Data Collection Relevant HEIs Page 58 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Indicator Name Amount of externally generated revenue [DLI 6] This indicator captures the aspects of profitability and innovations that could be expected from creative approaches being introduced through the Project whereby, institutions are better positioned to generate Definition/Description demand for their services, and hence revenue from the outside. Externally generated revenue is defined as all revenues deposited into the HEI (that has received an IDA grant) from tuition fees, other student fees, the sale of consultancies, joint research, fund raising and donations, or from other external sources. Annually. Frequency Data from customized questionnaire completed by designated focal point(s) in the HEIs receiving IDA Data Source grants. MESRSI and HEIs through the administration of an annual survey. Methodology for Data Collection DSS/DGESS/MESRSI; and Responsibility for Data Collection Relevant HEIs receiving IDA grants Page 59 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Indicator Name MIS developed and operational [DLI 5] This indicator is relevant to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the project, and it helps to verify whether the MIS once developed is able to monitor the achievement and project activities, track, Definition/Description measure, and address gender-based violence incidents, monitor climate co-benefits of the Project, any evaluations, communications, capacity, and project coordination. Continuously / throughout the project implementation process until completion Frequency As evidenced by the completion of the different steps to have an MIS developed with required Data Source functionality (refer description below). Methodology for Data Collection DSS/DGESS/MESRSI Responsibility for Data Collection Disbursement Linked Indicators Matrix Disbursement Linked Indicators Matrix DLI TABLE MATRIX Increased number of students in priority subject areas: (i) Number of additional undergraduate students enrolled in priority DLI 1 subject areas funded by the project, and (ii) of which females (%) Type of DLI Scalability Unit of Measure Total Allocated Amount (USD) As % of Total Financing Amount Outcome Yes Text 10,000,000.00 14.29 Timetable Value Allocated Amount (USD) Formula Baseline 0 (0%) Year 1: October 2018 - 0.00 September 2019 Page 60 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Year 2: October 2019 - 882 (25%) 500,000.00 September 2020 Year 3: October 2020 - 1,822 (26%) 1,000,000.00 September 2021 Year 4: October 2021 - 2,824 (28%) 4,000,000.00 September 2022 Year 5: October 2022 - April 3,891 (30%) 4,500,000.00 2023 DLI TABLE MATRIX DLI 2 Establishment and Operation of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF): UV-BF established and operational Type of DLI Scalability Unit of Measure Total Allocated Amount (USD) As % of Total Financing Amount Intermediate Outcome Yes Text 23,500,000.00 33.57 Timetable Value Allocated Amount (USD) Formula Baseline UV-BF Estbd Year 1: October 2018 - Agreed bus plan 6,000,000.00 September 2019 Year 2: October 2019 - Yr 1 prgms + 3 3,000,000.00 Previous year plus one (1) program, September 2020 US$0.500 million. Year 3: October 2020 - Y2 2 prgms + 3 8,750,000.00 As above. September 2021 Year 4: October 2021 - Yr 3 prgms + 3 4,250,000.00 As above. September 2022 Page 61 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Year 5: October 2022 - April Yr 4 prgms + 3 1,500,000.00 As above. 2023 DLI TABLE MATRIX Implementing Window A competitive funding: Implementation and results of the grants for priority subject areas: % of DLI 3 insttns. achieving annual milestones specified in the PIM and Performance contracts Type of DLI Scalability Unit of Measure Total Allocated Amount (USD) As % of Total Financing Amount Intermediate Outcome Yes Percentage 18,000,000.00 25.71 Timetable Value Allocated Amount (USD) Formula Baseline 0.00 Year 1: October 2018 - 20.00 3,500,000.00 At least 50% of insttn-based September 2019 milestones. For each 10% points Year 2: October 2019 - 40.00 1,000,000.00 As above September 2020 Year 3: October 2020 - 60.00 3,500,000.00 As above September 2021 Year 4: October 2021 - 80.00 5,000,000.00 As above September 2022 Year 5: October 2022 - April 80.00 5,000,000.00 As above 2023 DLI TABLE MATRIX DLI 4 Strengthening Quality Assurance in HEIs: Number of HEIs with Internal Quality Assurance Units (IQAUs) Type of DLI Scalability Unit of Measure Total Allocated Amount (USD) As % of Total Financing Amount Intermediate Outcome Yes Text 2,500,000.00 3.57 Page 62 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Timetable Value Allocated Amount (USD) Formula Baseline N/A Year 1: October 2018 - Decree creating Internal Quality Assurance 500,000.00 HEIs to provide the results of the September 2019 Units (IQUAs) scorecard (incl. evidence Year 2: October 2019 - At least 2 500,000.00 As above. September 2020 Year 3: October 2020 - Year 2 plus 2. 500,000.00 As above. September 2021 Year 4: October 2021 - Year 3 plus 2. 500,000.00 As above. September 2022 Year 5: October 2022 - April Year 4 plus 1 500,000.00 As above. 2023 DLI TABLE MATRIX DLI 5 Functioning of Project Management Information System (MIS): MIS developed and Operational Type of DLI Scalability Unit of Measure Total Allocated Amount (USD) As % of Total Financing Amount Intermediate Outcome Yes Text 5,250,000.00 7.50 Timetable Value Allocated Amount (USD) Formula Baseline N/A Year 1: October 2018 - MIS developed to monitor the implementation 250,000.00 September 2019 status of the project (SP/PNADES). Year 2: October 2019 - 0.60 1,500,000.00 September 2020 Page 63 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Year 3: October 2020 - 0.80 1,250,000.00 September 2021 Year 4: October 2021 - 0.90 1,250,000.00 September 2022 Year 5: October 2022 - April 1.00 1,000,000.00 2023 DLI TABLE MATRIX DLI 6 External revenue generation: Regulatory framework and matching grant. Type of DLI Scalability Unit of Measure Total Allocated Amount (USD) As % of Total Financing Amount Intermediate Outcome Yes Text 4,750,000.00 6.79 Timetable Value Allocated Amount (USD) Formula Baseline N/A Year 1: October 2018 - Appropriate regulatory framework. 1,250,000.00 Matching grants: September 2019 Year 2: October 2019 - US$1.25 million in matching grants to HEIs 1,250,000.00 Matching grants: September 2020 providing reliable externally generated revenue data to MESRSI. Year 3: October 2020 - As above. 1,250,000.00 Matching grants: September 2021 Year 4: October 2021 - As above. 1,000,000.00 Matching grants: September 2022 Year 5: October 2022 - April As above. 0.00 Page 64 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) 2023 Annex 1a. DLIs, Disbursement Arrangements, and Verification Protocols Table 1.1: DLI Matrix DLIs DLRs Rollover Baseline Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be (September Achieved in Year 1 Achieved in Year 2 Achieved in Year 3 Achieved in Year 4 Achieved in Year 2018) (October 2018– (October 2019– (October 2020– (October 2021– 5 September 2019) September 2020) September 2021) September 2022) (October 2022– April 2023) DLI 1: Increased 0 DLR 1.1: 882 DLR 1.3: 1,822 DLR 1.5: 2,824 DLR 1.7: 3,891 number of students DLR 1.2: 25% DLR 1.4: 26% DLR 1.6: 28% DLR 1.8: 30% in priority subject areas: Number of additional undergraduate students enrolled in priority subject areas funded by the project, of which females (%) DLI values (US$10 Yes DLR 1.1: US$0.25 DLR 1.3: US$0.50 DLR 1.5: US$2.00 DLR 1.7: US$2.25 million) million million million million DLR 1.2: US$0.25 DLR 1.4: US$0.50 DLR 1.6: US$2.00 DLR 1.8: US$2.25 million million million million DLI 2: Establishment Prior Result: DLR 2.1: Agreed DLR 2.4: Year 1 DLR 2.6: Year 2 DLR 2.8: Year 3 DLR 2.10: Year 4 and operation of the UV-BF business plan for academic programs academic programs academic programs academic Virtual University of established the UV-BF plus 3 plus 3 plus 3 programs plus 3 Page 65 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) DLIs DLRs Rollover Baseline Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be (September Achieved in Year 1 Achieved in Year 2 Achieved in Year 3 Achieved in Year 4 Achieved in Year 2018) (October 2018– (October 2019– (October 2020– (October 2021– 5 September 2019) September 2020) September 2021) September 2022) (October 2022– April 2023) Burkina Faso (UV-BF): Number of DLR 2.2: The DLR 2.5: Teaching DLR 2.7: Teaching DLR 2.9: Teaching UV-BF established programs following academic and learning and learning and learning and operational (new or programs materials materials materials adapted): 0 delivered: Digital (hardware and (hardware and (hardware and Literacy, English software) procured software) procured software) procured language, math, and distributed— and distributed— and distributed— and science Learning Learning Learning Management Management Management DLR 2.3: Teaching System, Evaluation System, Evaluation System, Evaluation and learning System System System materials (hardware and software) procured and distributed— Learning Management System, Evaluation System DLI values (US$23.5 Yes Prior Result: DLR 2.1: US$0.50 DLR 2.4: US$1.25 DLR 2.6: US$3.50 DLR 2.8: US$2.00 DLR 2.10: US$1.50 million) US$5 million million million million million million DLR 2.2: US$0.25 DLR 2.5: US$1.75 DLR 2.7: US$5.25 DLR 2.9: US$2.25 million million million million DLR 2.3: US$0.25 million Page 66 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) DLIs DLRs Rollover Baseline Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be (September Achieved in Year 1 Achieved in Year 2 Achieved in Year 3 Achieved in Year 4 Achieved in Year 2018) (October 2018– (October 2019– (October 2020– (October 2021– 5 September 2019) September 2020) September 2021) September 2022) (October 2022– April 2023) DLI 3: Implementing Prior Result: DLR 3.1: DLR 3.2: DLR 3.4: DLR 3.5: DLR 3.6: Window A Round 1: At least 20% Round 2: Grant At least 60% At least 80% At least 80% competitive funding: Grant recipient HEIs Implementation and recipient selected results of the grants HEIs selected for the priority areas: DLR 3.3: Percentage of 0% At least 40% institutions achieving annual milestones specified in the PIM and the performance contract DLI values (US$18 Yes Prior Result: DLR 3.1: US$0.50 DLR 3.2: US$0.50 DLR 3.4: US$3.50 DLR 3.5: US$5 DLR 3.6: US$5 million) US$3 million million million million million million DLR 3.3: US$0.50 million DLI 4: Strengthening DLR 4.1: DLR 4.2: DLR 4.3: DLR 4.4: DLR 4.5: quality assurance in Decree creating At least 2 Year 2 plus 2 Year 3 plus 2 Year 4 plus 1 HEIs: Number of HEIs Internal Quality with Internal Quality Assurance units Assurance Units (IQUA) (IQAUs) DLI values (US$2.5 Yes DLR 4.1: US$0.5 DLR 4.2: US$0.5 DLR 4.3: US$0.5 DLR 4.4: US$0.5 DLR 4.5: US$0.5 million) million million million million million Page 67 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) DLIs DLRs Rollover Baseline Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be Targets to Be (September Achieved in Year 1 Achieved in Year 2 Achieved in Year 3 Achieved in Year 4 Achieved in Year 2018) (October 2018– (October 2019– (October 2020– (October 2021– 5 September 2019) September 2020) September 2021) September 2022) (October 2022– April 2023) DLI 5: Functioning of DLR 5.1: DLR 5.2: DLR 5.3: DLR 5.4: DLR 5.5: Project Management MIS developed to 60% of the 80% of the 90% of the 100% of the Information System monitor the participating HEIs participating HEIs participating HEIs participating HEIs (MIS): MIS developed implementation deliver reliable deliver reliable deliver reliable deliver reliable and operational status of the data to monitor the data to monitor the data to monitor the data to monitor project (Permanent implementation implementation implementation the Secretariat of the status of the status of the status of the implementation PNADES) project project project status of the project DLI values (US$5.25 DLI 5.1: US$0.25 DLI 5.2: US$1.50 DLI 5.3: US$1.25 DLI 5.4: US$1.25 DLI 5.5: US$1.00 million) mil. mil. mil. mil. mil. DLI 6: External DLR 6.1: DLR 6.2: DLR 6.3: DLR 6.4: revenue generation: Appropriate US$1.25 million in US$1.25 million in US$1.25 million in Regulatory regulatory matching grants to matching grants to matching grants to framework and framework HEIs providing HEIs providing HEIs providing matching grant reliable externally reliable externally reliable externally Allow HEI to generated revenue generated revenue generated revenue generate and data to the MESRSI data to the MESRSI data to the MESRSI manage externally generated revenue DLI values (US$4.75 DLR 6.1: US$1.25 DLR 6.2: US$1.25 DLR 6.3: US$1.25 DLR 6.4: US$1.00 million) million million million million TOTAL (US$64 Yes US$8.0 US$2.50 million US$8.00 million US$16.25 million US$16.75 million US$12.5 million million) million Page 68 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Note: x US$70 million: Total IDA Grant for the Burkina Faso: Higher Education Support Project x US$64 million: Balance apportioned for the DLIs and DLRs x US$23.5 million: Component 1: Enhancing Access to Higher Education: Establishment of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF) x US$40.5 million: Component 2: Strengthening Higher Education Institutions and Supporting Innovations x US$3.0 million: Component 3: Project Coordination, Management, Implementation Activities x US$3.0 million: PPA Page 69 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Table 1.2. DLI Verification Protocol Sl. DLI Definition/Description of Achievement Scalability of Protocol to Evaluate Achievement of the DLR and Data/Result No. Disbursements Verification (Yes/No) Data Source/Agency Verification Procedure Entity 1 DLI 1: Increased Definition of enrollment: Number of Years 2, 3, 4, and For the Years 2, 3, 4, Independent The World Bank reviews number of students students who have participated in their 5: Yes and 5 targets: Based on Verification the IVA report on in priority areas first examination in Year 1 in priority data from the funded Agency (IVA) achievement of DLRs Number of areas funded by the project Prorated. For institutions, the MESRSI endorsed by the MESRSI. undergraduate 100 more to forward the relevant The IVA will visit each of students enrolled in Definition of priority areas funded by students over student numbers to the the funded institutions and priority areas the project: the previous World Bank do a sample check to verify funded by the Area 1: agriculture, agribusiness, logistics year’s target, the number of students project, of which associated with value-chain, US$0.150 million who have participated in female % entrepreneurship training, trade and their first examination in other economic activities priority areas. Area 2: health sciences Area 3: environmental education, sciences, and sustainable development Area 4: promoting teacher training in modern practices of math and sciences teaching for the development of Burkina Faso DLR will be considered achieved as follows: Year 2: DLR 1.1: 882 additional students who have participated in the first examination in Year1 in priority areas funded by the project DLR 1.2: 25% of female students who have participated in the first examination in Year 1 Page 70 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Sl. DLI Definition/Description of Achievement Scalability of Protocol to Evaluate Achievement of the DLR and Data/Result No. Disbursements Verification (Yes/No) Data Source/Agency Verification Procedure Entity Year 3: DLR 1.3: 1,822 additional students who have participated in the first examination in Year 1 in priority areas funded by the project DLR 1.4: 26% of female students who have participated in the first examination in Year 1 in priority areas funded by the project Year 4: DLR 1.5: 2,824 additional students who have participated in the first examination in Year 1 in priority areas funded by the project DLR 1.6: 28% of female students who have participated in the first examination in Year 1 in priority areas funded by the project Year 5: DLR 1.7: 3,891 additional students who have participated in their first examination in Year 1 in priority areas funded by the project DLR 1.8: 30% of female students who have participated in the first examination in Year 1 in priority areas funded by the project Page 71 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Sl. DLI Definition/Description of Achievement Scalability of Protocol to Evaluate Achievement of the DLR and Data/Result No. Disbursements Verification (Yes/No) Data Source/Agency Verification Procedure Entity 2 DLI 2: Definitions: Year 1: UV-BF to submit data The IVA The World Bank reviews Establishment and Establishment: Decree adopted and DLR 2.1: No and plans to the MESRSI commission the IVA report on Operation of the effective for the UV-BF including the DLR 2.2: Yes on progress in its ed achievement of DLR Virtual University of Governance structure DLR 2.3: Yes establishment and endorsed by the MESRSI. Burkina Faso (UV- functionality x Details specified in the BF): UV-BF Operational: Academic programs Years 2, 3, 4, and PIM. established and delivered by the UV-BF 5: Yes x The number of students operational (minimum 25) Prior Action: Prorated. Decree for the UV-BF including the Previous year Governance structure plus 1 academic Hiring of highly qualified manager and program, competent staff US$0.500 million will be disbursed DLR will be considered achieved as follows: Year 1: DLR 2.1: Agreed and adopted business plan for the UV-BF DLR 2.2: The following academic programs delivered: Digital Literacy, English language, math, and science DLR 2.3: Teaching and learning materials (hardware and software) procured and distributed—Learning Management System, Evaluation System Year 2: DLR 2.4: Year 1 plus additional 3 programs (new or adapted) Page 72 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Sl. DLI Definition/Description of Achievement Scalability of Protocol to Evaluate Achievement of the DLR and Data/Result No. Disbursements Verification (Yes/No) Data Source/Agency Verification Procedure Entity DLR 2.5: Teaching and learning materials (hardware and software) procured and distributed—Learning Management System, Evaluation System Year 3: DLR 2.6: Year 2 plus additional 3 programs (new or adapted) DLR 2.7: Teaching and learning materials (hardware and software) procured and distributed—Learning Management System, Evaluation System Year 4: DLR 2.8: Year 3 plus additional 3 programs (new or adapted) DLR 2.9: Teaching and learning materials (hardware and software) procured and distributed—Learning Management System, Evaluation System Year 5: DLR 2.10: Year 4 plus additional 3 programs (new or adapted) 3 Implementing Definition of grant recipient HEIs: Those Yes, except for For the Year 1 target: Year 1: The Years 1: The World Bank Window A HEIs delivering academic programs in DLR 3.2 The MESRSI to forward World Bank reviews the report on competitive priority areas that have been selected to copies of signed MoUs achievement of DLR funding: receive a Competitive Grant under DLR 3.1, DLR 3.3, and performance Year 2, 4, prepared by the MESRSI. Implementation and Window A pursuant to criteria in the PIM DLR 3.4, DLR 3.5, contracts with the and 5: IVA results of the grants DLR 3.6: institutions that have commission Years 2, 3, 4, and 5: The Page 73 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Sl. DLI Definition/Description of Achievement Scalability of Protocol to Evaluate Achievement of the DLR and Data/Result No. Disbursements Verification (Yes/No) Data Source/Agency Verification Procedure Entity for the priority Prior Result. The HEIs are selected to Prorated based received grants to the ed by the IVA will do a sample check areas: Percentage of receive the competitive grants in the on increase in World Bank MESRSI to assess the achievement institutions priority areas the percentage For the Years 2, 4, and 5 of the awarded programs achieving annual of institutions targets: The MESRSI to as spelled out in the milestones specified DLR will be considered achieved as achieving at least forward a letter to the Operational Manual. in the PIM and the follows: 50% of World Bank with performance institution-based progress reports of the contract Year 1: milestones. For results of each the DLR 3.1: At least 20% of HEIs achieving 2 each 10 awarded competitive out of 4 annual milestones specified in percentage point grants as spelled out in the performance contract above the the Operational Manual baseline of 0, Year 2: US$0.750 million DLR 3.2: Round 2: The HEIs are selected will be disbursed to receive the competitive grants in the priority areas DLR 3.3: At least 40% of HEIs achieving 2 out of 4 annual milestones specified in the performance contract Year 3: DLR 3.4: At least 60% of HEIs achieving 2 out of 4 annual milestones specified in the performance contract Year 4: DLR 3.5: At least 80% of HEIs achieving 2 out of 4 annual milestones specified in the performance contract Page 74 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Sl. DLI Definition/Description of Achievement Scalability of Protocol to Evaluate Achievement of the DLR and Data/Result No. Disbursements Verification (Yes/No) Data Source/Agency Verification Procedure Entity Year 5: DLR 3.6: At least 80% of HEIs achieving 2 out of 4 annual milestones specified in the performance contract 4. DLI 4: Definition: Yes For the Year 2, 4, and 5 IVA The World Bank reviews Strengthening Internal Quality Assurance Units (IQAU): targets: the IVA report on Quality Assurance A unit conducting quality assurance HEIs to provide The institutions awarded achievement of DLR in HEIs: Number of activities according to a scorecard set out the results of the to share the results of endorsed by the MESRSI. HEIs with Internal in the PIM that lists the following criteria: scorecard the scorecard (including The IVA will visit each of Quality Assurance (a) IQAU Secretariat establishment; (b) (including evidence) to the MESRSI the funded institutions and Units (IQAUs) the implementation status of a self- evidence) with do a sample check to verify assessment mechanism for the the MESRSI The MESRSI to forward the IQAU scorecards. university; and (c) quality assurance letter to the World Bank activities of the IQAU. with the results of the IQAU scorecards as set DLR will be considered achieved as out in the PIM follows: Year 1: DLR 4.1: Decree creating Internal Quality Assurance units (IQUA) Year 2: DLR 4.2: At least 2 Year 3: DLI 4.3: Year 2 plus 2 Year 4: DLI 4.4: Year 3 plus 2 Page 75 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Sl. DLI Definition/Description of Achievement Scalability of Protocol to Evaluate Achievement of the DLR and Data/Result No. Disbursements Verification (Yes/No) Data Source/Agency Verification Procedure Entity Year 5: DLI 4.5: Year 4 plus 1 5 DLI 5: Functioning Definition: Year 1: No For the Year 1 target: The IVA The World Bank reviews of Project Functioning MIS: Development of the The MESRSI commission the IVA report on Management MIS to monitor the implementation Years 2 and 3: Implementation Unit will ed development and Information System status of the project (Permanent Yes be responsible for the functioning of the MIS. The (MIS): MIS Secretariat of the PNADES) development of the MIS IVA will visit each of the developed and to monitor the funded institutions to operational Participating HEIs: Institutions that implementation status verify the reliability of the receive funding under the project of the project with data data submitted to the input from the MESRSI for the monitoring DLRs will be considered achieved as institutions awarded. follows: For the Years 2 and 3 Year 1: targets: The institutions DLR 5.1: MIS developed to monitor the awarded to share implementation status of the project as reliable data with laid out in the Results Framework. This MESRSI to monitor the includes the collection of baseline data, implementation status establishing data definitions and of the project as laid out procedures, conversations with in the results stakeholders, training of data collectors framework. The MESRSI at the institutions, and purchase of Implementation Unit will equipment and other essential resources collect and analyze these data to monitor the Year 2: project. DLR 5.2: 60% of the participating HEIs deliver reliable data to monitor the implementation status of the project Page 76 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Sl. DLI Definition/Description of Achievement Scalability of Protocol to Evaluate Achievement of the DLR and Data/Result No. Disbursements Verification (Yes/No) Data Source/Agency Verification Procedure Entity Year 3: DLR 5.3: 80% of the participating HEIs deliver reliable data to monitor the implementation status of the project Year 4: DLR 5.4: 90% of the participating HEIs deliver reliable data to monitor the implementation status of the project Year 5: DLR 5.5: 100% of the participating HEIs deliver reliable data to monitor the implementation status of the project 6 DLI 6: External Definition of external revenue No For the Year 1, 2, 3, 4, The IVA The World Bank reviews revenue generation: Externally generated and 5 targets: The commission the IVA report on external generation: revenue deposited into the awardee Matching grants: institutions awarded to ed revenues. The IVA will visit Regulatory institution’s account from tuition fees, US$ 1 per share reliable revenue each of the funded framework and other student fees, sale of consultancies, externally data with the MESRSI institutions to verify the matching grant joint research, fund raising and generated reliability of the external donations, or other external sources revenue per revenue data submitted to program in the the MESRSI. DLR will be considered achieved as selected project follows: HEIs Year 1: DLR 6.1: Appropriate regulatory framework Allow HEI to generate and manage externally generated revenue Page 77 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Sl. DLI Definition/Description of Achievement Scalability of Protocol to Evaluate Achievement of the DLR and Data/Result No. Disbursements Verification (Yes/No) Data Source/Agency Verification Procedure Entity Year 2: DLR 6.2: US$1.25 million in matching grants to HEIs providing reliable externally generated revenue data to the MESRSI Year 3: DLR 6.3: US$1.25 million in matching grants to HEIs providing reliable externally generated revenue data to the MESRSI Year 4: DLR 6.4: US$1.25 million in matching grants to HEIs providing reliable externally generated revenue data to the MESRSI Year 5: DLR 6.5: US$1.00 million in matching grants to HEIs providing reliable externally generated revenue data to the MESRSI Page 78 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Table 1.3. DLIs linked to Project Financing IDA IDA Financing Financing IDA DLR Year Targets DLRs DLI Reporting (US$ (US$ Financing million by million by (SDR) DLR) DLI) 1.1 2 882 Additional students who have DLI 1. Increased number No later than 6 0.25 1.3 3 1,822 participated in the first examination of students in priority months after the 0.50 5.0 1.5 4 2,824 in Year 1 in priority areas funded by subject areas: Number of project effectiveness 2.00 1.7 5 3,891 the project additional undergraduate date and before the 2.25 students enrolled in submittal of a 6,953,814 1.2 2 25% 0.25 % of female students who have priority subject areas withdrawal request 1.4 3 26% 0.50 participated in the first examination funded by the project, of as set forth in 5.0 1.6 4 28% 2.00 in Year 1 which females (%) Section IV of the 1.8 5 30% 2.25 Prior Action: UV-BF established DLI 2. Establishment and Financing 5.00 5.00 2.1 1 Agreed business plan for the UV-BF Operation of the Virtual Agreement, on 0.50 0.50 University of Burkina behalf of the 2.2 1 The following academic programs 0.25 Faso (UV-VF): UV-BF recipient, the delivered: Digital literacy, English language, math, and science established and Permanent operational Secretariat of the 2.4 2 Year 1 + 3 Year 1 academic programs plus 3 1.25 8.50 PNADES, through the 2.6 3 Year 2 + 3 Year 2 academic programs plus 3 3.50 MESRSI, shall 16,341,460 2.8 4 Year 3 + 3 Year 3 academic programs plus 3 2.00 engage, under terms 2.10 5 Year 4 + 3 Year 4 academic programs plus 3 1.50 of reference and 2.3 1 Teaching and learning materials with qualifications 0.25 2.5 2 (hardware and software) procured satisfactory to the 1.75 2.7 3 and distributed—Learning World Bank, 5.25 8.50 2.9 4 Management System, Evaluation Independent 2.25 System Verification Agent(s) Prior Action: Round 1: Grant for purposes of 3.00 3.00 recipient HEIs selected preparing and 3.1 1 20% DLI 3: Implementing delivering 0.50 12,516,863 3.3 2 40% Window A competitive Independent 0.50 At least (%) 13.5 3.4 3 60% funding: Implementation Verification Agent 3.50 3.5 4 80% and results of the grants 5.00 Page 79 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) IDA IDA Financing Financing IDA DLR Year Targets DLRs DLI Reporting (US$ (US$ Financing million by million by (SDR) DLR) DLI) 3.6 5 80% for the priority areas: Reports in respect of 5.00 3.2 2 Percentage of institutions DLIs 1 through DLI 6 achieving annual set out in Schedule 3 Round 2: Grant recipient HEIs milestones specified in of the Financing 0.50 0.50 selected the PIM and the Agreement. performance contract 4.1 1 Decree creating Internal Quality DLI 4: Strengthening On behalf of the 0.50 0.50 Assurance Units (IQUA) Quality Assurance in Government, the 4.2 2 2 At least HEIs: Number of HEIs Permanent 0.50 Secretariat of the 1,738,455 4.3 3 Year 2 + 2 Previous year plus with Internal Quality 0.50 Assurance Units (IQAUs) PNADES will ensure 2.00 4.4 4 Year 3 + 2 Previous year plus 0.50 4.5 5 Year 4 + 1 Previous year plus independent 0.50 5.1 1 MIS developed to monitor the DLI 5: Functioning of monitoring 0.25 implementation status Project Management and evaluation of 5.2 2 60% Information System the project, through 1.50 % of the participating HEIs deliver (MIS): MIS developed and the preparation and 5.25 3,650,749 reliable data to monitor the operational delivery of 5.3 3 80% 1.25 implementation status of the independent 5.4 4 90% 1.25 project Verification Agent 5.5 5 100% 1.00 Reports certifying to 6.1 1 US$1.25 Appropriate regulatory framework DLI 6: External revenue 0.25 the extent to which million Allow HEI to generate and manage generation: Regulatory (a) the Eligible externally generated revenue framework and matching Expenditures 6.2 2 US$1.25 grant 1.50 incurred are in million compliance with the 4.75 3,303,059 6.3 3 US$1.25 US$1.25 million in matching grants 1.25 safeguards and million to HEIs providing reliable externally procurement 6.4 4 US$1.00 generated revenue data to MESRSI arrangements; (b) 1.75 million the DLIs covered for the period; (c) HEIs Page 80 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) IDA IDA Financing Financing IDA DLR Year Targets DLRs DLI Reporting (US$ (US$ Financing million by million by (SDR) DLR) DLI) benefiting from Competitive Grants perform per Grant Agreements and performance contracts; and (d) the provisions of the DFIL have been adhered to. 64.00 64.00 48,700,000 Definitions: Verification protocol: Sets out the definition/description of the DLI and the DLRs, specifies if they are subject to scalability of disbursements and can be rolled over to the immediately subsequent period, and provides the requirements/protocol to evaluate the achievement of the DLRs, the data source, the agency responsible for the data source, the verification entity, and the procedure to be followed by the IVA(s) including the periodicity for preparing the independent verification report for approval by the Government and the World Bank. Scalability and rollover: If the World Bank is satisfied that any DLR has been achieved by the date by which the respective DLI is set to be achieved, and as set out in Schedule 3 of the Financing Agreement, the World Bank will authorize (a) the withdrawal of a lesser amount of the unwithdrawn allocation to the DLI, corresponding to the degree of achievement of the scalable DLI calculated in the verification protocol, and (b) the unwithdrawn amount to be carried forward to the immediately subsequent withdrawal, pending further achievement of the respective scalable DLI. The World Bank could cancel all or a portion of the proceeds of the project financing than allocated to a scalable DLI if it is not satisfied that the DLI has been achieved based on the Verification Report(s). The ‘unachieved’ portion of the DLR(s) can be rolled over to the immediately subsequent period. Prorating: If only part of a DLI is achieved, based on the Verification Report(s), the World Bank will apply the pricing formula specified against the DLI to prorate disbursement to correspond to the achieved portion of the DLR(s). Page 81 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Annex 1b: Theory of Change and Results Chain 1. Situation analysis. The higher education system in Burkina Faso is fraught with numerous challenges. These are due primarily to the lack of a coherent vision, comprehensive planning, and sufficient investment for the education system. The demographic bulge is demanding greater access to education at primary and secondary levels. As access and quality of basic education have improved, and more children have completed basic and secondary education, the demand for higher education has also increased. In addition, there are new demands for education and training associated with changing paradigms in a dynamic economy driven by scientific and technological advances. These challenges are pushing Burkina Faso to explore pedagogical innovations to improve teaching and learning and provide new programs of study. Burkina Faso is also looking for ways of meeting the increasing demand for access (both male and female) to tertiary education. 2. Burkina Faso is facing a structural crisis in higher education and innovation to meet excess demand for quality education. The mismatch in higher education programs in quality and relevance to an evolving labor market on the one hand and, on the other, the swelling demand for skills development lend urgency to adopting holistic reform measures. The Government of Burkina Faso has expressed the will to take the bold step of harnessing technology to step up knowledge acquisition and diffusion in an environment where there are limited numbers of faculty (both male and female). The Government has explicitly requested support to set up a virtual university, to transform and diversify higher education service delivery. The decision by the Government is directed to relieve the existing pressures while improving access to higher education and learning for youth (male and female). 3. The theory of change for the project is designed to address prevailing constraints in the system: failing to offer relevant higher education for the 21st century, inability to jumpstart reforms and increase access to quality education due to high financing requirements, inability to address the growing frustration among students owing to the deteriorating quality of instruction stemming from an insufficient number of quality instructors, and a high level of absenteeism among faculty, a deficient management system illustrated in the inability to manage the utilization of classrooms and university facilities and schedule and convene graduate examinations on time. There is no single academic calendar that applies to all public universities. Even within a university, there is no fixed academic calendar. Students express their grievances through strikes and street demonstrations. There is a growing realization among decision and policy makers that urgent reforms are necessary. 4. The project has been developed based on demand from the Government. There is ownership and commitment for the project. Taking the risks involved into consideration, and putting in place appropriate mitigation measures, the project would finance interventions to produce outputs that would directly contribute to achieving measurable outcomes with potential impact to increase the numbers of more relevantly qualified graduates (male and female) who could contribute productively to the country’s development. The theory of change pathway is tracked in Figure 1.1. 5. The project aims to strengthen HEIs to increase access and deliver quality education in priority areas. It would do so by using distance learning to (a) Offer remedial instruction to Page 82 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) (i) Bring high school graduates to the level required to undertake undergraduate education successfully; (ii) Reduce the imbalance between enrollments in the humanities/social sciences and STEM; (iii) Provide alternative outlets for students who fail their first year of university; (iv) Provide alternatives for students who fail the baccalaureate exam, that is 65 percent of the cohort sitting for the exam, an outlet leading to higher education or professional training; and (v) Offer training for youth through quality distance and blended learning (face-to-face classroom-based, and distance) in priority areas Area 1. agriculture, agribusiness, logistics associated with value-chain, entrepreneurship training, trade, and other economic activities; Area 2. health sciences; Area 3. environmental education and sciences; and Area 4. promoting teacher training in modern practices of math and sciences teaching. (b) Use distance learning to enhance training for faculty; and (c) Support the development of a dynamic virtual university and strengthen the governance of existing institutions to provide quality education. The project is student and faculty centered. 6. Factoring social and ethnographic considerations, the project could potentially extend opportunities for females to acquire skills through virtual learning, engage in home-based work, and contribute to the labor force. Table 1.4 provides the analysis to actions to the M&E chain. Table 1.4. Project Analysis to Address Gender-sensitive Support Analysis With respect to gender issues in the project, there may be a risk of university-specific GBV. Actions The project would address these issues in Component 3, to track, measure, and address GBV through focus group surveys, sensitizing communities about the value of girls’ education and the positive returns to their labor market participation. Factoring social and ethnographic considerations, the project could potentially extend opportunities for women to acquire skills through virtual learning, engage in home-based work, and contribute to the labor force. The Environmental and Social Assessment will address any relevant gender issues. In strengthening the governance and management of the sector, the component’s activities will increase institutional capacity in the system overall, develop an MIS, address GBV incidents, and monitor the project’s climate co-benefits. M&E MIS developed and operational (DLI 5): This indicator is relevant to M&E of the project and helps verify whether the MIS, once developed, is able to monitor the achievement and project activities, track, measure, and address GBV incidents, monitor climate co-benefits of the project, any evaluations, communications, capacity, and project coordination. Analysis There is a dearth of girls enrolling in the science disciplines. This is directly related to the subjects that they choose to study in secondary education. Page 83 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Actions The project would focus on math and science education in teacher training institutions and in priority areas drawing more women to sign up for the courses through targeted scholarships. M&E At least 45 percent more students completing degrees in the priority areas relevant to the labor market with at least 25 percent being women. Analysis Disparities in the issuing of scholarships: only 4 out of the 100 girls enrolled at the University of Ouagadougou received student scholarships compared with 6 out of 100 boys in 2016. This disparity is especially worrisome given that, over the years of university education, girls tend to drop out because of a lack of funding for their studies. Once the quota of scholarships has been awarded, there are further 300 scholarships available only to young women. Girls accounted for a total of 24.2 percent of scholarship fellows in 2013. In 2015/16, a total of 2,396 students were awarded a scholarship. Of these, 63 percent were men and 37 percent were women. In addition, scholarships were renewed for about 4,702 students (71 percent of whom were men and 29 percent women). The unit cost of each scholarship was about US$2,265. In 2015/16 twice as many men (67 percent) as women (33 percent) received grants, loans, or scholarships. Therefore, there is clearly both the need and the potential to increase the numbers of women beneficiaries in the future. Actions x Targeting scholarships for women to continue once they get through the first-year end examination would be a direct way of addressing the issue. x Health sciences education to inform men and women about the health hazards of early marriage, raising awareness about access to primary health care, and literacy to assist with accessing information on health. M&E x Number of undergraduate students enrolled in priority areas funded by the project, of which female (DLI 1) x An estimated 3,891 additional undergraduate higher education students enrolled in priority subject areas funded by the project and about 25 percent of females (DLI 1) x About 75 percent of enrolled higher education students who have successfully completed the first-year and 25 percent of women x Around 75 additional faculty contracted and evaluated to international standards by the hiring committee in the selected HEIs and percentage of women x About 140,000 direct project beneficiaries and 45 percent of them women 7. The project aims to influence behavioral change in service delivery through funding incentives to facilitate access to higher education for men and women, skills development in priority areas, and through innovations across HEIs that would engender improvements in all academic programs over time, and foster collaborations. The higher order objective is to support the Government’s efforts to enhance the long-term absorptive capacity of the education system to produce new university graduates in priority domains relevant for development, poverty reduction, shared prosperity, and sustainability. 8. The project focuses on systems strengthening and governance of higher education to manage diversified service delivery to improve access to quality education. The PDO outcomes are aligned to facilitate access to quality higher education by enlarging the existing higher education infrastructure through rehabilitation and limited construction, setting up a virtual university, strengthening the management of HEIs, ameliorating the quality of higher education by facilitating the hiring of contractual faculty (men and women), and addressing improved classroom practices. Page 84 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) 9. The outcome measures would be to x Increase the number of undergraduate higher education students (both men and women) enrolled in the priority areas funded by the project; x Increase the number of students (men and women) retained who have successfully completed the first year. Catch-up virtual learning courses/tutorials would help improve the success rate and allow students to continue their education. x Increase in the number of contractual faculty (both national and international, and both menand women) who would be evaluated on the basis of agreed criteria between the MESRSI and the World Bank by the hiring committee in the project-selected HEIs. The approach would be to inspire female faculty and students to continue their higher education. x Increase internal quality assurance and strength the governance of HEIs. This would be in tandem with the review of curriculum in the priority areas and the delivery of benchmarked courses. In this regard, the existing accredited programs at 2iE could offer valuable insights. x Innovations in HEIs as scaffolding to test relevant market-oriented courses. x Communication strategies around the value of higher education and the importance of diversified learning options [distance learning, blended (face-to-face)], and to improve the accountability of HEIs to the students and the community. x Matching grants to encourage external revenue generation by the HEIs. x The development of a dynamic MIS commencing with the structure of the indicators for the project and followed by the setting up of the system. 10. The potential impact of the project would be (a) the creation of a flow of better trained youth with the requisite competencies, (b) a strengthened higher education system with empowered management both at thecentral and HEIs levels, and (c) an improved service delivery system that is able to produce the required quantity and quality of youth capable of contributing to alleviating poverty through self-employment (incubators) and shared prosperity. Page 85 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Figure 1.1.Theory of Change and Results Chain Activities DLIs Outcomes PDO DLI 1. Increased number of x Number of students who students in priority areas: have participated in their Increase in the number Number of undergraduate first-year examination in of undergraduate higher students enrolled in Year 1 in priority subject education students priority areas funded by areas funded by the enrolled in priority the project, of which project domains funded by the females (%) project, of which females x Number of programs DLI 2. Establishment and (%) (new, adapted), including operation of the Virtual English language, digital University of Burkina Faso Number of direct project literacy, math, and (UV-BF) beneficiaries, of which science financed through females (%) the project and delivered by the UV-BF x At least 80% of the Increase in the number awarded competitive DLI 3. Implementing of higher education Strengthen higher grants report results as competitive funding: students retained who education specified in the Implementation and results have successfully institutions to Competitive Fund of the grants for the completed the first year, increase access Operational Manual priority sectors of which females (%); x Contracting faculty (male and deliver quality Catch-up virtual learning education in and female) courses/tutorials would x Faculty development priority subject help improve the success x IQAU functioning DLI 4. Strengthening quality rate and allow students areas benchmarked to sub- assurance: Internal Quality to continue their regional ACE IDA Project Assurance Units (IQAUs) education. x 7 IQAUs in HEIs functioning to agreed functioning according to criteria Increase in the number the scorecard set out in of contractual faculty the Project (national and Implementation Manual international) evaluated (PIM) to agreed criteria by the x Matching grant for DLI 5. Project Management hiring committee in the externally generated revenue Information System (MIS): project selected HEIs, of x 80% of the awarded Development and which females (%) institutions deliver functioning of the MIS for the project Functioning of MIS reliable data to monitor development for the the implementation DLI 6. External revenue project status of the project. generation Note: Priority subject areas: Area 1. agriculture, agribusiness, logistics associated with value-chain, entrepreneurship training, trade, and other economic activities; Area 2. health sciences; Area 3. environmental education, sciences, and sustainable development; and Area 4. promoting teacher training in modern practices of math and sciences teaching. Page 86 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Annex 1c: Key Issues in Higher Education and Detailed Project Description Key Issues in Higher Education 1. The need for both skilled and unskilled labor is enormous, and firms report that they face great difficulty with recruitment. Higher education deserves urgent attention for a host of reasons, to increase public and private rates of return. The latter have an indirect but powerful impact on the education system. Burkina Faso is confronted with complex issues. (a) Inadequate infrastructure and pedagogical equipment. Class sizes in higher education are too large, and this is exacerbated by (i) overcrowded classrooms and laboratories as infrastructure development has not kept pace with the growing numbers of students; (ii) poor maintenance of university facilities due to low maintenance budgets; (iii) a lack of laboratory equipment and supplies, textbooks, and scientific journals; and (iv) the deliberate decision to use amphitheaters to accommodate more students has led to overcrowding. This is now a major concern for the Government, that is now seeking investments in even larger amphitheaters to accommodate the growing numbers of students. As a result, there is underutilization of smaller lecture halls. (b) High student-teacher ratios. The number of faculty members in public sector institutions barely changed between 2008 and 2013, although it rose significantly in private sector institutions. This has resulted in severe overcrowding in public universities. The student- teacher ratio has averaged 112:1 in public universities, far higher than the UNESCO standard (which is 25:1). This has had a negative consequence on the quality of teaching and learning, especially during students’ final year and thesis reviews. In addition to the insufficient numbers of professors and associate professors, the faculty corps is rapidly aging, with the estimated average age of professors at the University of Ouagadougou now being 57.3 years. New faculty have been discouraged from joining public universities because of the well- publicized poor work conditions, including high student loads, the lack of offices, the use of amphitheaters, inadequate classrooms, unrealistic programming, and a general loss of motivation among the teaching faculty. These poor conditions have been prompting professors to leave the profession or to moonlight in private universities. Furthermore, they account for the reluctance of new PhD graduates with degrees acquired overseas to return to Burkina Faso to teach. (c) Outdated curricula and teaching methodology. There are few new programs of studies in public universities. The curricula have not been updated or adapted regularly nor do the universities collaborate regularly with employers to develop new curricula. Also, universities are still using the teaching methodology used to train civil servants, which does not teach cognitive and socioemotional skills, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, or entrepreneurship. Nor does the current system make use of online resources for teaching, learning, or researching as there is no Internet on university campuses. Digital literacy is not a prerequisite for university education as it is in other parts of the world. (d) High failure and repetition rates. Student retention in university education is a challenge, particularly in the first years of study. With the surge in student enrollments over the past Page 87 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) few years, students are often unable to sign up for the programs that are most relevant to the formal labor market or those that would provide them with the skills to become self- employed. Those who do sign up are inadequately prepared for the coursework. This hampers their academic performance and they dropout. Out of every 100 students who start the first year, only 30 tend to reach the fourth year. Repetition rates are also high. The failure rate in the first year of university is around 60 percent, and between 1996 and 2009, more than 47 percent of students at the University of Ouagadougou repeated a year at least once. (e) Limited relevance of academic programs to the labor market. Enrollment rates in the humanities continue to increase even though humanities graduates are not finding gainful employment. New universities are being created to accommodate the growing number of incoming students, with most of enrollments again being in the humanities. This surplus is the consequence of (i) premature tracking in secondary education and (ii) the universities’ limited capacity in faculty, laboratory facilities and science, technology, and mathematics programs. More importantly, the Government has been unable to recruit teaching staff in the short and medium terms or train them through doctoral programs in the long term. Consequently, already overstretched teachers are teaching not only in the public university where they were hired but also in private universities. As a result, their workload is disproportionate at 1,000 theses per faculty member. As a result, students are tending to take three times longer than expected to complete their programs of study—a problem known as slow progression (chavaûchement). Finally, graduates are finding it difficult to find employment. In 2014, approximately 12,000 graduates were seeking their first jobs in the market, but only a fraction could secure productive employment (INSD 201414). Consequently, more than 25 percent of college-educated youth are unemployed.15 (f) Student strikes due to inadequate management. The inadequate management of the higher education sector is demonstrated by that the fact that there is no single academic calendar that applies to all public universities, and even within a given university, there is no fixed academic calendar. As a result, students often get frustrated at not receiving timely and continual instruction, the long waiting time for their theses to be graded, the absence of any discussion time with professors, and the lack of any market-relevant courses. In response they often strike or take to the streets for demonstrations, which has further reduced their time spent receiving higher education. Detailed Project Description 2. The development objective of the proposed project is to strengthen higher education institutions to increase access and deliver quality education in priority areas: Cluster 1. agriculture, agribusiness, logistics associated with value-chain, entrepreneurship training, trade, and other economic activities. Cluster 2. health sciences, Cluster 3. environmental education and sciences, and Cluster 4. promoting teacher training in modern practices of math and sciences teaching for the development of Burkina Faso. It will do so by (a) offering training for youth through distance and blended (face-to-face classroom-based, 14 National Institute for Statistics and Demography, 2014 (Institut national de la statistique et de la démographie (INSD), published in December 2015. 15 The data on empirical results are drawn from recent studies, particularly the Burkina Faso Post-Primary Education Development ESW. Page 88 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) and distance) learning in the selected priority areas; (b) enhancing training for faculty; and (c) improving the management capacity of existing institutions to use diversified service delivery models to improve access to quality education, address quality and relevance measures, better govern and manage the system, and identify and tap additional sources of financing higher education. 3. The proposed project would complement the ACE III program that aims to increase the number of highly skilled professionals through improvements to the quality of training and research programs at master’s and doctorate levels. 4. The proposed project would (a) address the crisis in higher education pertaining to access, quality, and relevance; (b) focus on improving the quality of select priority programs; (c) bring additional and much-needed resources to the higher education subsector; (d) support the Government’s efforts to enhance the absorptive capacity of the education system to produce new university graduates; and (e) align training to the needs of the labor market and the development of the country toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. 5. The project comprises three components. Component 1 would diversify higher education service delivery and the education to be delivered to transform access to quality and innovative higher education by helping to create a cost-effective online university. Component 2 would strengthen the capacity of competitively selected HEIs to improve the quality and relevance of priority programs, develop innovations, upgrade faculty knowledge and practice of higher education, and support the implementation of a set of labor market-oriented academic programs. Targeted HEIs would deliver quality programs in select priority areas relevant to the labor market and sustainable development in partnership with regional and international academic institutions, as well as relevant employers and industry. Selected HEIs, based on transparent criteria, would introduce innovations in higher education. Component 3 comprises activities to strengthen the governance and management of higher education, improve institutional capacity in the system overall to better monitor systemic changes, develop an MIS, monitor the achievement of project activities, track, measure, and address GBV incidents, monitor climate co- benefits of the project, evaluation, communications capacity, and project coordination. Lending Instrument 6. The project uses an IPF with two modalities. The proposed project is the first IDA-financed operation in the mainstream Burkina Faso higher education subsector.16 The MESRSI would acquire experience in implementing a large donor-funded project. An IPF is suitable for building the implementing agency’s financial and procurement capacities and information systems to efficiently use resources. An IPF is also the appropriate instrument to address FM capacities at both the HEIs and systems levels. The project will use two disbursement modalities: (a) DLIs for Component 1 and 2 and (b) items-based disbursement for activities under Component 3. The mixed approach is relevant to address challenges at HEIs’ level and demonstrate that improvements could occur using an incentive/reward-based results- oriented approach. DLIs financing modality would leverage the capacity of HEIs to be responsive to labor- market demand and develop relevant programs. The items-based financing modality is the appropriate mechanism for Component 3 to address fiduciary management capacity. 16 IDA has previously financed the 2iE, a sub-regional tertiary education institution domiciled in Ouagadougou and Kamboinsé, Burkina Faso. Page 89 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) 7. The IPF grant would finance the project activities and would be disbursed based upon achievement of DLIs for Components 1 and 2 and based upon SOEs for Component 3. The RBF approach would be used in Components 1 and 2, because the focus would be the delivery of results. The proposed project would be the first in the mainstream higher education subsector and the second in the country, following the ACE I project. The results-based approach within an IPF has been tried over the past few years in the country with good results yielding key lessons: (a) being prudent when estimating implementation capacity and time for results, (b) focusing on results that are within the control of the implementing agencies, and (c) specifying a clear verification protocol. The PforR instrument has not been pursued due to the express request of the implementing agency (MESRSI) not to pursue the option. The PforR instrument would have prolonged the preparation time substantially and would have increased the level of risk from Substantial to High. 8. The project will be financed by a US$70 million IDA Grant using two financing modalities. The first part will comprise Components 1 and 2 and will be financed using an RBF modality to progressively introduce policy reforms and improve higher education governance and financing. The second part will comprise Component 3 and will be financed using a traditional reimbursement mode based on SOEs following the completion of activities. Financing for each component is summarized in paragraphs 13-43 below. The hybrid IPF-DLIs approach is appropriate for introducing a results-based focus to address the challenges at the higher education level and for showing that improvements can result from using an incentive or rewards-based results-oriented approach. 9. The financing approach has two main features: (a) disbursements under Components 1 and 2 will be made against selected (eligible) principal budget line items of MESRSI and HEIs budgets. The line items are referred to as EEPs. Disbursements would be capped to absolute amounts and (b) a capacity development and technical assistance component (Component 3) for which financing would be for essential activities to facilitate the implementation of Components 1 and 2 by strengthening the implementation capacity of MESRSI and the HEIs to meet disbursement conditions. The approach would engender necessary reforms already initiated or to be initiated by MESRSI, and concentration on implementation and results. 10. The DLIs for the project have the following characteristics. Selected DLIs reflect priority aspects in the Government’s reform program. The DLIs are intended to improve incrementally, implementation performance toward achieving intermediate targets over the life of the project. They include DLRs to anchor progressive achievement of results. Together, the DLRs for a DLI help achieve the results specified in the Results Framework. Some DLIs are intended to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of higher education and others to institute development changes that have lasting effects beyond the life of the project such as improving access to quality and relevant higher education. Together, the DLIs are key to achieving the PDO. Non-compliance with a DLI in a period means that the disbursement of funds associated with the DLI could rollover to the next period. However, other DLIs would not be affected. 11. The total disbursement allocated to each DLI is apportioned across DLRs, from one to a maximum of three, for each of the target years. Some DLIs have prior actions to ensure that reforms are introduced early in the project implementation period. Particularly, the legislation to establish the UV-BF and the selection of the HEIs as prior actions are intended to ensure the full development of the UV-BF and reforms in HEIs from the first year of project implementation. HEIs would sign performance contracts with the MESRSI. The timely release of Government budget that includes project financing will be a legal covenant to ensure a greater chance for MESRSI and the HEIs to achieve the PDO. Disbursements would Page 90 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) be pegged to the agreed list of EEPs and will be based on the assessment by independent verification agent(s) of the expenditure and performance reports linked to meeting the DLRs annually, and together the DLIs. 12. Components 1 and 2 would be governed by the application of country systems for FM and procurement. The World Bank’s FM and procurement guidelines would apply to the technical assistance and capacity development activities for Component 3. The project activities would be subject to the Government’s social and environmental safeguards frameworks and would rely on the GRM for addressing issues on time. Project Components Component 1. Enhancing Access to Higher Education: Establishment of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF) (Total costs including contingencies US$23.5 million (SDR 16,341,459) IDA financing) 13. The higher education system in Burkina Faso is fraught with numerous challenges. These are due primarily to the lack of a coherent vision and global planning for the education system. The demographic bulge is demanding greater access to education at primary and secondary levels. As access and quality of basic education have improved, and as more children have completed basic and secondary education, the demand for higher education has also increased. In addition, there are new demands for education and training associated with changing paradigms in a dynamic economy driven by scientific and technological advances and globalization. The challenges are pushing Burkina Faso to explore pedagogical innovations to improve teaching and learning and provide new programs of study. Burkina ought also to look for ways to meet the increasing demand for access to tertiary education. 14. The objective of Component 1 is to diversify higher education delivery models and transform access to quality and innovative higher education in line with the priorities and transformation needs of the economy by supporting the establishment of an autonomous Virtual University using an RBF17 approach through DLIs. The project will finance innovative higher education delivery models (virtual, distance, blended) to improve access to quality higher education in line with the priorities and transformational needs of the economy and innovations in teaching and learning. The objective will be achieved through DLR 2: Establishment and Operation of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF): UV-BF established and operational. Ten DLRs over the life of the project implementation period would result in the achievement of DLI 2 for a total value of US$23.5 million. The detailed description of the DLRs by targets to be achieved in each of the five project implementation years is provided in annex 1a. 15. The new model would be used to address systemic problems: (a) it would aim to provide higher quality and more relevant education and training at the tertiary level. However, this would depend on practical aspects such as the presence of tutors in the virtual spaces, having electricity, and the bits and bytes to be flowing; (b) it would help address some key issues that are always ignored such as establishing a maintenance department and budget; (c) it would also clearly link the types of skills, terms of reference, and performance that would be desirable in the national and regional labor markets; and (d) it would offer different types of programs: foundation programs, academic remediation programs, and new courses. 17 Results-based financing implies moving beyond financing inputs and instead financing the achievement of a result. The RBF translates to accompanying DLIs and DLRs. Page 91 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Students could sign up for the programs through self-selection. There would be a functioning website that includes all the programs to facilitate electronic online registration. 16. Using a results-based financing (RBF) approach through DLIs, the IDA Grant would finance (a) the establishment of an autonomous Virtual University and (b) Competitive Innovation Financing to foster innovations in teaching and learning in labor market-oriented programs at the higher education level. 17. Establishment of an autonomous Virtual University in Ouagadougou entitled Université Virtuelle de Burkina Faso (UV-BF). The UV-BF would be an autonomous institution with its own budget. It would receive financing from the Government, create revenue, retain the revenue to sustain its operating costs, and be managed by an independent Board of Directors with a mix of public and private sector members. The mandate of the UV-BF would be to develop new programs and adapt and adopt existing open source content or commercial packages in French, Arabic, and English languages for youth in priority subject areas for the economy: Area 1. agriculture, agribusiness, logistics associated with value- chain, entrepreneurship training, trade, and other economic activities; Area 2. health sciences; Area 3. environmental education and sciences; and Area 4. promoting teacher training in modern practices of math and sciences teaching. It would deliver most of the courses in-house and confer degrees, diplomas, and certificates. The broader higher education universities network would link up with the UV-BF and share resources such as the digital library, use of faculty, the learning platform, MIS, guest lectures, and other training outreach under collaboration arrangements to be defined. 18. The activities of this Component will comprise (a) preparing a feasibility study; (b) reviewing and revising prevailing regulation(s) to adapt them to facilitate the establishment of an autonomous UV-BF; (c) facilitating the preparation of a strategic business plan for the UV-BF and its design that would undergo rigorous FM, procurement, and safeguards assessments; (d) supporting the creation of technological infrastructure and learning platform through phase construction and equipment for three learning centers and equipping them with servers, work stations, TV monitors, and videoconferencing facilities); (e) supporting the renovation of existing infrastructure (such as amphitheaters, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and media centers) to facilitate connectivity; (f) supporting the establishment of high-speed broadband/Internet connection to all public education institutions; (g) financing the acquisition and development of a Learning Management System; (h) undertaking necessary background studies such as capacity building mainly for tutoring, coaching, distance learning management needs, learning, and pedagogy; (i) preparing the necessary procurement terms of reference, specifications, and contracts; undertaking the environmental and social safeguards studies; (j) conducting a climate screening exercise to identify risks and put mitigation measures in place; (k) supporting the development, adaptation, adoption, and dissemination of academic programs and content in French, Arabic, and English for young people; (l) implementing foundation programs, academic remediation programs, and new courses; developing a functioning website that includes all programs to facilitate electronic online registration; (m) adopting a management model for the UV-BF; (n) creating a digital library; (o) recruiting national and international contractual teachers; (p) facilitating public-private partnerships (PPPs) and university- industry links for (1) internet service provision contracts for faculty and students, (2) fostering the acquisition of digital material, and (3) financing teaching and learning material (hardware and software) to facilitate teaching and learning; and (q) support the setting up the UV-BF management system, including the preparation of timetables, student management, facilities reservations. 19. Details for each activity are summarized below: Page 92 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) x Preparing a feasibility study, including the cost estimates of setting up (content development, infrastructure, connectivity, equipment, and the UV-BF; identifying the three pilot sites for the location of the UV-BF to be financed by the proposed project; articulating the mandate of the UV-BF; and developing the strategic/business plan for the UV-BF. The feasibility study would need to ensure that an independent board is recruited based on open competition. The President of the UV-BF and the board members to be recruited. x Supporting the development, adaptation, adoption, and dissemination of programs and content in French, Arabic, and English languages for youth in priority subject areas for the economy: Area 1. agriculture, agribusiness, logistics associated with value-chain, entrepreneurship training, trade, and other economic activities; Area 2. health sciences; Area 3. environmental education and sciences; and Area 4. promoting teacher training in modern practices of math and sciences teaching. x Implementing foundation programs, academic remediation programs, and new courses. Students would sign up for the programs through self-selection. x Developing a functioning website that includes all the programs to facilitate electronic online registration; wide publicity would be required; perceptions matter. Early success would help develop a positive perception of the UV-BF. x Adopting a management model for the UV-BF—interim and longer-term arrangements. x Undertaking necessary background studies such as capacity building mainly for tutoring, coaching, specific distance learning management needs, learning, pedagogical, dissemination, and management aspects for the UV-BF. x Preparing necessary procurement terms of reference, specifications, and contracts. x Undertaking the safeguards studies (environmental and social). x Effecting the climate screening exercise, identifying risks and mitigation measures, and assessing climate co-benefits at the subproject level. x Reviewing and revising prevailing regulation(s) to adapt them to facilitate the establishment of an autonomous UV-BF or developing new regulation to set up an autonomous virtual university based on the Government’s decision. An autonomous UV-BF would serve to demonstrate the importance and value of autonomous management and pave the road for HEIs’ full-fledged autonomy. x Supporting the creation of technological infrastructure and platform—phased construction and equipment of three open digital spaces as a pilot approach to test the efficacy of the UV-BF; procuring hardware (servers, work stations, TV monitors, videoconferencing facilities), facilitating Internet service provision, linking up with the IDA-financed eBurkina project to benefit from collective bargaining for bandwidth from private sector providers. x Supporting the renovation of existing infrastructure (amphitheaters, classrooms, Page 93 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) laboratories, libraries, media centers) to facilitate connectivity. x Supporting the establishment of high-speed connection to all public educational institutions. x Financing the acquisition of a Learning Management System, training of faculty and technical personnel in learning management system, the production of courses, their delivery and student support. x Supporting access to certificate/diploma programs in priority subject areas (Areas 1–3) for the development of Burkina Faso. x Creating a digital library, drawing on ongoing experiences and prior efforts. x Facilitating PPP and university-industry links to (a) develop Internet service provision contracts for faculty and students and (b) foster the acquisition of digital material teaching and learning materials (hardware and software) by faculty, students, and administrators. x Supporting the setting up of the UV-BF management system, including the preparation of timetables, student management, facilities reservations, and so on. 20. The strategic/business plan of the UV-BF and its design would undergo rigorous FM, procurement, and safeguards assessments. The FM assessment would consider that the UV-BF would be a public institution operating much like a business. The UV-BF would be screened for climate risks. Risk mitigation measures would be incorporated. The UV-BF infrastructure rehabilitation and/or new construction that incorporate measures such as green buildings, the use of renewable energy options, and other measures that increase resiliency to climate change (fortification against the Sahara dust and rain that encrust dust leading to the deterioration of infrastructure and project assets—computers, furniture, servers) would result in the UV-BF being allocated climate co-benefits funds based on initial and periodic assessments. Component 2. Strengthening Higher Education Institutions and Supporting Innovations (Total costs including contingencies US$40.5 million (SDR 28,162,941) IDA financing) 21. The objective is to improve the quality and relevance of priority programs by supporting the implementation of a set of improved labor market-oriented academic programs using performance-based financing mechanism through DLIs oriented to results. The project will finance quality improvement in the teaching and learning of relevant priority subject areas and improve their capacity to manage implementation. The objective is to support ambitious reforms and specializations in sectors and domains that respond to development needs of Burkina Faso. These would be achieved through four subcomponents as outlined in the following paragraphs. Component-level achievement would be based on achieving targets set out for each of Years 2, 3, 4, and 5 through eight DLRs and measured through DLI 1: Increased number of students in priority subject areas: Number of undergraduate students enrolled in priority subject areas funded by the project, of which female (percentage). Page 94 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Subcomponent 2.1. Support a Competitive Grants Program (Total cost including contingencies US$23 million IDA financing) 22. The objective of Subcomponent 2.1 is to provide grants to foster the development and implementation of quality improvement sub-projects in priority subject areas in project selected HEIs. A single mechanism will be used to allocate the competitive funds. The selected HEIs will sign a performance contract with MESRSI setting out annual milestones to be achieved. These would be described in the individual HEI subproject proposal. Financing for the subcomponent will be based on achieving six targets to be achieved during each of Years 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the project implementation period. The sub- component achievement will be measured by DLI 3: Implementing Window A competitive funding: Implementation and results of the grants for the priority subject areas: percentage of institutions achieving annual milestones specified in the PIM and the performance contract. 23. Competitive selection of beneficiary institutions. The project will finance HEIs selected through an open, objective, transparent, and merit-based competitive process. A Call for Proposals would be announced before end-May 2018. An IEC comprising national and international experts would assess the proposals based on transparent criteria: (a) address a specific challenge in one of the four priority subject areas for the country: Area 1. agriculture, agribusiness, logistics associated with value-chain entrepreneurship training, trade, and other economic activities; Area 2. health sciences; Area 3. environmental education, sciences, and sustainable development; Area 4. teaching of math and science; (b) be of the highest quality; (c) have institutional capacity; (d) provide geographical balance; and (e) have IDA funding eligibility and availability. A two-step process would be adopted: (a) a technical evaluation and (b) on-site and leadership evaluation. The selected HEIs would undergo FM, procurement, and safeguards assessments. 24. The project will provide (a) Grants for the Improvement of Higher Education Institutions for institutional improvement in teaching, learning, and research pertaining to the Priority Subject Areas, including to support (i) the development of quality strategic plans of the Higher Education Institutions receiving Competitive Grants in line with criteria set forth in the Project Implementation Manual; (ii) modernization of learning programs and methods in French, Arabic, and English languages; (iii) modernization of training and learning facilities, including laboratories; (iv) the development of academic partnerships; (v) development of the faculty; and (vi) recruitment of national and international contractual teachers; and (b) Grants to Foster Innovation at the Higher Education Institutions, to support the resolution of a challenge to the development of the Recipient, as identified and proposed to be overcome by the selected HEI. Development challenges to be overcome by the selected HEIs could include: (a) revision to existing curricula, developing new curricula (constructed with and for professionals and in French, Arabic, and English languages), or adapting available curricula that use open source material and are relevant to the needs of the labor market; (c) introducing innovative pedagogical approaches (such as work-study options, pedagogy specifically adapted to projects, learning-by-doing, learning by accessing digital resources, individualized learning, and internships); (d) developing faculty capacity and broaden their range of expertise; and (e) fostering academic partnerships with the regional centers of excellence and via joint or double graduation (co- and double diplomation) with the wider national and international socio-professional community through internships, valuation of the end-of-studies results, joint resource generation through continuing education, and the provision of specialized expertise and consultancies. 25. A single framework for the competitive funds with two grant windows (see paragraphs 26-36 below) will provide structure to the competitive grants. The criteria for selection would mirror the criteria Page 95 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) for the ACE III project. The criteria for the four grant windows would be the same. This is to ensure clarity, transparency, and efficiency. There would be a selection committee with PPP membership. The consortium would include key members from ministries, the private sector, national and international evaluators to provide expertise guidance and inputs. A collaborative virtual space would be set up to discuss, share information, share evaluation reports, studies, annual reports for the project, facilities, and access to the digital library, and so on. The focus of the selection committee would be on the content of proposals, benchmarking, and certifying the proposals to regional and international standards as feasible. The approach would be practical and modest to start with (for example, focusing on English language instruction, digital literacy, and remedial mathematics and science education), allowing these to be the inspiration for how other programs are selected. 26. Window A. Capacity Window: Competitive selection of beneficiary institutions. The project would finance HEIs selected through an open, objective, transparent, and merit-based competitive process. A Call for Proposals would be announced before end-May 2018. An IEC comprising national and international experts would assess the proposals based on transparent criteria: (a) address a specific challenge in one of the four priority subject areas for the country: Area 1.agriculture, agribusiness, logistics associated with value-chain, entrepreneurship training, trade, and other economic activities; Area 2.health sciences; Area 3.environmental education, sciences, and sustainable development; Area 4.teaching of math and science; (b) be of the highest quality; (c) have institutional capacity to drive the proposed reforms; (d) provide geographical balance; and (e) have IDA funding eligibility and availability [(details will be specified in the Competitive Grants Manuel in the Project Implementation Manuel (PIM)]. A two-step process would be adopted: (a) a technical evaluation and (b) on-site and leadership evaluation. The selected HEIs would undergo FM, procurement, and safeguards assessments. 27. Window B. Innovations Window: Competitive selection of HEIs to foster innovations. The project would foster innovations among HEIs that are not selected to receive financing to strengthen programs in the priority areas. The approach is to pilot innovations. Table 1.5. Competitive Grants Window Competitive Grant To A Capacity Window Strengthen selected HEIs to focus on strategic plans, address Strengthening the capacity of curricular changes, modernize learning, adopt new selected HEIs to provide courses pedagogical approaches, contract short- and long-term in priority subject areas expertise (national and international), foster academic partnerships, introduce environmental education and sciences, and sustainable development subjects and specialization, foster market for teaching and learning materials. Develop faculty: Promote professional development opportunities: visiting scholar program, faculty exchanges, specific training in new pedagogical methods in mathematics and science. B Innovations Window Foster innovations across programs other than national Supporting innovations priority programs, permitting the piloting of innovative options. Page 96 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Window A. Capacity Window: Strengthening the capacity of selected HEIs to provide courses in priority subject areas [Excluding Window B] (Cost including contingencies US$18 million IDA financing) 28. The project would finance selected HEIs in each national priority cluster to (a) revise existing curricula, develop new curricula (constructed with and for professionals in French, Arabic, and English languages), or adapt available curricula that are open source material and that are relevant to the needs of the labor market; (b) modernize the environment or ecosystem of training and learning, including laboratories; (c) introduce innovative pedagogical approaches (work-study options, pedagogy linked to projects, learning-by-doing, learning by accessing digital resources, individualized learning, internships, and so on); (d) develop faculty capacity and broaden their range of expertise; (e) foster academic partnerships (with the regional centers of excellence and through ‘co- and double diplomation’, and with the wider national and international socio-professional community through internships, valuation of the end-of-studies results or ‘la valorisation des résultats des travaux de fin des études at professional master’s level and engineering institutions’, resource generation through continuing education, and the provision of specialized expertise and consultancies or ‘la prestation de services spécialisés’. 29. The introduction of environmental education and sciences and sustainable development at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels in the project selected HEIs would be financed through the proposed project. The development of environmental education and sciences curriculum for the program(s) would build on existing programs in-country being disseminated by the HEIs and the 2iE. Curriculum would include (a) the use of climate-smart technologies that are already being tested in- country; (b) new technologies that could be cost-effectively introduced; (c) knowledge about how to increase resiliency to climate change risks; (d) knowledge of how GHG emissions could be reduced; (e) improving existing carbon pools; (f) reducing energy use; (g) fostering the use of renewable energy; and (h) knowledge about the economics of environmental assessment, including the valuation of climate change, risks, and mitigation measures, and other cost-efficient measures. 30. The competitive grants would finance (for example, a non-exhaustive list): (a) specialized technical assistance; (b) contractual faculty (national and international) requirements; (c) the acquisition of equipment (including practical laboratories, educational technology platforms) and documentary resources; (d) the renovation of existing infrastructure dedicated to the project; (e) the reinforcement of the skills of staff and trainers through training, certification (skills) and internships; and (f) the mobility of students, teachers and administrative and technical staff. 31. The strategic/business plan of the selected HEIs would undergo rigorous FM, procurement, and safeguards assessments. The selected HEIs would be screened for climate risks. Risk mitigation measures would be incorporated. UV-BF infrastructure rehabilitation and/or new construction that incorporate measures such as green buildings, the use of renewable energy options, and other measures that increase resiliency to climate change (fortification against the Sahara dust and rain that encrust dust leading to the deterioration of infrastructure and project assets—computers, furniture, servers) would result in the HEIs and the UV-BF being allocated climate co-benefits funds based on initial and periodical assessments. 32. Further, a related market for teaching and learning materials on the topics relating to environmental education and sciences would be nurtured. The goal being to foster the flow of graduates who could bring skills and knowledge to shape adaptation co-benefits for programs in agriculture, agri- business studies, and livestock, and harness other climate co-benefits for the economy. Page 97 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Window B. Innovations Window: Supporting innovations [Excluding Window A] (cost including contingencies US$5 million IDA financing) 33. The objective is to foster innovations across programs and HEIs, permitting the piloting of innovations. HEIs selected to receive financing through the project under Window A would be excluded from receiving financing through Window B. 34. Activities of this subcomponent would comprise financing HEIs selected through an open, objective, transparent, and merit-based competitive process. A Call for Proposals would be announced. An IECI comprising national and international experts would assess the proposals based on objective and transparent criteria:18 (a) address a specific challenge for the development of Burkina Faso; (b) specify expertise (national, sub-regional, regional, and international) requirements; (c) be of the highest quality; (d) have institutional capacity; (e) provide geographical balance; and (f) have IDA funding eligibility. A two- step process would be adopted: (a) a technical evaluation and (b) on-site and leadership evaluation. 35. The selected HEIs would undergo FM, procurement, and safeguards assessments. Reviewing and adapting program content prepared in the context of priority cluster areas for dissemination through diverse modes (face-to-face synchronous, distance learning synchronous, anytime, and anywhere learning asynchronous). Subcomponent 2.2. Support Faculty Development in HEIs (cost including contingencies US$8 million IDA financing) 36. The project would also finance selected HEIs in each priority cluster to (a) receive professional development opportunities; (b) promote a visiting scholars program; (c) foster innovative approaches to faculty exchanges nationally, intra-regionally, and internationally; this would include the dissemination of new content drawing on locally trained university faculty and expatriates (recruiting faculty internationally); and (d) receive specific training in new pedagogical methods in mathematics and science. 37. The project would also finance approaches to increase the higher education teaching body locally through the ‘écoles doctorales’19 and support the expansion of relevant courses of study. Qualified international teachers/faculty would be identified, selected, and recruited, and doctoral students would be funded to address existing gaps identified through a scholarship program. Subcomponent 2.3: Strengthening Quality Assurance in HEIs (cost including contingencies US$2.5 million IDA financing) 38. The objective of this subcomponent is to build the capacity of HEIs to manage internal quality assurance. Targets measured by DLRs for each of the implementation period Years 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 would result in disbursements. The overall achievement would be measured by DLI 4: Strengthening Quality Assurance in HEIs: number of HEIs with IQAUs. The project will finance quality improvements in teaching 18The criteria would be aligned with those applied for ACE III. 19‘Les écoles doctorales’ are doctoral schools. They are internal organs of public universities/HEIs that provide doctoral training. The schools are authorized to confer doctorates in specific domains. Degrees conferred are designated as research-oriented postgraduate training. Each doctoral program brings together the resources of research units around a specific scientific interest. The program organizes the recruitment of its doctoral candidates, provides them with an administrative and intellectual community on campus, and offers them a menu of advanced courses. Page 98 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) and learning of subject areas that are key to the development needs of Burkina Faso and increase the capacity of the MESRSI to implement and manage them. 39. Activities in this subcomponent would comprise (a) Implementing relevant aspects of higher education governance in HEIs, addressing requirements of the LMD and the CAMES; (b) Establishing National Quality Assurance Units in project selected HEIs and an NQAF to link up with regional quality assurance processes through the World Bank ACE Program. The subactivities would include establishing and setting up a quality assurance policy, a component on internal quality assurance (institutional scale) and a second component on external quality assurance (national scale); (c) Improving the capacity of universities to implement projects (irrespective of the source of financing); and (d) Strengthening management and communication capacity of the HEIs to embrace and adapt to diversified delivery models. 40. The project would support (a) the definition of a national quality assurance system; (b) the creation of IQAUs within HEIs and their allocation of sufficient resources and capabilities for the development of internal quality assurance strategies/policies, their engagement in the self-assessment process—institutional or programs and the preparation of the external evaluation and/or accreditation; and (c) the creation of an independent and autonomous national quality assurance authority (structural organization, development of a documentary system, and benchmarks of evaluation), the commitment of the first pilot operations of external evaluations, and the international accreditation of professional training programs if considered appropriate, the training of engineers and Health professions in particular. 41. The financing of higher education study would focus on (a) Policy decisions evolving around the types of financing (scholarships, loans, cost sharing) for the UV-BF. Burkina offers student loans for entrants in the first year of university (license). A viable alternative would be to leave it up to the HEIs about this option. This would afford HEIs the latitude to discuss with their constituencies (unions, students); (b) Matching grants as an incentive for HEIs to prepare their financing plans considering cost recovery options; and (c) The possibility for HEIs to retain revenues. The project could provide matching grants on a sliding scale basis, based on more HEIs retaining a greater portion of the revenues. Subcomponent 2.4. Strengthening Management Capacity of HEIs (cost including contingencies US$7.0 million IDA financing) 42. The objective of the subcomponent is to strengthen the management capacity of HEIs. Achievement of the objective would be measured in part by DLI 6 on External Revenue Generation: Regulatory framework and matching grant based on four DLRs for each of target Years 1, 2, and 3. It is Page 99 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) expected that from thereon, external revenue generation would be institutionalized. The project would finance the strengthening of management capacity of all HEIs to improve academic, technical, governance, and project management. Capacity development workshops would be financed in the areas of FM, auditing, accounting, procurement, safeguards (environmental and social), and climate and disaster risk screening. Academic faculty would receive training in the areas of academic and teaching/learning research proposal writing for grants, budgeting, preparing results framework, and M&E. Administrative staff capacity would be strengthened to develop coherent strategic plans, budgeting, planning implementation, preparing results framework, and M&E. 43. As a key area of support, the project would also finance capacity development for HEIs to manage internal quality assurance—specifically, to support the creation of IQAUs; raising awareness about the creating opportunities for reinforcing; and extending logistical support to attain the objective, laying the foundation for self-evaluation of the HEIs and their programs of study, linking these aspects to the institutional strategic plans, and raising the overall quality of training, learning, and management. Component 3. Project Coordination, Management, and Implementation Activities (Total costs including contingencies US$3 million (SDR 2,097,800) IDA financing) 44. The objective of Component 3 is twofold—to strengthen (a) the governance and management of higher education, improve institutional capacity in the system overall to better monitor systemic changes, develop an MIS, address GBV incidents, monitor climate co-benefits of the project and (b) the capacity of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES. 119. Activity 3.1: Strengthening the governance and management of higher education through improving institutional capacity in the system overall to better monitor systemic changes, develop a management information system (MIS), address gender-based violence incidents, monitor climate co- benefits of the Project. 120. Activity 3.2: Strengthening the capacity of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES to implement the project, the component’s activities will include hiring the staff needed to handle the day-to-day fiduciary, procurement, and safeguards aspects of implementation; monitoring the achievement of project activities; tracking, measuring, and evaluating performance contracts between the MESRSI and the HEIs; strengthening the MESRSI’s communications capacity; and coordinating the project overall. The proposed project will finance the operating costs and the project-specific activities of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES and the Education Access and Quality Improvement Project (EAQIP) (P148062) Project Coordination Unit (PCU). It has been agreed that the salaries and indemnities of Government staff working on the project would be paid by the Government. Financing will also be provided to strengthen the MESRSI’s capacity to govern the tertiary education system and to undertake analytical studies to provide the information necessary to drive the policy dialogue and inform decisions about reforms. 45. The project will finance operating costs and the project-specific activities of the Permanent Secretariat of the PNADES and the EAQIP PCU. Financing would also be provided to strengthen MESRSI’s capacity to govern the tertiary education system and undertake analytical studies to provide the information necessary to drive policy dialogue and decision making for education policy reforms. Page 100 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) Project Cost and Financing 121. Total project financing required from IDA is estimated at US$70 million (SDR 48.7 million). Government counterpart financing will be in kind. The EEPs to be financed by the project account for approximately 91.4 percent of the project costing and about 8 percent of the Government’s higher education program expenditures during the investment period. The benefits would extend beyond the life of the project and the costs are sustainable. Proposed EEPs include both large expenditure programs (for example, recurrent expenditures) as well as smaller ones. The largest EEPs are the recurrent grants, salaries of the MESRSI and HEIs, and investment programs. 122. EEPs. Disbursements for Components 1 and 2 would be based on achieving DLIs and against EEPs. The expenditure mechanism satisfies World Bank 2018 policy/guidelines on IPF-DLIs financing in that (a) they are necessary and intended to achieve the project objectives, (b) they are productive, (c) they contribute to solutions within a fiscally sustainable framework, and (d) acceptable and required oversight arrangements such as verification protocols are in place. A detailed description of disbursements against the EEPs, scalability, and rollover of financing is provided in annex 1 and in the Project Implementation Arrangements in the Project Files. Table 1 shows the EEPs and the related line items of the budget. Table 6. EEPs and Budget Codes EEPs Budget Codes Program Action Chapter Activity Paragraph EEP1: Salary of MESRSI staff 062 06201 1999000311 0620199 661; 663; 664; 666 063 06301 1999000311 0630199 661; 663; 664; 666 064 06401 1999000311 0640199 661; 663; 664; 666 065 06501 1999000311 0650199 661; 663; 664; 666 066 06601 1999000311 0660199 661; 663; 664; 666 EEP2: Transfers to HEIs for Salary of 062 06202 4001000311 0620204 641 staff (public institutions) 062 06202 4002000311 0620205 641 062 06202 4003000910 0620207 641 062 06202 4004000605 0620206 641 062 06202 4019000809 0620211 641 062 06202 4020000115 0620213 641 062 06202 4021001029 0620212 641 062 06202 4005000311 0620401 641 Sub-total EEP3: UV-BF (Rehabilitation of 062 06201 1802800311 0620109 233 administrative buildings for technical 062 06201 1802800311 0620109 234 use, goods, and consultancy services) 062 06201 1802800311 0620109 622 Note: In the MESRSI Budget: EEP 3: Mettre en œuvre UV-BF et le système d’information: Bâtiment administratifs à usage technique; Matériels et outillages techniques; et prestations de services. Page 101 of 102 The World Bank Burkina Faso Higher Education Support Project (P164293) MAP Page 102 of 102