Document of The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No: PAD2739 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION PROJECT APPRAISAL DOCUMENT ON A PROPOSED CREDIT IN THE AMOUNT OF EUR 43.60 MILLION (US$50.00 MILLION EQUIVALENT) TO THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER FOR THE NIGER RURAL MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY PROJECT February 25, 2019 Transport Global Practice Africa Region This document is being made publicly available prior to Board consideration. This does not imply a presumed outcome. This document may be updated following Board consideration and the updated document will be made publicly available in accordance with the Bank’s policy on Access to Information. being made publicly available prior to Board consideration. This does not imply a presumed outcome. This document may be updated following Board consideration and the updated document will be made publicly available in accordance with the Bank’s Policy: Access to Information. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (Exchange Rate Effective on January 31, 2019) Currency Unit = EUR EUR0.87051 = US$1 FISCAL YEAR January 1 – December 31 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ANISER Road Safety Agency (Agence Nigérienne de Sécurité Routière) BEEEI Agency of Environmental Assessment and Impact Studies (Bureau d'Evaluation Environnementale et des Etudes d'Impact) CAFER Autonomous Road Maintenance Fund (Caisse Autonome de Financement de l’Entretien Routier) CE Citizen Engagement C-ESMP Contractor-Environmental and Social Management Plan CoC Code of Conduct CPF Country Partnership Framework CSA Climate Smart Agriculture Project DA Designated Account DFIL Disbursement and Financial Information Letter DGER General Directorate of Road Maintenance (Direction Générale de l’Entretien Routier) DGRR General Directorate of Rural Roads (Direction Générale des Routes Rurales) DPF Development Policy Financing EC European Commission EIRR Economic Internal Rate of Return ESHS Environmental, Social, Hygiene, and Security ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan ESS Environmental Safeguards Specialist FER Second-Generation Road Fund (Fonds d’Entretien Routier) FM Financial Management GBV Gender-Based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GHG Greenhouse Gas GoN Government of Niger GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism ICB International Competitive Bidding ICT Information and Communication Technology IDA International Development Association IE Implementing Entity IFR Interim Financial Report IMF International Monetary Fund IPF Investment Project Financing IRI International Roughness Index MoE Ministry of Equipment (Ministère de l’Equipement) MoT Ministry of Transport (Ministère des Transports) OHS Occupational Health and Safety NGO Nongovernmental Organization PAP Project-affected Person PCU Project Coordination Unit PPR Post Procurement Review PPSD Project Procurement Strategy Document RAP Resettlement Action Plan RMR Risk Mitigation Regime RPF Resettlement Policy Framework SCD Systematic Country Diagnostic SEA Sexual Exploitation and Abuse SIIP Sahel Irrigation Initiative Project SMEs Small and Medium Enterprises SoE Statement of Expenditures SSS Social Safeguards Specialist PSC Project Steering Committee PTC Project Technical Committee ToR Terms of Reference TSPS Transport Sector Program Support Project UNFPA United Nations Funds for the Population VAC Violence Against Children Regional Vice President: Hafez M.H. Ghanem Country Director: Soukeyna Kane Senior Global Practice Director: Guangzhe Chen Practice Manager: Aurelio Menendez Cheick Omar Tidiane Diallo, Task Team Leaders: Monica Augustina Cristina Moldovan The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) BASIC INFORMATION BASIC_INFO_TABLE Country(ies) Project Name Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project Project ID Financing Instrument Environmental Assessment Category Investment Project P164498 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 18-Mar-2019 31-Mar-2025 Bank/IFC Collaboration No Proposed Development Objective(s) The project development objective is to improve and sustain road access of farming communities to production sites, markets and basic social services in selected areas. Components Component Name Cost (US$, millions) Improvement of rural transport infrastructure 42.50 Page 1 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Rural road maintenance 3.25 Operational support for the Project 6.50 Organizations Borrower: Republic of Niger Implementing Agency: Ministry of Equipment PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 52.25 Total Financing 52.25 of which IBRD/IDA 50.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing International Development Association (IDA) 50.00 IDA Credit 50.00 Non-World Bank Group Financing Counterpart Funding 2.25 Borrower/Recipient 2.25 IDA Resources (in US$, Millions) Credit Amount Grant Amount Guarantee Amount Total Amount National PBA 50.00 0.00 0.00 50.00 Total 50.00 0.00 0.00 50.00 Expected Disbursements (in US$, Millions) Page 2 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) WB Fiscal Year 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Annual 0.30 4.00 5.70 9.00 11.00 10.00 10.00 Cumulative 0.30 4.30 10.00 19.00 30.00 40.00 50.00 INSTITUTIONAL DATA Practice Area (Lead) Contributing Practice Areas Transport Agriculture 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 ⚫ High 2. Macroeconomic ⚫ Substantial 3. Sector Strategies and Policies ⚫ Moderate 4. Technical Design of Project or Program ⚫ Moderate 5. Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Sustainability ⚫ Substantial 6. Fiduciary ⚫ Substantial Page 3 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) 7. Environment and Social ⚫ High 8. Stakeholders ⚫ Moderate 9. Other 10. Overall ⚫ 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 Schedule 2, Section 1.A.3.(c). Page 4 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) The Recipient shall, not later than five (5) months after the Effective Date: (i) recruit, and thereafter maintain throughout the Project implementation period, an external auditor for the Project with experience, qualifications and on terms of reference acceptable to the Association; and (ii) install, and thereafter maintain throughout the Project implementation period, an accounting software for the Project acceptable to the Association. Sections and Description Schedule 2. Section I.A.3.(b). The Recipient shall, not later than two (2) months after the Effective Date and prior to the start of any civil works, recruit, and thereafter maintain at all times during Project implementation, a non-governmental organization specialized in gender-based violence protection measures, with staff with experience and qualifications and on terms of reference satisfactory to the Association, to provide support as necessary in the implementation of Project activities. Sections and Description Schedule 2, Section I.B.1.(i). The Recipient shall commit a total amount of not less than two million and two hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars (US$ 2,250,000) for the exclusive purpose of providing its own financing for activities under Part B.2 in the following manner: (i) not later than six (6) months after the Effective Date approve the following amount allocated from the Road Fund for the exclusive purpose of providing its own financing for activities under Part B.2 of the Project: two hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars (US$250,000) for 2020; Sections and Description Schedule 2, Section I.B.1.(ii). The Recipient shall commit a total amount of not less than two million and two hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars (US$ 2,250,000) for the exclusive purpose of providing its own financing for activities under Part B.2 in the following manner: (ii) not later than March 31 of each year of Project implementation approve the following amounts allocated from the Road Fund for the exclusive purpose of providing its own financing for activities under Part B.2 of the Project: five hundred thousand United States Dollars (US$500,000) for each year 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Sections and Description Page 5 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Schedule 2, Section I.B.2. The Recipient shall not later than three (3) months after the Effective Date, open and maintain until the completion of the Project, a separate account for the exclusive purpose of providing its own financing for activities under Part B.2 the Project (“Project Account”) in a total amount of 2,250,000 United States Dollar. Sections and Description Schedule 2, Section I.C.1.(c) The Recipient shall ensure that all measures are taken to implement the RAPs in a manner and timeframe satisfactory to the Association. To this end, the Recipient shall ensure that: (i) sufficient funds are made available to cover all the costs of implementing the RAP; (ii) prior to the start of any works that will require displacement, Affected Persons shall be compensated at full replacement cost, resettled and provided with resettlement assistance in accordance with the RAPs, as applicable; and (iii) the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of such RAPs is completed and reported in a manner satisfactory to the Association. Conditions Page 6 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) NIGER NIGER RURAL MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY PROJECT TABLE OF CONTENTS I. STRATEGIC CONTEXT ...................................................................................................... 9 A. Country Context .................................................................................................................. 9 B. Sectoral and Institutional Context .................................................................................... 10 C. Higher Level Objectives to which the Project Contributes ............................................... 12 D. Synergies with Agricultural Programs and Projects .......................................................... 13 II. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES ............................................................................ 13 A. PDO.................................................................................................................................... 13 B. Project Area ....................................................................................................................... 14 C. Project Beneficiaries .......................................................................................................... 14 D. PDO-Level Results Indicators ............................................................................................ 15 III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................. 15 A. Project Design and Theory of Change ............................................................................... 15 B. Project Components .......................................................................................................... 16 C. Project Cost and Financing ................................................................................................ 19 D. Lessons Learned and Reflected in the Project Design ...................................................... 20 IV. IMPLEMENTATION........................................................................................................ 21 A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements ............................................................. 21 B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................... 22 C. Sustainability ..................................................................................................................... 22 D. Role of Partners................................................................................................................. 22 V. KEY RISKS ..................................................................................................................... 23 A. Overall Risk Rating and Explanation of Key Risks.............................................................. 23 VI. APPRAISAL SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 24 A. Road Selection and Prioritization ...................................................................................... 24 B. Economic Analysis ............................................................................................................. 25 C. Rational for public sector financing and World Bank Value added. ................................. 26 D. GHG Accounting ................................................................................................................ 26 Page 7 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) E. Technical ............................................................................................................................ 26 F. Financial Management ...................................................................................................... 27 G. Procurement ..................................................................................................................... 28 H. Environment (including safeguards) ................................................................................. 29 I. Overall Project Readiness ................................................................................................... 34 J. World Bank Grievance Redress .......................................................................................... 34 VII. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND MONITORING .................................................................... 35 ANNEX 1: IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS AND SUPPORT ............................................ 41 ANNEX 2: GENDER BASED VIOLENCE (GBV) AND SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE (SEA) .. 48 ANNEX 2: PROJECT AREA ..................................................................................................... 60 Page 8 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) I. STRATEGIC CONTEXT A. Country Context 1. Niger is a landlocked country in the Sahel region (the closest port, Cotonou, is 1,035 km away) with a population of 21.5 million in 2017 (World Development Indicators) and a land area of 1.267 million km2. Niger is sparsely populated with most people living in the south of the country on about 12 percent of the land area, where most of the arable land is located. The country has been affected by political and religious violence in northern Nigeria, separatist and armed movements in northern Mali, and intercommunal violence and state collapse in southern Libya. 2. Niger is one of the poorest nations in the world with a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of US$895 in 2015. The majority of Niger’s 8.2 million poor (2014 estimate) live in rural areas where food insecurity is high. Human development indicators are low. The average level of education is 1.4 years. Only 52 percent of children have received a complete set of vaccinations, and 44 percent of children under five years are stunted. 3. Most of the population generates its income from (rain-fed) agriculture and livestock rearing. There are five agri-climatic zones defined based on rainfall isohyets ranging from the deserts—which cover 74 percent of the national territory and are suitable for mainly transhumant activities—to the agricultural zones in the southwestern part of the country. Irrigated cash crops are grown in selected areas along the Niger River. Together, the agriculture and livestock sectors engage more than 80 percent of the workforce and account for 40 percent of GDP. Niger’s subsistence agriculture is based on cereal crops (millet and sorghum) as well as cowpeas—crops that also constitute the staple diet. 4. There is a high disparity between females and males, with Niger ranking 154 out of 155 countries on the inequality index between sexes (UNDP 2015), which measures three important aspects of human development—reproductive health, empowerment, and economic status. In the education sector, the main factor affecting the low enrollment rate of girls is early marriage with 76 percent of girls married before they turn 18, and about a third becoming wives before they turn 15. According to the 2017 Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) for Niger, 34 percent of Nigerien women are out of the labor force as opposed to 10 percent for men; those working are employed on average for fewer hours than men (28 versus 43) and receive lower earnings.1 In terms of empowerment, the proportion of women as elected officials or appointed members of the executive branch of the Government is low; out of the 42 ministers in the current government, just 8 (or 19 percent) are female. 5. According to a nationwide survey on the magnitude and risk factors of gender-based violence (GBV), funded by the United Nations Funds for the Population (UNFPA), three out of five women (60 percent) declared having been a survivor at least one type of GBV in their lifetime. The regions that have the highest percentage of women survivors of GBV are Maradi and Zinder where, respectively, 95 percent and 88 percent of women declared having been a survivor of at least one type of GBV in their lifetime. 1Systematic Country Diagnostic. “Priorities for Ending Poverty and Boosting Shared Prosperity.” World Bank. November 28, 2017. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/998751512408491271/pdf/NIGER-SCD-12012017.pdf. Page 9 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) The most frequent types of GBV are physical and psychological violence (31 percent and 32 percent) followed by cultural and sexual violence (13 percent and 9 percent) and the survivors are mainly women. 6. Niger is subjected to four major climatic hazards: drought, floods, extreme temperatures (heat and cold waves), high winds and sandstorm affecting ecosystems, living environment, and livelihoods. Between 1980 and 2012, ten major episodes of drought were recorded, of which five led to severe food crisis. The food crisis resulting from the 2011 drought affected more than 7 million people, or almost half of the country’s total population at that time. Devastating floods in 20172 affected nearly 194,000 people and killed 54 throughout the country. More than 9,000 houses, 31 schools, 709 water wells, and 16,000 livestock were washed away. In agricultural terms, 9,800 ha of crop land was lost. In total, 80 percent of those affected live in the southern regions of Dosso, Niamey, and Maradi, and one northern region (Agadez). 7. The 2017 SCD (Report No. 115661-NE), which defines the priorities for ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity, shows that the most promising approach to inclusive growth is by increasing productivity in agriculture in the short run and engaging in a process of classical structural transformation. This process starts by increasing the productivity of agriculture (food staples in particular) and livestock rearing. Increases in agricultural production help suppress fluctuations in food prices, which benefits the poorest who tend to be net buyers of food. Once the share of food consumers relative to food producers grows (because of rural-urban migration), markets become more important, the non-farm and agribusiness sectors grow, and the food value chain and rural-urban links are strengthened. As rural incomes grow, second-order effects are likely to emerge: the stock of human and physical capital increases as households invest part of their increased incomes in their offspring. This leads to further productivity gains and to out-migration of (now better-) educated people. It also unlocks demographic transition, in part because higher incomes and higher levels of education induce women to marry later, while increased irrigation and mechanization reduce exposure to weather shocks and reliance on family labor. B. Sectoral and Institutional Context Sectoral Context 8. Road transport is by far the most dominant transport mode in Niger. The country has a total road network of 20,268 km (2018), of which (a) 10,649 are national roads; (b) 2,075 km are regional roads, and (c) 6,952 km are unclassified. Within the total network, only 4,655 km are paved roads. The two other modes of transport besides roads are the railway and the inland water transport, accounting for less than 5 percent of the market. Sectoral Challenges 9. Poor road access to agricultural production areas hampers farmers’ access to services and inputs. About 40 percent of the agricultural and agro-pastoral zones are often isolated for long stretches of time due to impassable roads. This translates into limited access to agricultural inputs (fertilizers and 2 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Niger Bulletin of September 2017. Page 10 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) improved seeds), extension services provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, and marketing of surpluses by farmers. 10. Transport is a major constraint to improvement of farmers’ productivity. A panel regression analysis based on data from the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture concluded that farmers households located farther from markets tend to have lower yield. Millet and cowpea yields in farms that are 100 km away from a permanent market are 20 percent lower than those near markets. Access to markets could influence yield by shaping incentives of farmers to produce more. 11. Impassable roads during rainy season negatively affect access of rural communities to medical services. During the rainy season, flooding makes health facilities even less accessible than other times of the year. While during the dry season 39 percent of the population lives within a 1-hour walk of a health center, this drops to 24 percent during the rainy season. Vaccination rates are strongly correlated with distance. Children living within a 1-hour distance from a health center are 1.9 times more likely to have a complete set of vaccinations compared to children living further away.3 12. Funding and capacity to maintain and preserve the road network are inadequate. The autonomous road maintenance fund (Caisse Autonome de Financement de l’Entretien Routier, CAFER) was created in 1999 and has been collecting resources through fuel levy, toll fees, and overloading fines. CAFER’s expected resources cover only about 43 percent4 of the road network maintenance needs. Moreover, for the past five years CAFER has had difficulties in receiving the full amount of its revenue coming from fuel levy which represents over 90 percent of its total resources, and it accumulated important arrears. This situation has significantly affected the linear kilometers of roads to be maintained yearly and has further deepened the gap between the maintenance needs and the resources available. In addition to funding shortages, the technical and managerial capacity of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is weak, thus affecting both the quality of works and the timely completion of maintenance. The procurement process for road maintenance contracts is also too long and inefficient and contributes to delays in execution. 13. Reforms of the road maintenance mechanism are under way to improve the governance and secure the resources of the road fund and to make the yearly road maintenance more efficient. The World Bank5 has joined the other important development partners active in the transport sector (the European Commission (EC), and the Millennium Challenge Account - Niger) in supporting the conversion of CAFER into a second-generation road fund and the creation of a road maintenance execution agency and an Audit Unit. Institutional Context 14. The Ministry of Equipment (Ministère de l’Equipement) manages the entire road network. Reconstruction and construction of the primary road network is managed by the General Directorate of 3 Blanford, J., Supriya Kumar, Wei Luo, and Alan M MacEachren, 2012. “It’s a Long, Long Walk: Accessibility to Hospitals, Maternity and Integrated Health Centers in Niger.” International Journal of Health Geographics 11: 24. 4 National Transport Strategy (2016–2025): Routine and Periodic Maintenance Needs of US$52 million versus CAFER’s resources of US$22 million. 5 Through the participation of the Niger Transport team in the reforms supported by the Development Policy Financing (DPF) series P163318. Page 11 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Major Works (Direction Générale des Grandes Travaux). The General Directorate of Rural Roads (Direction Générale des Routes Rurales, DGRR) oversees the construction and rehabilitation of the rural roads network. The maintenance of the road network in terms of programming and execution is managed by the General Directorate of Road Maintenance (Direction Générale de l’Entretien Routier, DGER), and CAFER has been in charge of mobilizing the resources for the road maintenance until the recent reform. 15. Periodic and routine maintenance of rural roads is the responsibility of the MoE FER. Routine maintenance is organized by and financed at the commune level and executed by the local communities after receiving basic training. Some communes have village committees to oversee the routine maintenance of rural roads. Communes manage small funds obtained through collection of modest taxes from rural roads users to finance the routine maintenance works. The Swiss Development Agency and the International Fund for Agriculture Development have supported some communes of Niger (Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, and Zinder regions) in the development of routine maintenance mechanisms by local communities through local governments' support projects. These mechanisms exist only in a few communes and are expected to be extended to the beneficiary communes of the proposed project. The periodic maintenance—which is much more expensive and requires more technical experience—is executed through the national road maintenance mechanism financed by the road fund. 16. The Ministry of Transport (Ministère des Transports) is responsible for land (road and railway), air, and inland water transport services. The Directorate of Road Transport (Direction des Transports Routiers) oversees the road transport services, and the Directorate of Maritime and Fluvial Transport (Direction des Transports Maritimes et Fluviaux) oversees inland and maritime water transport. The civil aviation agency oversees the management of airports and air transport. A lead road safety agency (Agence Nigérienne de Sécurité Routière, ANISER) was created in 2014 to promote the national road safety agenda. 17. Niger has been granted support under the IDA18 Risk Mitigation Regime (RMR) designed to provide enhanced support to reduce risks of fragility, conflict, and violence. Investment and management of road infrastructures can greatly contribute to mitigate the escalation of existing crises and contribute to the reduction of key fragility and conflict risks because it will promote trade and create economic opportunity, especially for the youth. This is a window of opportunity for Niger, which will access additional resources for development programs meant to mitigate the escalation of crises and contribute to the reduction of key fragility and conflict risks. C. Higher Level Objectives to which the Project Contributes 18. The proposed project is aligned with both the country’s development priorities and the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for FY18-22 (Report No 123736-NE). It supports the social and economic development plan of Niger (Plan de Développement Economique et Social 2017–2021) through its third area of focus, namely ‘Improvement of economic growth by investing in rural infrastructure’. The proposed project also supports objective 2: ‘Improve Availability of Productive Infrastructure for trade in rural areas’ of the CPF’s focus area I: ‘Increased Rural Productivity and Incomes’. 19. Furthermore, the project will respond to one of CPF’s priorities on ‘women and girls’ empowerment’ through providing improved access of women and girls to health centers and schools, as well as employment opportunities through the development of a routine maintenance mechanism by rural communities including women. Page 12 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) 20. The proposed project supports the second strategic priority area for the RMR which is ‘increasing opportunities for youth and women in fragile regions and supporting the peaceful management and sharing of agro-pastoral resources. The RMR financing under the proposed project will strengthen economic opportunity for youth and women, including in conflict-affected regions by providing income and training opportunities for the poorest people through the promotion of routine maintenance works by local communities and by enabling alternative trade routes (for example, the Diffa- Zinder-Nigeria Corridor) for the pepper and other value chains. To track the project’s contribution to the RMR’s second pillar, the Results Framework includes an indicator to monitor the number of short-term jobs created, which will be measured through the number of person-days worked by the workers hired locally. 21. The proposed project will contribute to the implementation of the Africa Climate Business Plan through Cluster # 1 which is strengthening resilience. Cluster # 1 comprises Africa’s natural capital, physical capital (including transport infrastructure), and human and social capital. The World Bank Africa Climate Business Plan6 (2015) intends to boost the region’s ability to adapt to the changing climate while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through several concrete actions. The goal of the plan is to raise US$16 billion in climate finance by 2020, US$5.1 billion of which is from IDA and the rest from other sources. D. Synergies with Agricultural Programs and Projects 22. The proposed project reinforces the integrated approach of the SCD in addressing the low productivity of the agricultural sector. This approach includes complementary financing by World Bank operations designed in synergy and aimed at increasing on-farm productivity through access to critical farm inputs, improving physical market access (by road), improving local transformation, and initiating policy reforms to address systemic biases affecting the rural sector. The proposed project will create road accessibility enabling conditions for the World Bank-financed (a) Climate Smart Agriculture Project (CSA, P153420) with the objective of increasing agricultural productivity and enhancing drought resilience of agro-pastoral systems in 60 targeted communes; (b) Sahel Irrigation Initiative Project (SIIP, P154482) with the objective of increasing the irrigation capacity in selected sites (25 irrigation sites); and (c) Agricultural and Livestock Transformation Project (P164509) with the objective of increasing productivity and commercialization for selected agricultural and livestock value chain. This holistic approach supports the long-term objective of increasing rural income. II. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES A. PDO 23. The Project Development Objective is to improve and sustain road access of farming communities to production sites, markets and basic social services in selected areas. 6 http://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/africa-climate-business-plan Page 13 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) B. Project Area 24. The proposed area of intervention is the selected communes located in the administrative regions of Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, and Zinder. As illustrated in figure 1, these regions located in the southwest are the agricultural/semi-intensive cultivation belt and the agro-pastoral (millet, goat rearing, and casual labor) belt. Furthermore, these regions have the highest number of the poor and include two of the four areas of focus of the CPF: Maradi and Zinder. Figure 1. Poverty and Livelihoods Zones Desert Sahel (pastoral/ trans-humant cattle herding) Agro-pastoral (millet, Agricultural/ semi- goat rearing, casual intensive cultivation labor) AG ADEZ 1% = share of all TAHOUA DIFFA 12% poor people in 3% ZINDER Niger TILAB ERI 14% 30% 25% MARADI NIAMEY 1% DOSSO 15% Highest rates of poverty C. Project Beneficiaries 25. The project direct beneficiaries, which are the rural communities living in villages along the project roads, are estimated to be 375,000 people. Poor rural communities in the regions of Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, and Zinder will benefit from improved access to agriculture sites, basic services, and markets. The introduction of community-based routine maintenance contracts will increase access to job opportunities for women and youth. Additional project beneficiaries will include staff from the MoE as Recipient of technical assistance and capacity building. Page 14 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) D. PDO-Level Results Indicators 26. The following key indicators will be used to evaluate the achievement of the PDO: (a) Number of irrigated agricultural production sites7 with all-season road access (b) Percentage of rural markets with all-season road access (c) Number of basic social services (schools, health centers) with all-season road access (d) Number of people with access to all-reason roads in the project area (RAI) (e) Percentage of project roads receiving routine maintenance III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION A. Project Design and Theory of Change 27. The proposed project is designed to support the Government’s strategy to improve road access to selected agricultural production zones to facilitate the supply of inputs to farmers, more frequent visits of extension agents, and the marketing of agricultural surpluses coming from these selected zones. Furthermore, improved physical access to basic services such as health services and schools would promote social inclusion in rural areas where most of the poor lives. Finally, the project will ensure that the routine maintenance of the project roads will be executed by the local communities to ensure sustainability of road assets and create short-term jobs. 28. The proposed theory of change that creates a direct link between the activities financed, the outputs, the short-medium results, and the long-term result is described in figure 2. Figure 2. Theory of Change Activities Outputs PDO Outcome Long-Term Outcome Component A 650 km rural roads Improvement of rural rehabilitated and small Improved sustainable Enhanced economic transport infrastructure common facilities built movement of rural opportunity and population to markets, improved social welfare basic services and of rural population. 650 km already agricultural production Component B improved rural roads sites. Rural road maintenance under routine maintenance 7 Production sites such as irrigation sites financed by either Climate Smart Agriculture or SIIPs financed by the World Bank. Page 15 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) B. Project Components Component 1: Improvement of rural transport infrastructure (US$42.5 million equivalent from IDA) Subcomponent 1.1: Rural roads improvement works (US$41.5 million equivalent) 29. This subcomponent will finance the improvement into all-season roads of about 650 km of existing unpaved rural roads. The civil works will be executed in two consecutive phases. About 389 km of roads (for which bidding documents are ready) will be improved in the first phase (years 1–2), while the remaining 261 km will be identified during early project implementation and improved in a second phase (years 2–4). The remaining years of implementation will be used to execute routine maintenance of the already improved project roads under Subcomponent 2.2. 30. Activities to be financed include (a) technical engineering studies and preparation of bidding documents; (b) preparation of environmental and social safeguards instruments; (c) execution of civil works; (d) supervision of civil works; (e) third-party technical audits; and (f) third-party environmental, social, hygiene, and security (ESHS) audits of the civil works. 31. Flood vulnerability assessment of villages along the project roads will be conducted as part of the engineering studies. Appropriate flood control measures will be used for high-risk villages. These measures include, but are not limited to, levees to raise the banks; detention pond of water run-off storage to reduce flood intensity downstream; and channels to divert floodwater away from the house settlements, crops, and/or livestock. 32. This subcomponent will also address road safety along the project roads with a focus on ‘safer roads and mobility’ pillar of the United Nations’ resolution on road safety. Therefore, physical road safety features such as speed calming devices at the entry of villages, adequate traffic signs, and reflectors on the drainage structures will be included in the civil works. Subcomponent 1.2: Small common facilities (US$1.0 million equivalent) 33. This subcomponent will finance small common facilities requested specifically by women during consultations held at project preparation stage. The proposed facilities, located along the project roads, are designed to contribute to reducing gender disparities between men and women in accessing resources and economic opportunities and to maximize the impact of the project on farming communities. 34. Activities to be financed under this subcomponent are limited to (a) construction of pumping water wells (including geophysical studies and works); (b) construction of public toilets for schools near the project roads; (c) construction of fences for schools near the project roads; (d) acquisition and installation of solar lighting in selected villages along the project roads; and (e) planting additional trees at project sites. The location of the common facilities to benefit women will be confirmed through participatory processes with women. Page 16 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Component 2: Rural road maintenance (US$3.25 million equivalent, of which US$1.0 million from IDA, and US$2.25 funded by the Government of Niger (GoN) Subcomponent 2.1 Support for routine maintenance (US$1.0 million equivalent from IDA) 35. This subcomponent will support the implementation of an efficient and sustainable routine maintenance mechanism of the project roads. It will support the routine maintenance mechanism already defined in the country strategy of rural roads maintenance. The country has opted for the ‘length-men’ approach in which one worker executes the routine maintenance works of 2–3 km of roads and a supervisor oversees all the workers on the entire road section. 36. Activities to be financed include (a) awareness campaigns and identification of maintenance workers; (b) in-class and on-the-job training of workers in charge of carrying out routine maintenance; (c) acquisition of tools, safety equipment, and first aid kits for the workers; and (d) technical audits and evaluation of routine maintenance (to be triggered after one or two maintenance campaigns). The selection of workers will give priority to women and household members with income below the poverty line to better target underprivileged groups of the project area. Activities aiming to address the barriers that females face to participate in the economy will be included8 such as provisions of skills and community dialogue. Sensitization activities will be carried out with both women and men to contribute to address the gender norms that might impede women’s participation. Subcomponent 2.2 Pilot routine maintenance works (US$2.25 million equivalent, funded by the GoN) 37. Yearly routine maintenance is crucially needed to address early deteriorations on time before they become advanced, thus preserving the road assets and decreasing the later cost of rehabilitation/reconstruction. Once the project roads are improved and after the period of guarantee, GoN resources will be used for routine maintenance. Routine maintenance is simple, labor intensive, and implemented by unskilled labor living in the project area after receiving some basic training, as described in Subcomponent 2.1. These aspects of routine maintenance make it suitable for implementation by direct beneficiaries living along the road. Because all the project roads will not be completed at once, the routine maintenance works for the roads of phase I will begin first and the roads of phase II will follow. 38. Specific activities to be financed include (a) administrative cost related to programming and inspections missions of technical services and (b) labor cost for the workers performing routine maintenance works and managing rain barriers, as well as construction materials cost. 39. This subcomponent is exclusively financed by the GoN as counterpart financing through the road fund. A minimum of 5 percent of the road fund revenues are earmarked for the maintenance of rural roads under the ongoing road maintenance policies and financing reform supported by all development partners active in Niger’s transport sector. To ensure the timely availability of these funds, dated covenants for counterpart funding mobilization are included in the project design. To track the 8According to the Niger SCD, the four main barriers that women face to participate in productive activities are (a) lack of resources; (b) social norms; (c) inadequate human capital (low levels of education and skills); and (d) legal limitations for women to conduct business. Page 17 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) maintenance targets under the project, the Results Framework includes an indicator to monitor the proportion of improved project roads under routine maintenance. Component 3: Operational support for the Project (US$6.50 million equivalent from IDA) Subcomponent 3.1: Project management (US$3.8 million equivalent) 40. This subcomponent will finance project management and coordination of activities. Activities to be financed include (a) salary of key personnel of the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) staff; (b) external financial audits; (c) operating cost; (d) technical assistance and training cost (e) acquisition of office furniture, equipment, and logistics for the PCU DGRR, Agency of Environmental Assessment and Impact Studies (Bureau d'Evaluation Environnementale et des Etudes d'Impact, BEEEI), and DEP; (f) monitoring and evaluation; (g) compliance monitoring of environmental and social safeguards; and (h) project impact studies. Subcomponent 3.2: Resettlement action plans (US$1.00 million equivalent) 41. This subcomponent will finance the implementation of the Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) caused by the civil works of the project. The RAPs include (a) compensation of the project-affected persons (PAPs) and assistance to PAPs; (b) administrative cost related to the implementation; and (c) audit of the implementation of the RAPs. Subcomponent 3.3: Smart implementation support (US$0.30 million equivalent) 42. Because of the large project area and the volatile security situation, the project will rely on a variety of smart approaches leveraging digital technologies to facilitate the implementation of project activities as well as enhance monitoring and evaluation. The activities to be financed under this subcomponent will include, but are not limited to; (a) direct remote monitoring using satellite imagery; (b) use of smartphones for road data collection (such as road roughness before and after the civil works); and (c) mobile-based iterative beneficiary monitoring mechanisms. A nongovernmental organization (NGO) will be competitively selected in accordance with the World Bank procurement guidelines to undertake these tasks. Subcomponent 3.4: Citizen engagement (US$0.40 million equivalent) 43. This subcomponent supports the beneficiaries’ participation and feedback during the implementation of the project toward the integration of sustainable citizen engagement (CE) processes. CE will include the following: (a) A two-way communication and outreach, participatory planning, and community monitoring, as well as consultations with direct beneficiaries, making sure that participatory mechanisms are gender sensitive. The outreach and consultations will provide space for the project to explain the project activities, as well as the grievance redress mechanisms (GRMs) in place. The community monitoring aims to put in place contextualized mechanism to collect regular feedback from the beneficiaries throughout the project implementation. An Page 18 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) information and communication technology (ICT)-based solution will be deployed with a low-tech solution at the local level based on smartphones, including training of stakeholders. (b) GRM accessible to the beneficiaries. Subcomponent 3.5: Monitoring of gender-based violence (GBV) including sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment (US$1.0 million equivalent) 44. This subcomponent will finance activities designed to prevent and mitigate GBV including SEA and violence against children (VAC) risks linked to project civil works sites, as well as their monitoring. These activities will be implemented together with a specialized NGO with extensive experience in working on GBV matters in Niger. Recognizing that there is a significant risk of GBV in the project areas, the project has developed an approach based on the World Bank’s ‘Good Practice Note for Addressing Gender Based Violence in Investment Project Financing (IPF) involving Major Civil Works’. Annex 1 provides details of the GBV Prevention and Service Provision Action Plan. 45. Specific activities under this subcomponent include, but are not limited to, (a) assessment of needs and available services in the project areas; (b) community awareness and consultation on GBV including SEA and VAC (following ethical considerations); (c) monitoring of the implementation of the contractual clauses related to SEA and VAC (for example, signature of codes of conduct [CoCs], mandatory daily briefing on GBV) and reporting of identified non-compliance; (d) establishment and operationalization of a responsive and efficient GRM related to GBV and VAC (different from regular GRM) while keeping survivor information confidential and complaints anonymous; and (e) adequate provision of services to survivors in case of GBV or VAC incidence. C. Project Cost and Financing 46. The proposed project total cost is estimated at US$52.25 million and will be financed by an IDA credit of US$50 million equivalent and by a GoN counterpart funding contribution of US$2.25 million equivalent. Details are given in table 1. Table 1. Project Cost and Financing Government Total Amount in IDA Amount in IDA Project Components Funding in US$, US$, millions US$, millions Percentage millions Component 1. Improvement of 42.50 42.50 0.00 100 rural transport infrastructure 1.1 Rural roads improvement 41.50 41.50 — works 1.2 Small common facilities 1.00 1.00 — Component 2. Rural road 3.25 1.00 2.25 maintenance 2.1 Support for routine 1.00 1.00 — 100 maintenance 2.2 Pilot routine maintenance 2.25 — 2.25 0 works Page 19 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Government Total Amount in IDA Amount in IDA Project Components Funding in US$, US$, millions US$, millions Percentage millions Component 3. Operational 6.50 6.50 0.00 100 support for the project 3.1 Project management 3.80 3.80 — 3.2 Resettlement action plans 1.00 1.00 — 3.3 Smart implementation support 0.30 0.30 — 3.4 Citizen engagement 0.40 0.40 — 3.5 Monitoring of GBV including 1.00 1.00 — SEA and sexual harassment Total 52.25 50.00 2.25 96 D. Lessons Learned and Reflected in the Project Design 47. The proposed project design takes stock of country-specific lessons and international best practices for rural roads project. Country-specific lessons include the experience from the recently closed Niger-Transport Sector Program Support Project (TSPS-P101434). 48. Simple and straightforward project design. The project design is straightforward and has achievable objectives with measurable outcomes through only two main project components, focused geographical area in line with the client capacity and to allow adequate supervision of activities. The World Bank team and counterparts have resisted temptations to address too many issues in one project. For example, an additional identified constraint related to rural transport services (availability and adequacy of non-motorized transport in rural areas) may be addressed during an eventual additional financing once the initial project works satisfactorily. 49. Size of civil works contracts attractive to foreign contractors and six years of implementation. The assessment of rural roads contracts in Niger over the past six years has shown that there is still a limited capacity of local SMEs (number and quality) to execute relatively high number of civil works. At the same time, foreign contractors would be less interested if the contract amount is too small to be profitable. To mitigate the risks of low competition, the first phase of the works (383 km for about US$21 million) will be carried out in two separate bidding processes. The first bidding of approximately 175 km (about US$10 million) with an execution period of 15 months will be an International Competitive Bidding (ICB). Given that the previous transport project took eight years to complete against the four years planned, the proposed project implementation period is six years to allow for a realistic implementation period and avoid time overrun. 50. Small common facilities along project roads. The rehabilitation and construction of small infrastructures in villages along the project roads enhance the impact of rural roads investment on the living condition of the local population, especially women and children. This was a key lesson learned from similar projects in other countries. 51. Careful targeting and selection of road sections can contribute to improve farm productivity in rural areas. The project has been designed in full synergy with various operations supported by the World Bank in Niger, addressing the country’s top priorities in increasing agricultural productivity of rural poor. Page 20 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) The project intervention areas overlap with the areas included in the agriculture projects, to maximize results by improving access of farmers to inputs, extension services, and markets. 52. Safeguards compliance should be given more attention at entry to ensure that all parties are aware of the implementation requirements. A workshop will be organized shortly after effectiveness to remind and explain the actions needed for a proper implementation of safeguards instruments already disclosed during preparation. Emphasis will be on the implementation of the RAPs before the beginning of the civil works, the timely approval and proper implementation of the legally binding Contractor- Environmental and Social Management Plan (C-ESMP), contractual requirements to have an ESHS expert as part of the key personnel for both the contractors and the engineers, occupational health and safety (OHS) requirements, and finally the relation between the contractors and the community to avoid potential conflicts. Furthermore, safeguards audits will be conducted frequently to assess and provide corrective measures. 53. GBV. The activities in Subcomponent 3.5 are designed to integrate actions aimed at mitigating project risk of GBV and to monitor the effectiveness of theses mitigation measures to adapt them quickly as necessary. As risks change over time, the project will put in place measures to continuously monitor them throughout the life of the project. The component will also put in place a responsive and efficient reporting through the GRM while keeping survivor information confidential and anonymous as needed and provide response actions for GBV cases by providing essential service to survivors. 54. The FY18 second Foster Rural Economy Development Policy Financing (DPF-P163318) was effective in addressing rural road maintenance policies. Thus, the long overdue legislation on FER to ensure sustainability of interventions in road improvements, approved by Parliament in 2017, has been enacted as a prior action in the World Bank-financed DPF support approved in October 2018. Because of this prior action, conditionality was avoided under this proposed project. 55. Promoting a local mechanism for rural roads maintenance is critical for ownership and sustainability of unpaved rural roads. The project supports the piloting of a community-based maintenance model. The community-based maintenance model has been successfully implemented in Niger by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Additionally, such model can contribute to providing small local jobs to youth and women. IV. IMPLEMENTATION A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 56. The institutional arrangements to effectively implement the proposed project activities are in place, as follows: a high level steering committee ensuring the adequate strategic direction and decision making; a technical committee responsible for the project technical oversight and meeting of its development objectives; and a fully operational project coordination unit (PCU) managing the day-to-day activities including fiduciary, social and environmental safeguards, and project monitoring and evaluation. Page 21 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation 57. Responsibility for monitoring activities. The monitoring of outcomes/results will be based on the agreed Results Framework and monitoring arrangements that are described in Section VII. The PCU will be responsible for regular monitoring of the project performance. It will produce semiannual and annual progress reports. These reports will assess progress based on the indicators of the Results Framework. 58. Smart implementation support and community monitoring. A system of smart monitoring designed for unsafe locations and community monitoring to receive feedback from direct beneficiaries will be established. Details are provided in Subcomponents 3.3 and 3.4. C. Sustainability 59. Recipient’s commitment and ownership. Because of the faster deterioration of unpaved roads if not maintained, critical factors in the project design to ensure sustainability of the project roads are (a) provision of financial resources as counterpart funding for the project roads maintenance after the initial rehabilitation and (b) provision of technical expertise including acquisition of tools for routine maintenance execution activities at the community level. 60. The initial rehabilitation will be financed by IDA while the GoN will finance the maintenance of the project roads through the road fund during the project implementation and after closure. The new FER legislation provides for a minimum of 5 percent of the road fund resources to be allocated for the maintenance of rural roads. This policy allows the GoN to finance the maintenance works of the roads improved by the project as counterpart funding through the road fund for an estimated amount of US$2.25 million. The maintenance will start during implementation once the initial rehabilitation is completed. This approach will create the foundation for improved rural roads asset management. 61. The project roads are expected to be receiving maintenance even after the project closing because once rehabilitated, they will be included in the inventory of roads maintenance program financed by the new road fund. Thus, physical condition assessment followed by maintenance works will be executed on a yearly basis to preserve the project roads asset. 62. The proposed project will finance all the needed capacity building through the creation, provision of tools, and trainings of community maintenance groups in charge of rural roads maintenance. The sustainability will also be measured throughout the project lifetime. At the end of the project, 100 percent of the project roads should be receiving routine maintenance financed by the road fund. D. Role of Partners 63. The World Bank has a long-standing collaboration relationship with the development partners active in the transport sector in Niger. The project has been designed to complement the assistance of partners, which is focused on (a) providing technical assistance to the MoE (the EC) and (b) financing trunk roads in urgent need of rehabilitation on Niger’s transit corridor with Benin while piloting multiannual performance-based contracts. The proposed institutional reforms related to improving and securing the road maintenance have been promoted jointly and with a single voice, to ensure the attention of Page 22 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) counterparts and maximize effects. For example, while the EU assists the Government on drafting the legislation on FER, the World Bank has ensured that it was passed through a decree, as a prior action of the FY18 Second Fostering Rural Growth DPF (P163318). V. KEY RISKS A. Overall Risk Rating and Explanation of Key Risks 64. The overall risk rating of the project is Substantial. The most critical risks relate to (a) high political and governance risk; (b) substantial macroeconomic risk; (c) substantial risk for institutional capacity for implementation and sustainability; (c) substantial fiduciary risk; and (d) high environmental and social risk. 65. Political and governance risk is rated High. Security concerns including possible restrictions to visit sites may affect the project implementation. While Niger is not officially classified as a fragile and conflict-affected state, there are risks of fragility, conflict, and violence. The external geopolitical environment surrounding Niger is a major source of instability and insecurity, with spillover effects from the crisis in northern Mali, Northeast Nigeria, and Libya. Although the project area is relatively safe compared to the rest of the country, security context may change over time. Smart implementation approach (ICT, third-party monitoring) is part of the project design in case site visits become impossible. 66. Macroeconomic risk is rated Substantial. Depressed commodity prices and security challenges are risks that may affect the macroeconomic and fiscal situation. While reduced commodity prices would affect revenue, the security challenge and the cost of hosting refugees would deviate spending from economic priorities. Both shocks could adversely affect the revenue of the road fund. The World Bank is financing a DPF series to address these risks by promoting growth-enhancing measures and creating incentives for the private sector. The continued implementation of International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility programs and the macroeconomic anchor offered by Niger’s membership in the West African Economic and Monetary Union also help mitigate macroeconomic risks. 67. Institutional capacity for implementation and sustainability is rated Substantial. Experience with past projects revealed the limited capacity of the MoE’s general directorate responsible for overseeing the execution of civil works to control the quality. The current project also requires strong coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture given the focus on rural roads and the close links with the agriculture operations financed by the World Bank and other partners. Mitigation measures include a selection of more focused areas of interventions to enable easier supervision and better impact (and overlapping with the agriculture projects areas) and specific assistance to strengthen contract management skills of the DGRR, complementary to the support provided by the EC’s technical assistance. Finally, the first phase of project preparation is hosted by the PCU within the MoE, thus ensuring synergy in the selection of project areas. 68. Fiduciary risk is rated Substantial. Procurement of contracts for World Bank Group projects and precisely transport projects has been subjected to long delays and cases of collusion largely attributable to low level of capacity of local contractors and poor responsiveness of the national system, cumbersome Page 23 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) government procedures, and weak follow-up. The MoE may delay the procurement9 and overall implementation process. Close collaboration and monitoring of the procurement activities will help reduce the delays. 69. Environmental and social risk is rated High. Social risks are considered high due to a high risk for GBV, including SEA risks in the areas of the project as assessed through the risk assessment tool of the World Bank. This risk level is high because it is anticipated that the project will trigger an influx of male workers and works will take place in communities where GBV rates are already highest in the country and where there are high levels of poverty as well, making community populations more vulnerable to GBV risk. There are also security concerns which may make supervision of the works more challenging. Environmental risk is also considered high. National capacity to prepare and properly implement safeguards instruments has been challenging in the context of previous transport projects and during preparation of the proposed project. Furthermore, local contractors have limited ability to properly implement sites’ environmental and social mitigation plans. To address this, the PCU has hired a Social Development Specialist and an Environmental Specialist. An ESHS expert will be part of the key personnel for all the contractors recruited for the civil works. An ESHS audit will be conducted on every work site to make sure the C-ESMPs are implemented satisfactorily. In addition, an NGO will be hired to monitor the implementation of GBV mitigation and response measures. VI. APPRAISAL SUMMARY A. Road Selection and Prioritization 70. Selection criteria and prioritization. A needs assessment for the first phase civil works was conducted in three regions (Dosso, Tahoua, and Maradi) of the project area. It provided an extensive list of 600 km of impassable rural roads identified in the communes’ development plans and through consultations. In many communes of the project area, the CSA includes five principal intervention categories to improve farmers’ agricultural productivity. The interventions are (a) improving soil fertility and water management for rain-fed crops; (b) supporting small- and medium-scale irrigation; (c) supporting the consolidation of high potential value chain, (d) improving market access; and (e) improving agroforestry and natural resources management. In selecting the project roads, priority was given to improve road access to production sites for the beneficiary communes of the CSA and the SIIP. The selection of the project roads for the first phase prioritized 15 out of the 60 communes targeted by the CSA. Thus, about 389 km of rural roads were identified. 71. Road selection for alignment with RMR. The region of Diffa produces pepper for consumption in northern Nigerian cities such as Kano. Because of insecurity, the transport of pepper to Nigerian markets cannot use the direct route crossing the Nigerian state of Borno. Alternative trade routes from Diffa through Zinder to Nigeria need to be developed to maintain the road connectivity between the production zone in Diffa and consumption zone in northern Nigeria. In addition, storage facilities to be financed by the agricultural and livestock transformation project need all-season road access to ensure commercialization. 9 Road contracts in Niger are still approved by the Minister of Equipment. Page 24 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) 72. The selection criteria of phase II (about 261 km) are (a) road sections part of the pepper alternative trade routes to Nigeria; (b) road sections benefiting selected value chain of the World Bank- financed Agricultural and Livestock Transformation project; (c) market size; and (d) road distribution per region. Similar to phase I, the small common facilities along these roads will be identified through the same participatory process from the preparation stage, namely using community consultations— specifically with women; these facilities will be designed to contribute to reducing gender disparities between men and women. B. Economic Analysis 73. An economic analysis was performed on the road sections of phase I to be improved in the project. Eleven (11) road sections (totaling about 389 km) were selected to run the economic analysis. These are currently impassable because of many interruption points such as water crossings, soil with low bearing capacity, or bad drainage system. 74. Methodology. Because the road sections to be financed by the project are low-traffic unpaved roads, the Road Economic Decision Model Version 4.0 was used to perform the economic analysis, using the consumer surplus approach to estimate project benefits in terms of road user costs (vehicle operating costs plus travel time costs) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions savings. 75. Road condition. The current condition of the project roads corresponds to an average vehicle speed of 18 km per hour and a roughness of 22 international roughness index (IRI), m/km. After the project interventions, it was assumed that the roughness would improve to 10 IRI, m/km, corresponding to an average speed of 40 km per hour. 76. Traffic. The current normal traffic varies from 17 to 432 vehicles per day, of which around 86 percent are motorcycles. The evaluation considered a traffic growth rate of 5 percent per year over the evaluation period for all vehicles.10 The generated traffic, due to the decrease in transport costs caused by the road improvements, was assumed to be 5 percent of the normal traffic. Induced traffic—because of local development due to agricultural projects being implemented in the project area, farmers receiving inputs, improved soil, and new irrigation sites resulting in more agricultural production—was considered in the economic evaluation. 77. Investment. The average initial investment cost to improve an existing impassable unpaved road into an all-season road is about US$55,000 per km, which includes full road length treatment with wearing course and drainage structures. The initial investment would be followed by a recurrent/annual routine maintenance of about US$900 per km and a periodic maintenance in year 7 of about US$14,000 per km. 78. Economic evaluation results. The economic analysis was performed for a 20-year evaluation period, adopting a discount rate of 6 percent and the low scenario of unit social cost of carbon, in US$ per CO2 ton equivalent, based on the recommendations of the World Bank’s Shadow Price of Carbon Guidance Note.11 The overall economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of the project is 22.1 percent and the net present value is US$35.8 million corresponding to a benefit-cost ratio of 2.7. Normal traffic benefits 10The IMF estimates that the GDP of Niger will increase at 5.8 percent per year from 2018 to 2023. 11http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/621721519940107694/Guidance-note-on-shadow-price-of-carbon-in- economic-analysis. Page 25 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) account for 83 percent of the project benefits; generated, induced, and diverted traffic benefits for 16 percent; and CO2 emissions benefits for 1 percent. High economic returns for the proposed roadworks on unpaved roads are expected because these works would greatly reduce the roughness (and implicitly road user costs) of unpaved roads with a relatively low-cost investment. 79. Sensitivity analysis. Sensitivity analysis shows that the project is economically justified even if construction cost is 20 percent higher or if the project benefits are 20 percent lower, or both. If construction costs were 20 percent higher and the project benefits were 20 percent lower, the EIRR would drop to 15 percent. Switching values analysis shows that construction costs would have to increase by 247 percent for the EIRR to reach 6 percent. C. Rational for public sector financing and World Bank Value added. 80. Public sector financing is the appropriate vehicle for financing the improvement of the project roads because their traffic is not high enough to justify the concession to the private sector of their improvement and management. In addition, public investment in road infrastructure is a way for the Government to play a key role in the country’s development by handling a range of issues that can only be accomplished or implemented through government actions. 81. The World Bank has a solid track record in supporting Niger in the economic development of the rural area. The foundations have been laid by previous interventions of the World Bank and major reforms supported by the World Bank such as the creation of the road fund and later making it a second- generation fund. The World Bank is currently supporting the creation of a road maintenance agency. The World bank also brought innovative and best practices related to the improvement of unpaved low volume roads, procurement and social and environmental safeguards. The World Bank is the only donor heavily involved in the rehabilitation and maintenance of the rural roads network of the country that is very crucial for the rural economy and agriculture development in general. The proposed project will consolidate the achievement of previous operations and go further in solving other transport related constraints such as the sustainability of the rural road network. D. GHG Accounting 82. The total gross CO2 emissions over the 20-year evaluation period under the without-project scenario are estimated at 149,048 tons and under the with-project scenario at 130,476 tons, resulting in a net decrease of CO2 emissions of about 18,572 tons, or 929 tons per year. The reduction in GHG emissions can be attributed to the reduction in fuel consumption due to the increase in vehicles speed from around 18 to 40 km per hour with the project. E. Technical 83. Technical specifications of rural roads improvement. Most of the project roads are existing underdeveloped rural roads with many locations where the traffic is cut off during rainy season because of water crossings and/or sandy areas making the traffic difficult, even for 4x4 vehicles. The scope of work is mainly focused on constructing drainage structures (accounting for more than 60 percent of the cost in the bill of quantities) in locations that are cut off during rainy season (such as small bridges, culverts, side ditches), minimum earth work/grading to ensure continuity, and a wearing course on the platform so that Page 26 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) vehicles can move in sandy areas. This option is the most efficient way of providing road access to the population at the minimum cost. 84. Performance-based contracts for routine maintenance. The scope of work of routine maintenance is focused on maintaining year-round passability and consists mainly of clearing of bridges, culverts, side ditch, and vegetation off the roads; scour and erosion protection; small repair of drainage structures; minor earthwork to treat ruts and rills; and filling of potholes. The payments received by the maintenance workers who will execute routine maintenance will depend on the achievement of clearly predefined performance indicators related to the activities above. The payments will not be based on the amount of inputs and works executed. The performance indicators will focus on all-season passability of the roads under maintenance. Performance-based contracts also tend to make inspection easier. The concentrated branches of the DGRR will conduct inspections to verify that the road condition meets the performance indicators. An external technical audit will be conducted to assess the efficacy of the routine maintenance mechanism. F. Financial Management 85. The FM aspects of the project will be managed by the MoE through a PCU already established by a ministerial act. The MoE has recently hosted the IDA-funded TSPS (P101434), which closed on June 30, 2016. 86. The fiduciary compliance for the TSPS project was deemed satisfactory. The unaudited interim financial reports (IFRs) as well as the audit reports were submitted on time and found acceptable. However, the assessment concluded that the current arrangements need to be strengthened to meet the minimum requirements of the World Bank. As result, a PCU has been established and fully staffed. All staff have been recruited under the project preparation advance. In addition, the Project Implementing Manual and the project administrative, financial, and accounting procedures manual were prepared and validated by the World Bank.12 Finally, no later than five months after effectiveness, the PCU of the MoE will (a) acquire an accounting software to record the project accounting transactions, generate IFRs and financial statements and (b) appoint an independent external auditor to audit the project’s accounts. 87. The conclusion of the assessment was that the FM residual risk for the MoE, which is the implementing agency of this project, is Substantial. Once the proposed mitigation measures and action plan have been implemented, the FM arrangements will satisfy the World Bank’s minimum requirements under World Bank IPF Policy and Directive, to provide, with reasonable assurance, accurate and timely information on the status of the project as required by IDA. The proposed mitigation measures are identified in table 2. Table 2. FM Action Plan Responsible Action to Be Taken Expected Completion Date Body 1. Financial and accounting system Within 5 months after effectiveness MoE Acquire and install a project accounting software acceptable to the World Bank 12 These manuals are living/working documents which may be revised and improved as needed, from time to time. Page 27 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Responsible Action to Be Taken Expected Completion Date Body 2. Disbursement and funds flow Within 1 month after effectivenessMoE Open a Designated Account (DA) at a local commercial (not legally binding) bank 3. External Audit Within 5 months after effectiveness MoE Recruit the project’s external auditor based on terms of reference (ToRs) acceptable to the World Bank 88. Budgeting arrangements. All the project transactions will be ring-fenced and will not go through the Niger Public Accounts. The budgeting process will be clearly defined in the project administrative, financial, and accounting procedures manual, and the budget will be reviewed and adopted by the PSC not later than November 30 each year. Annual budgets adopted by the PSC will be submitted to the World Bank’s no-objection before implementation. 89. Budgets should be regularly monitored at all levels. The approved annual project budget should be at least quarterly monitored against actual expenditure by the PCU. The budget variances will be adequately explained and justified through the semiannual IFRs. 90. Accounting policies and procedures. The current accounting standards in use in West and Central African Francophone countries for ongoing World Bank-financed projects will be applicable. To that end, SYSCOHADA, assigned accounting system in West African Francophone, will be applicable. Project accounts will be maintained on an accrual basis, supported with appropriate records and procedures to track commitments and to safeguard assets. Annual financial statements will be prepared by the PCU in accordance with the SYSCOHADA and World Bank requirements. Accounting and control procedures will be documented in the administrative, financial, and accounting procedures manual. Internal Control and Internal Audit Arrangements 91. Internal control systems. Internal control comprises the whole system of control, financial or otherwise, established by the PCU to (a) carry out the project activities in an orderly and efficient manner; (b) ensure adherence to policies and procedures; (c) ensure maintenance of complete and accurate accounting records; and (d) safeguard the assets of the project. 92. Under the IDA-financed TSPS project, the MoE had developed an adequate internal control system acceptable to the World Bank, which will be used for the proposed project. There is segregation of duties whereby authorization to execute transaction, recording of the transaction, and custody of assets involved in the transaction are performed by different persons. Ordering, receiving, accounting for and paying for goods and services are appropriately segregated. Internal audit. There is no need to recruit an internal auditor for this project. G. Procurement 93. Applicable procurement rules and procedures. Procurement for goods, works, and non- consulting and consulting services for the project will be done in accordance with the procedures specified in the ‘World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers’, dated July 2016 and revised in November Page 28 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) 2016 and August 2018; 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’, dated October 15, 2016, and revised in January 2011 and July 1, 2016; and the provisions stipulated in the Financing Agreement. 94. All goods, works, and non-consulting services will be procured in accordance with the requirements set forth or referred to in Section VI. Approved Selection Methods: Goods, Works and Non- Consulting Services of the ‘Procurement Regulations’ and the consulting services will be procured in accordance with the requirements set forth or referred to in Section VII. Approved Selection Methods: Consulting Services of the ‘Procurement Regulations’, the Project Procurement Strategy for Development (PPSD), and the Procurement Plan approved by the World Bank. 95. Procurement assessment. A procurement assessment was carried out by the World Bank. The assessment concluded that the technical services of the MoE do not have the capacity to implement World Bank-funded applicable procurement rules and procedures. A Procurement Specialist with experience in World Bank procedures has thus been hired as key personnel of the PCU. 96. Procurement responsibilities. The procurement activities will be carried out by the PCU. The PCU will also be responsible for the coordination and quality control of all procurement-related activities funded by the proposed project. 97. PPSD. The PPSD was prepared by the PTC in charge of project preparation and was reviewed and found satisfactory by the World Bank in September 2018. The PPSD is available in the project files. Overall, the PPSD finds that the capacities of the national and international markets are sufficient to meet the project's needs. The suppliers, companies and consultants identified have assets in terms of experience and capacity to execute the planned contracts. 98. Procurement Plan. The Procurement Plan for the first 18 months of the project implementation was discussed and agreed between the Recipient and the World Bank on February 4, 2019. 99. Frequency of procurement reviews and supervision. The World Bank will conduct six-monthly supervision missions and an annual Post Procurement Review (PPR). The PPR will be done either by World Bank staff or consultants hired by the World Bank. The PPR will cover at least 10 percent of contracts that have not been prior reviewed in a financial year. The sampling is risk based and takes into consideration (a) the project procurement risk rating, with the riskier projects having a larger sample, and (b) the contract risk rating, to ensure that riskier contracts constitute a higher proportion of the sample. The World Bank reserves the right to conduct an Independent Procurement Review at any time up to two years following the closing date of the project. H. Environment (including safeguards) (i) Environment 100. The project environmental screening concluded that potential adverse environmental impacts are site specific and few of them are irreversible. This is because the project civil works activities will mainly consist of (a) full length wearing course and construction of drainage structures on unpaved existing rural Page 29 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) roads; (b) small common facilities on small footprints along the project roads; and (c) routine maintenance of unpaved rural roads. Therefore, the proposed project is classified as Category B. The proposed project triggers the following environmental policies: OP/BP 4.01 (Environmental Assessment), OP/BP 4.11 (Physical Cultural Resources), and OP/PB 4.36 (Forests). 101. Safeguards instruments requirements. An Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for the whole project and a specific Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the selected road sections to be rehabilitated under the first phase have been prepared, approved, and disclosed in-country and on the World Bank’s site on October 19, 2018 (ESMF) and November 5, 2018 (ESIA). 102. Institutional arrangement for safeguards processing. The overall responsibility of safeguards processing lies with the PCU within the MoE. The PCU will work closely with the BEEEI within the Ministry of Environment. More specifically, the PCU has been staffed with and will maintain an ESS and an SSS during the whole duration of the project. The ESS will be responsible for the full implementation of the approved and disclosed ESMF. The ESS will: (a) Ensure systematic screening of all subprojects as well as the development of any related additional site-specific safeguards documents (ESIA/Environmental and Social Management Plans [ESMPs]). These documents will be properly consulted upon and publicly disclosed both in-country and on the World Bank’s site before the start of the civil works; (b) Ensure that in all bidding documents, environmental clauses are systematically integrated in and duly implemented by contractors; and (c) Periodically produce environmental safeguards implementation status report. The ESS will be supported by the World Bank’s ESSs who will ensure that his/her technical capacity is further strengthened. 103. Consultation and disclosure of the safeguards documents. During the preparation of the ESMF and the specific ESIA for phase I civil works, the Client undertook meaningful consultations with the main stakeholders. Consultations were held from April 30, 2018, to May 5, 2018, and about 621 persons were consulted during the preparation of the ESMF in Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, and Zinder regions. The consultations involved PAPs, local authorities’ representatives, women associations, traditional rulers, youth associations, farmers cooperatives, and local NGOs’ representatives. During the preparation of additional specific safeguards documents for phase II civil works, the same meaningful consultation will be undertaken during project implementation, and the documents will be disclosed in-country and on the World Bank’s site. During project implementation, the PCU will maintain consultations with the main stakeholders. (ii) Social 104. The project triggers the safeguards policy OP/BP 4.12 on involuntary resettlement because of the road civil works. The road improvement is expected to follow mostly the existing alignments; however, the right-of-way needed for the road width will require encroachment into strips of farmland, part of houses, and trees. Given that only the road sections of phase I—totaling around 389 km—were Page 30 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) identified during preparation out of the total 650 km, a Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) was prepared as due diligence to cover the whole project and was disclosed in-country and on the World Bank’s site on October 18, 2018, and October 19, 2018, respectively. The environmental and social screening of phase I has identified the need to prepare two RAPs. The two RAPs were prepared and disclosed in-country on January 24, 2019 (RAP for Dania-Lougou section) and on January 25, 2019 (RAP for Yaya-Dangona section) and on the World Bank’s site on January 23, 2019. About 1,055 people are expected to be affected based on the first two RAPs. These affected people will be losing part of their farmlands and houses. These instruments define the procedures to follow to compensate the affected communities and propose mitigation measures. 105. Extensive consultations with various stakeholders (local authorities’ representatives, PAPs, traditional chiefs, government and local NGOs) were conducted during the preparation of the RPF and RAPs and will continue throughout the project implementation to help empower beneficiaries and strengthen the decision-making process. Once the project roads of phase II are identified, a similar environmental and social screening will be carried out to assess the potential impacts and needed RAPs will be prepared and implemented accordingly. Appropriate grievance-handling procedures will be in place as well as monitoring arrangements to make sure that the RAPs are implemented in a satisfactory manner so that no PAP is omitted. (iii) Gender 106. Gender inequality is high in Niger. The country occupies 154th place out of 155 on the inequality index between the sexes (UNDP 2015). These disparities present a challenge for development, particularly in areas of literacy, mortality, morbidity, access to assets, sexual violence, and early marriage. Women, especially in rural areas, face higher unemployment levels and carry a heavy burden of work such as collecting water and firewood, agricultural work, preparing meals, or child rearing. To face this challenge, a ‘National Policy on Gender’ was adopted in 2007 and updated in 2017. It aims to create a favorable environment and ensure systematic mainstreaming of gender at all levels. 107. A gender report,13 including consultations, done specifically to support the preparation of the gender component of the project in the areas of Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, and Zinder, has identified specific gender constraints and needs. Consultations revealed that because many rural communities do not have water wells, housewives and girls walk long distances, wait in queues to access clean water (pumping water wells), have less access to job and economic opportunities, and as a result also spend more time than men in agricultural activities such as processing millet. Several of the communities of the proposed project areas have lower rates of school attendance by girls than the national average. In addition to early marriage, many girls do not attend school because of lack of public toilettes. This analysis is confirmed in Niger’s recent SCD and the country’s 2013 gender analysis.14 108. The project will seek to reduce some of the gender gaps identified during project preparation. Under Subcomponent 1.2, specific activities of the project to address gender gaps will include the (a) construction of pumping water wells in selected villages along the project roads; (b) construction of public 13Rapport Genre. Project d’Appui au Désenclavement des zones agricoles (PADEZA) Dosso-Tahoua-Maradi, Zinger au Niger. 14Analyse de la situation des enfants et des femmes du Niger selon une approche basée sur l’équitée et les droits humains. Ministère du Plan, de l’Aménagement du Territoire et du Developpement Communautaire . UNICEF. 2013. http://www.stat- niger.org/statistique/file/DSEDS/Rapport-analyse-situation-enfants-femmes-selon-equite-Niger.pdf. Page 31 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) toilets in schools located along the project roads; and (c) recruitment and training of women to become road maintenance workers. The project will organize an awareness-raising activity to ensure women’s participation in road maintenance activities. This is particularly important as the country’s 2013 gender analysis reports that women living in rural areas and in the regions of Maradi, Zinder, and Tahoua have less access to information and reduced participation in decision making. 109. The Results Framework includes an indicator to monitor the impact of proposed activities to foster employment of women as road maintenance workers. Experiences from rural road maintenance programs in other countries where women have been employed as workers have been successful in providing a source income for women and thereby also improving their livelihoods. The proposed indicator will monitor the number of people participating in brigades of road maintenance of which percentage are women. In addition, it is also anticipated that a study will be conducted to assess the impact of pumping water wells and public toilets in schools. 110. GBV and SEA risks. To mitigate the identified high risk for GBV and SEA in the project areas, a GBV prevention and response action plan was developed based on the ‘Good Practice Note For Addressing Gender Based Violence in IPF involving Major Civil Works (June 2018)’, which includes (a) a detailed risk assessment of SEA risks for the project areas; (b) the provision of services ranging from prevention to incident resolution by bridging the gap between existing national and local services for addressing GBV and the hiring of a specialized NGO to provide additional related support services; (c) addressing GBV risks through the procurement process with the adoption of CoCs by any contractor working on the project; and (d) the setting up of an Accountability and Response Framework that is based on existing community responsibilities for handling of GBV allegations and establishment of a GRM designed specifically for reporting SEA incidents and to respect confidentiality in coordination with local leading partners, including the UNFPA. Annex 1 provides details of the project’s approach. (iv) Child Labor 111. The bidding documents of all civil works include provisions prohibiting the use of labor. The bidding documents refer to international conventions barring child labor. There will be signboards at all the work sites stating the minimum allowed age for workers. The supervision consultant is expected to verify the ages of all workers on a periodic basis and report to the PIU about the child labor compliances. (v) OHS 112. All civil works contracts include clauses on OHS. All civil works activities call for contractors to implement appropriate standards for OHS. All contractors will submit an OHS Management Plan as part of the C-ESMP. The OHS Management Plan will include, but is not limited to, training of works on OHS, availability of first aid services, sanitation and hygiene at the work place, use of personal protective equipment, site safety and accident responses, and implementation of traffic management plan during construction. The OHS Management Plan will be reviewed and cleared by the supervision consultant, who will then monitor its implementation. There will be strict requirements for reporting on OHS issues, with any serious issues or fatalities to be reported to the World Bank within 24 hours. Page 32 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) (vi) Citizen engagement 113. A CE approach informed the design of the project and is mainstreamed through the following three beneficiary feedback mechanisms that are embedded in the project interventions at the local level: (a) consultations; (b) community monitoring; and (c) GRM. Communication and outreach are intertwined with CE and integrated in each phase of the project implementation as a building block for CE interventions. This will ensure that the local communities are fully informed about the project activities as well as the CE mechanisms, thereby allowing for an effective and informed beneficiary feedback throughout the project implementation. 114. Participatory planning. The design of the project integrated citizens’ feedback at the local level through the involvement of the direct beneficiary at an early stage of the project preparation. Consultations in the form of public hearings were conducted to inform the beneficiaries about the proposed project as well as the expected results. Expression of needs was also requested from both the local governments and the agricultural technical services to agree on the long list of roads considering the local communities needs in terms of access to markets and basic services. Therefore, the targeted roads and small common facilities were or will be selected with direct input from the beneficiary communities. 115. Outreach and consultations. Information about the launch of the project activities in specific regions, their objectives, and expected results will be aired through rural radios to inform the targeted local communities about the specific activities in their neighborhoods and to announce the date and location of the consultations and public hearings. The subsequent consultations will focus on detailed information on the road improvement works and the durations, the small common facilities requested by the communities, and the GRM in place. 116. Community monitoring and beneficiary feedback. A community monitoring mechanism will be in place to enhance citizens’ voice, build their ownership of project activities, and increase transparency. The objective of the community monitoring activities is to monitor, through beneficiary feedback, the on- the-ground impact of the project interventions. This will allow direct beneficiaries to first provide feedback related to sites where access was once lost or difficult after a rainstorm to assess the quality of the civil work, and second, feedback related to road maintenance quality once the roads are improved. A focal point embedded within each targeted community will be identified and equipped with a smartphone. They will monitor the passability of the improved rural roads and maintenance activities through a short survey with members of beneficiary communities and will send the data to a center for treatment and analysis managed by regional councils. The conclusion of the data analysis will be shared among actors, mainly implementing agencies, for feedback and follow-up. The local government representatives and local civil society organizations will be closely involved throughout this process to strengthen their capacity in terms of community monitoring and build a collaborative approach among the various actors. 117. Project-level GRM. A GRM operated by the PCU will be in place to allow all project-affected beneficiaries to submit complaints and receive timely feedback and resolution of issues. Registration of complaints, access to complaints and deadlines for addressing them, resolution, preparation of reports, and stakeholders involved in every step have been designed in the preparation of safeguards documents to enable the GRM to be operational and accessible throughout the project life. The PCU will document the grievances and maintain a database to monitor the type of complaints and their timely resolution. The Page 33 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) project-level GRM like most effective GRM follows a value chain consisting of six steps: (a) uptake; (b) sort and process; (c) acknowledge and follow-up; (d) verify, investigate, and act; (e) monitor and evaluate; and (f) provide feedback to the complainant. These steps are critical to the success of the GRM and was contextualized based on the project context and stakeholders (not only beneficiaries). Figure 3. Complaints Handling Value Chain I. Overall Project Readiness 118. Readiness for implementation is crucial to avoid unanticipated delays between board approval and effectiveness, unforeseen lags in implementation and disbursement. The project preparation advance was used to conduct key preparation studies such as engineering and safeguards studies. The project is ready for implementation because the PCU is in place and operational (key staff already recruited). The operational and fiduciary manuals have been prepared, the counterpart funding has been agreed, the auditing arrangement has been agreed, the project procurement document (PPSD) and the procurement plans for initial implementation (first 18 months) are ready. The environmental and social safeguards instruments needed at this stage have been prepared and disclosed. Finally, the bidding documents of the phase I road sections are ready to be published. J. World Bank Grievance Redress 119. Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected by a World Bank (WB) supported project may submit complaints to existing project-level grievance redress mechanisms or the WB’s Grievance Redress Service (GRS). The GRS ensures that complaints received are promptly reviewed to address project-related concerns. Project affected communities and individuals may submit their complaint to the WB’s independent Inspection Panel which determines whether harm occurred, or could occur, as a result of WB non-compliance with its policies and procedures. Complaints may be submitted at any time after concerns have been brought directly to the World Bank's attention, and Bank 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. . Page 34 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) VII. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND MONITORING Results Framework COUNTRY: Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project Project Development Objective(s) The project development objective is to improve and sustain road access of farming communities to production sites, markets and basic social services in selected areas. Project Development Objective Indicators RESULT_FRAME_T BL_ PD O Indicator Name DLI Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Improved road access of farming communities to production sites in selected areas. Number of irrigated agricultural production sites 20.00 50.00 88.00 with all season road access (Number) Improved road access of farming communities to markets in selected areas. Percentage of rural markets with all season road 19.30 31.00 43.86 access (Percentage) Improved access of farming communities to basic social services in selected areas. Number of basic social services (schools, health 73.00 171.00 269.00 centers) with all season road access (Number) Improved road access of farming communities to markets and social basic services in selected areas. Number of people with access to all-reason roads 0.00 187,000.00 375,000.00 in the project area (RAI) (Number) Page 35 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) RESULT_FRAME_T BL_ PD O Indicator Name DLI Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Sustained road access of farming communities in selected areas. Percentage of project roads receiving routine 0.00 100.00 100.00 maintenance (Percentage) PDO Table SPACE Intermediate Results Indicators by Components RESULT_FRAME_T BL_ IO Indicator Name DLI Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Improvement of rural transport infrastructure Roads rehablitated (CRI, Kilometers) 0.00 325.00 650.00 Number of short term jobs in person-days worked (Days) 0.00 94,500.00 189,000.00 Proportion of villages with physical road safety 0.00 100.00 100.00 measures (Percentage) Support for road maintenance Road Maintenance workers (Number) 0.00 150.00 433.00 Women road maintenance worker (Number) 0.00 15.00 43.00 Operational support Grievesss Adressed with the stipulated timeframe (Percentage) 0.00 90.00 90.00 Share of construction workers that have signed the code of conduct (Percentage) 0.00 100.00 100.00 Share of GBV complaints treated and referred to 0.00 100.00 100.00 service providers (Percentage) Page 36 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) IO Table SPACE UL Table SPACE Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: PDO Indicators Methodology for Data Responsibility for Data Indicator Name Definition/Description Frequency Datasource Collection Collection Number of irrigated Joint Road Count of irrigated production sites of bank Completion agricultural production Number of irrigated agricultural funded Sahel Irrigation Field Visit sites located at less than Annual PIU production sites with all season road Initiative Project and between PIU 2km from the rural access Climate Smart Agricultural and the PIU of roads improved by the Project located within 2 km SIIP and CSA project of the project roads Ratio between the number The of markets with year round contractor supervising Monthly road access in the project the road works will supervision area to the total number count the number of reports/ PIU/contractor supervisi Percentage of rural markets with all markets in the project Annual markets and present the works ng the road works season road access area. the ratio is expected results in its completion completion to increase as the road are report at the time of report being improved, more provisional acceptance markets will have year of works. round road access. Counting the schools Number of schools and Road and health centers along health services located Number of basic social services (schools, Completion completed project roads along the project roads Annual PIU health centers) with all season road field mission and adding to the that was not accessible access report existing already before the project and now accessible schools and accessible. health centers Page 37 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Counting the number of Road Number of people with 2 villages and then using Completion Number of people with access to all- km radius of the project Annual the number of people in PIU field visit reason roads in the project area (RAI) roads using the latest each village in the report government census census Ratio between the km of roads improved by the project and receiving routine maintenance thru the mechanism established Inspection by the project, and the Report total km of roads improved produced by by the project. Road The roads are accounted the Directorate in Charge of improved by the project once the routine Percentage of project roads receiving Annual Directorate in Community means that the civil works maintenance has been routine maintenance charge of Maintenance are completed and the satisfactory completed. community roads have been handed road over. Roads under routine maintenance. maintenance means that the roads have received at least one local community maintenance campaign with satisfactory end of campaign inspection report ME PDO Table SPACE Page 38 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: Intermediate Results Indicators Methodology for Data Responsibility for Data Indicator Name Definition/Description Frequency Datasource Collection Collection Monthly PV of provisional Annual supervision PIU Roads rehablitated acceptance of the works. reports Construction site logs/ Construction site logs/ Total number of days Number of short term jobs in person-days Annual monthly monthly supervision PIU worked by the workers worked supervision reports locally hired. reports ratio number of villages Count the number of Road along the project roads villages with road safety Completion Proportion of villages with physical road with physical road safety Annual measures and compared PIU Field visit safety measures measures and total number with the total villages mission report of villages along the project along project roads roads. Report of the cumulative number of Directorate of workers group created and Annual community Count PIU Road Maintenance workers have already done a work routine maintenance maintenance campaign. Report of the Directorate of Maintenance works that annual Community Count PIU Women road maintenance worker are women work maintenance Page 39 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) percentage of all Collect all the registries grievances received thru Registries in and compute the Grievesss Adressed with the stipulated Annual PIU the project level GRM and the villages number of complaints timeframe addressed ( feedback to treated on time complaints) within 30 days Periodic ratio cumulative number of report of the construction workers that supervision Verification if all the have signed the code of Share of construction workers that have Annual engineer and workers recruited have PIU conduct and the total signed the code of conduct the sign the code of conduct number of construction specialized workers recruited by the NGO contractors. Ratio number of GVB Ratio number of GVB Report of the related complaints related complaints treated Share of GBV complaints treated and Annual specialized treated and referred and PIU and referred and total referred to service providers NGO total number of GBV number of GBV complaints complaints reported. reported. ME IO Table SPACE Page 40 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Annex 1: Implementation Arrangements and Support Plan 1. The proposed project will be housed at the MoE, which oversees planning, programming, and management of the road network. The institutional arrangements to effectively implement the proposed project activities agreed are listed in the following paragraphs. 2. Project Steering Committee (PSC). A PSC, already created by decree, will be chaired by the Minister of Equipment or his representative and will include, among others, representatives of the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture, MoT, and Ministry of Finance. The PSC will ensure that throughout the life of the project, there is an adequate strategic direction, overall oversight, and coordination with other line ministries. 3. Project Technical Committee (PTC). A PTC, already created by ministerial act, will be chaired by the general secretary of the MoE and will include designated focal points (technical experts) from the DGRR, Rural Engineering General Directorate (Direction Générale du Genie Rural), BEEEIE, DGER, General Directorate of Agriculture, ANISER, CSA, SIIP, Directorate of Road Transport Services (Direction du Transport Routier), Traffic Engineering and Road Safety Directorate (Direction de la Circulation et de la Sécurité Routiere), and the PCU. The ANISER will supervise the implementation of the road safety measures of the project and will address potential road safety issues. The PTC will be responsible for the project technical oversight and the development of annual work plans and budget and ensuring that the project meets its development objectives. 4. PCU. The PCU, created by ministerial act and anchored at the MoE, will coordinate the day-to-day project activities among stakeholders; fiduciary, social, and environmental safeguards aspects; and project monitoring and evaluation. It has been adequately staffed with a Coordinator, a Procurement Specialist, a Financial Management (FM) Specialist, an Accountant, a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, a Social Safeguards Specialist (SSS), and an Environmental Safeguards Specialist (ESS). The PCU will also recruit an NGO specialized in GBV protection measures as part of the strategy to mitigate that specific risk in the context of this project. The NGO is expected to be recruited by no later than two months after the project effectiveness and before the beginning of the civil works. 5. Implementing Entities (IEs). The IEs are organized as follows: • The DGRR under the MoE will implement Components 1 and 2. The DGRR will only be involved in technical implementation, while the PCU will cover all other aspects of carrying out Components 1 and 2. ANISER will oversee the road safety technical aspect. • The PCU will implement Component 3, RAPs, smart implementation support, CE, and GBV monitoring activities. This is in addition to the project management aspects to support implementation of Components 1 and 2. Financial Management 6. The FM aspects of the project will be managed by the MoE through a PCU already established by a ministerial act. The MoE has recently hosted the IDA-funded TSPS (P101434), which closed on June 30, 2016. Page 41 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) 7. The fiduciary compliance for the TSPS project was deemed satisfactory. The unaudited interim financial reports (IFRs) as well as the audit reports were submitted on time and found acceptable. However, the assessment concluded that the current arrangements need to be strengthened to meet the minimum requirements of the World Bank. As result, a PCU has been established and fully staffed. All staff have been recruited under the project preparation advance. In addition, the Project Implementing Manual and the project administrative, financial, and accounting procedures manual were prepared and validated by the World Bank.15 Finally, no later than five months after effectiveness, the PCU of the MoE will (a) acquire an accounting software to record the project accounting transactions, generate IFRs and financial statements and (b) appoint an independent external auditor to audit the project’s accounts. 8. The conclusion of the assessment was that the FM residual risk for the MoE, which is the implementing agency of this project, is Substantial. Once the proposed mitigation measures and action plan have been implemented, the FM arrangements will satisfy the World Bank’s minimum requirements under World Bank IPF Policy and Directive, to provide, with reasonable assurance, accurate and timely information on the status of the project as required by IDA. The proposed mitigation measures are identified in table 2. Table 1.1. FM Action Plan Responsible Action to Be Taken Expected Completion Date Body 1. Financial and accounting system Within 5 months after effectiveness MoE Acquire and install a project accounting software acceptable to the World Bank 2. Disbursement and funds flow Within 1 month after effectiveness MoE Open a Designated Account (DA) at a local commercial (not legally binding) bank 3. External Audit Within 5 months after effectiveness MoE Recruit the project’s external auditor based on terms of reference (ToRs) acceptable to the World Bank 9. Budgeting arrangements. All the project transactions will be ring-fenced and will not go through the Niger Public Accounts. The budgeting process will be clearly defined in the project administrative, financial, and accounting procedures manual, and the budget will be reviewed and adopted by the PSC not later than November 30 each year. Annual budgets adopted by the PSC will be submitted to the World Bank’s no-objection before implementation. 10. Budgets should be regularly monitored at all levels. The approved annual project budget should be at least quarterly monitored against actual expenditure by the PCU. The budget variances will be adequately explained and justified through the semiannual IFRs. 11. Accounting policies and procedures. The current accounting standards in use in West and Central African Francophone countries for ongoing World Bank-financed projects will be applicable. To that end, SYSCOHADA, assigned accounting system in West African Francophone, will be applicable. Project accounts will be maintained on an accrual basis, supported with appropriate records and procedures to track commitments and to safeguard assets. Annual financial statements will be prepared by the PCU in 15 These manuals are living/working documents which may be revised and improved as needed, from time to time. Page 42 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) accordance with the SYSCOHADA and World Bank requirements. Accounting and control procedures will be documented in the administrative, financial, and accounting procedures manual. Internal Control and Internal Audit Arrangements 12. Internal control systems. Internal control comprises the whole system of control, financial or otherwise, established by the PCU to (a) carry out the project activities in an orderly and efficient manner; (b) ensure adherence to policies and procedures; (c) ensure maintenance of complete and accurate accounting records; and (d) safeguard the assets of the project. 13. Under the IDA-financed TSPS project, the MoE had developed an adequate internal control system acceptable to the World Bank, which will be used for the proposed project. There is segregation of duties whereby authorization to execute transaction, recording of the transaction, and custody of assets involved in the transaction are performed by different persons. Ordering, receiving, accounting for and paying for goods and services are appropriately segregated. 14. Internal audit. There is no need to recruit an internal auditor for this project. Funds Flow and Disbursement Arrangements 15. Disbursements arrangements. The disbursement methods that would be used under this project will be based on the Disbursement Guidelines for IPF, dated February 2017. Disbursement methods that are commonly used could be (a) direct payments to a third party for works, goods and services upon the Recipient’s request; (b) special commitments, letters of credit; (c) reimbursements for expenditures incurred under the project, and so on. Further details about disbursements to the project will be included in the disbursement procedures described in the Disbursement and Financial Information Letter (DFIL) and the administrative, financial, and accounting procedures manual. The PCU will maintain the project DA. If ineligible expenditures are found to have been made from the DA, the Recipient will be obligated to refund the same. If the DA remains inactive for more than six months, the Recipient may be requested to return to IDA the amounts advanced into the DA. IDA will have the right, as reflected in the Financing Agreement, to suspend disbursement of the funds if reporting requirements are not complied with. Table 1.2. Eligible Expenditures Category Amount of the Credit Allocated Percentage of Expenditures to be expressed in Euros Financed (inclusive of Taxes) (1) Goods, works, non-consulting 41,856,000 100% services, and consulting services, operating costs, training for the project, except for under Part B.2 and Part C.2 of the project. (2) Resettlement compensation 872,000 100% and assistance to displaced persons under Part C.2 of the project. Page 43 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) (3) Refund of Preparation Advance 872,000 Amount payable pursuant to Section 2.07 (a) of the General Conditions TOTAL AMOUNT 43,600,000 16. Flow of funds arrangements. Funds flow arrangements for the project through the DA are as follows: • IDA will make an initial advance disbursement into the DA to be opened by the PCU in West African CFA franc (XOF), upon receiving a withdrawal application from the Recipient. • Replenishment of funds from IDA to the DA will be made upon evidence of satisfactory utilization of the advance, reflected in statements of expenditures (SoEs). Replenishment applications would be submitted monthly. Further details about disbursements to the project will be included in the disbursement procedures described in the DFIL. Financial Reporting Arrangements 17. The PCU will prepare semiannual unaudited IFRs. These will be submitted to the World Bank within 45 days of the end of the semester. The format and the content, consistent with the World Bank’s standards, have been agreed between the World Bank and the Recipient. 18. The PCU will also prepare the project’s annual accounts/financial statements within three months after the end of the accounting year in accordance with SYSCOHADA. The audited financial statements should be submitted to the World Bank within six months after the end of the accounting year. 19. Auditing arrangements. The annual audited financial statements and audit reports (including Management Letter) will be submitted by the PCU to the World Bank no later than six months from the end of the fiscal year. The annual financial statements will be prepared in accordance with the standards indicated in the audit ToRs. The audit will be carried out by an independent external auditor with qualification and experience satisfactory to IDA and in accordance with the International Standards of Auditing issued by the International Federation of Accountants. The auditor will prepare a work plan to cover all the major risk areas. The following mechanisms are proposed to systematically monitor the timing of audit reports and the timely action on audit findings: (a) the PCU has the responsibility to prepare a consolidated audit action plans within one month of the receipt of the annual audit report and (b) within two months of the receipt of the audit report, action must be taken on all audit findings and notified to IDA. 20. World Bank’s policy on access to information. The Recipient is required to make its audited financial statements publicly available in a way acceptable to the World Bank, following the World Bank’s formal receipt of these statements from the Recipient. The World Bank will also disclose the audited financial statements. Procurement Page 44 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) 21. Applicable procurement rules and procedures. Procurement for goods, works, and non- consulting and consulting services for the project will be done in accordance with the procedures specified in the ‘World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers’, dated July 2016 and revised in November 2016 and August 2018; 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’, dated October 15, 2016, and revised in January 2011 and July 1, 2016; and the provisions stipulated in the Financing Agreement. 22. All goods, works, and non-consulting services will be procured in accordance with the requirements set forth or referred to in Section VI. Approved Selection Methods: Goods, Works and Non- Consulting Services of the ‘Procurement Regulations’ and the consulting services will be procured in accordance with the requirements set forth or referred to in Section VII. Approved Selection Methods: Consulting Services of the ‘Procurement Regulations’, the Project Procurement Strategy for Development (PPSD), and the Procurement Plan approved by the World Bank. 23. Procurement assessment. A procurement assessment was carried out by the World Bank. The assessment concluded that the technical services of the MoE do not have the capacity to implement World Bank-funded applicable procurement rules and procedures. A Procurement Specialist with experience in World Bank procedures has thus been hired as key personnel of the PCU. 24. Procurement responsibilities. The procurement activities will be carried out by the PCU. The PCU will also be responsible for the coordination and quality control of all procurement-related activities funded by the proposed project. 25. PPSD. The PPSD was prepared by the PTC in charge of project preparation and was reviewed and found satisfactory by the World Bank in September 2018. The PPSD is available in the project files. The PPSD and Procurement Plan have provisions to determine whether or not (a) the national and international environment is favorable for the procurement of goods, works, and non-consulting and consulting services needed for project implementation; (b) the national market is not able to supply qualified contractors for the civil works, therefore International competitive bidding will be used for the civil works; (c) the national market is able to supply the needed inputs for computer equipment, office equipment, furniture and office supplies, which will be purchased according to the relevant procedures. The approved PPSD ensures that procurement activities are packaged and prepared to minimize the risk. 26. Overall, the PPSD finds that the capacities of the national and international markets are sufficient to meet the project's needs. The suppliers, companies and consultants identified have assets in terms of experience and capacity to execute the planned contracts. These potential bidders will, of course, be put out to competition as much as possible when the procurement process is launched, unless there is a clearly established reason to use direct selection. For individual consultants, a notice of expression of interest will also be published with wide publicity at national and international level or, where appropriate, at the invitation of the most qualified known consultants. 27. Procurement Plan. The Procurement Plan for the first 18 months of the project implementation was discussed and agreed between the Recipient and the World Bank on February 4, 2019. Page 45 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) 28. Frequency of procurement reviews and supervision. The World Bank will conduct six-monthly supervision missions and an annual Post Procurement Review (PPR). The PPR will be done either by World Bank staff or consultants hired by the World Bank. The PPR will cover at least 10 percent of contracts that have not been prior reviewed in a financial year. The sampling is risk based and takes into consideration (a) the project procurement risk rating, with the riskier projects having a larger sample, and (b) the contract risk rating, to ensure that riskier contracts constitute a higher proportion of the sample. The World Bank reserves the right to conduct an Independent Procurement Review at any time up to two years following the closing date of the project. Implementation Support Plan 29. The project will be supervised using normal World Bank procedures, with World Bank implementation support missions at least twice per year including field visits by the task team. In addition, the task team will do bi-monthly video-conferences with the PCU to ensure a close monitoring. The project area can be reached by road, with a journey of a day each way to and from Niger, plus any time spent in the project area itself. The table below describes the skills mix needed for project implementation. Table 1.3: Skills Mix for the Project Implementation Support Resource Number Estimate Time Focus Skills Needed Location of Trips (Staff per year Weeks) per year Project management, TTL, Co-TTL Based in 2 each 20 coordination, and Bamako supervision and Washington Unpaved Roads design and Road Engineer TBD 2 each 20 rehabilitation and maintenance expertise FM experience, knowledge FM Specialist Based in 0 6 First 12 months of World Bank FM norms, Niamey and training Procurement experience, Procurement Based in 0 6 World Bank procurement Specialist Niamey guidelines knowledge, and training Environment Safeguards Environmental Based in 2 6 supervision and monitoring, Safeguards Specialist Bamako training as needed Social Safeguards Social Safeguards Based in 0 6 supervision and monitoring, Specialist Niamey training as needed Technical implementation Lead Transport Based in 1 4 Page 46 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) support and monitoring Specialist Washington GBV Specialist Based in 1 4 Washington Project management, TTL and Co-TTL Based in 2 24 supervision, and Washington coordination Unpaved Roads design and Road Engineer TBD 2 20 rehabilitation and maintenance expertise FM (FM reviews and FM Specialist Based in 0 4 supervision, training, and Niamey monitoring) 12–72 months Procurement management Procurement Based in 0 4 (reviews and supervision, Specialist Niamey training as needed) Social supervision and Social Safeguards Based in 0 8 monitoring, training as Specialist Niamey needed Environmental safeguards, Environmental Based in 2 8 supervision and monitoring, Safeguards Specialist Bamako training as needed Technical implementation GBV Specialist Based in 2 8 support and monitoring Washington Lead Transport Based in 1 8 Specialist Washington Page 47 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Annex 2: Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) Prevention and Mitigation Measures included in the Project 1. High GBV risks including SEA risks are anticipated under the project, primarily due to labor influx and the current high rates of GBV in the project areas. Specific GBV/SEA mitigation activities are planned under the project. Subcomponent 3.5 will finance activities to prevent, mitigate, and manage such risks in the communities affected by the project and around construction camps. Adequate funding of US$1.0 million equivalent has been allocated for GBV prevention, response, and mitigation work. The project will finance activities to prevent, mitigate, and manage GBV risks including SEA and VAC risks during the entire duration of the project. The geographical focus of the interventions will be in the communities of the project areas and in/around any construction camps with support from the hired contractor(s). Specific GBV prevention and response actions, including role/responsibilities and timetable to address GBV risks in compliance with the World Bank’s Good Practice Note, have been summarized in an action plan presented in table 1.1 at the end of this annex. The safeguard documents of the project such as the ESIA were prepared to include GBV and SEA mitigation measures. Contractors will also be responsible for preparing a labor influx management plan, including GBV mitigation measures in their EMPs, developing workplace and staff behavior strategies, CoCs, and a mechanism to monitor effectiveness. Communities will be consulted, raising awareness on possible GBV risks of the project, and a GBV-sensitive GRM will be put in place. Implementation of the GBV activities will be done by a specialized NGO in coordination with national leading partners, including the UNFPA. Risk Assessment 2. Country context. The results of the national survey on the causes and determinants of GBV, conducted by the Ministry of Population for the Promotion of Women and Child Protection and UNFPA Niger in the eight regions of Niger, revealed that women are three times more likely to be survivors of some form of physical violence than men. They are 2.7 times more likely to be survivors of some form of sexual violence than men. The risks of experiencing some form of psychological or economic abuse are respectively 1.02 times and 1.4 times higher for women than for men. Women’s risk of experiencing any form of cultural violence is 14 times that of men.16 3. GBV risks from labor influx in project areas. The project areas are in regions that have the highest rate of GBV in the country. The project is in high poverty zone and rural areas where GBV is highly prevalent. The civil works under the project involve major construction which require influx of male workers near communities with a low absorption capacity and scarce social services and where lack of economic opportunity prevails, further compounded by social norms approving unequal power gendered relationships. The civil works are widespread and difficult to supervise, with sites near school routes that women and girls use for their daily activities. 16 Les Déterminants des VBG au Niger. Policy Brief 01. Décembre 2015. UNFPA Niger. Page 48 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) National Response Against GBV and Mapping of Actors 4. Legal framework. The country has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It has also ratified the protocol of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, relating to the rights of women in Africa, the Maputo Protocol, Economic Community of West African States. 5. Niger has also developed a consultation framework for GBV workers and holistic care centers for survivors since 2002, as well as a National Strategy for the Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence and an action plan that is currently in an implementation phase. 6. Niger has a high rate of child marriage. In this regard, important programs are in progress, in particular, the ‘Illimin’ teenage initiative, which aims to reduce the rate of child marriage and to delay teenage pregnancies. Niger also has a good practice of reporting and protecting survivors of GBV through the ‘safe space’ and the ‘school of husbands’ initiatives established by the UNFPA at the village level. The ‘safe space’ shelters for survivors of GBV, protect them against retaliation, and help the survivor get the required medical and legal services. The ‘school of husbands’ are associations of husbands created to raise awareness among other men and husbands against GBV and change their behaviors against women. As such, 320 safe spaces across the country were set up hosting 32,000 adolescent girls in 2017. 7. Overall however, Niger has a score of 40 out of 100 on protecting women from violence against a score of 46 for Africa and 54 for the world.17 There is no law on sexual harassment in the workplace. Niger does not have laws on marital rape and domestic violence. Niger has the world’s highest rate of child marriage, with three out of four girls married before they reach the age of 18. In addition, legal prosecutions remain difficult due to established social norms. 8. Various structures and stakeholders impact the prevention and care of GBV in Niger. These structures intervene as much in the prevention as in the psychological, medical, social, economic, and legal care of the survivors. The actors in the public sectors are the justice system, the police, the technical services of the ministry in charge of women empowerment, the communes, and the health services. These actors are present in all regions and are the legitimate enforcers of the legal texts related to GBV. The weakness of the public sector actors includes the inability of health infrastructures to offer quality service to survivors, lack of training, and inadequate laws to respond to GBV. 9. The civil society organizations, including national NGOs, are very active in the prevention and response to GBV. The Ministry of Women Empowerment (Ministère de la promotion feminine ) has created a consultation platform of all actors in the fight against GBV to create synergies in actions and to ensure an effective impact. The well-known NGOs which are represented in most of the regions are SOS Women and Children Survivors of Domestic Violence (SOS Femmes et Enfants Survivors de Violence Domestic), Association of Women Lawyers (Association des femmes Lawyers), Organization for the empowerment and development of Nigerian Women (DIMOL), and Nigerian Committee on traditional practices having negative effects on the heath of women and children (CONIFPRAT). International organizations (Plan International, Helen Keller International, CARE international, Africare, and Oxfam); United Nations agencies such as the UNFPA and UNICEF; and bilateral entities (Government of Spain, 17 Ampleur et déterminants des violences basées sur le genre au Niger. Rapport Final de l’Etude. UNFPA. Septembre 2015. Page 49 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Government of Norway, Government of Denmark and Zonta international) are the main foreign actors in the prevention and response to GBV. 10. Access to health and legal services for survivor of GBV. Most of the health services do not have enough technical capacity to care for and to provide medical services to GBV survivors. The UNFPA is supporting the GoN to create ‘one stop’ centers throughout Niger so that survivors can have access to competent system of care such as medical are, mental health and psychological services, police assistance and legal and justice support. Two ‘one stop’ multifunctional centers have been created and are operational in the region of Tillaberi and Diffa with proper capacity to respond to GBV. Mitigation Measures 11. Contractor’s responsibilities. The project will seek to minimize risks of GBV/SEA and will include the following key measures in contracts as part of the procurement process of the civil works: (a) mandatory signature of the CoC (including SEA) required by every contractor staff (both managers and workers); (b) mandatory and repeated training and awareness raising regarding the obligations stated in the CoC; and (c) agreement to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in investigating complaints. The C-ESMP will be required to describe GBV and SEA risks and include an action plan (including an Accountability and Response Framework), requirements toward mitigation of ESHS risks and inclusion of appropriate related mitigation measures. Bidding documents will require the contractor to not undertake any works, including mobilization, until all measures are in place for addressing ESHS risks. Moreover, once the procurement activities commence on the project, the World Bank will assess the technical proposals submitted so that the technical elaboration of the labor and prevention of sexual abuse becomes a competitive parameter of the consultant technical evaluation. 12. Working with GBV service providers. Given the anticipated difficulty in reaching women/girls in the remote project and community areas, the project will work with existing local specialized NGOs and partners such as the UNFPA that can provide technical assistance and monitoring to support the implementation of the action plan. Moreover, an NGO specialized in GBV has been identified to provide the following prevention activities such as trainings to workers and communities, referral and care support to survivors, and monitoring of effectiveness of mitigation measures. 13. Referral of survivors will be based on the established national GBV response framework. The response will rely on the existing service provision pathways established at the national level through the National Strategy for the Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence and with support from the UNFPA. Based on the project’s approach, a GBV survivor will be able to address a complaint to the GBV complaint committee, which will include several focal points such as the focal point from a safe space center (‘espace sur’) or the focal point from the community organization husband school (‘Ecole des maris’). The specialized NGO will rely on this complaint committee and focal points to refer GBV survivors to the appropriate services such as medical, psychosocial, and legal services that will be regrouped in multifunctional centers in the community area of the projects (figure 2). 14. Raising the implementing agency’s capacity. GBV awareness training and relevant capacity- building activities will be provided by the specialized NGO and relevant government representatives working on the project to provide them with the skills and knowledge on how to incorporate gender into the project cycle, including integration of prevention and response to GBV in the anticipated rural road Page 50 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) rehabilitation and maintenance works. A GBV specialist will be hired in the implementing agency with the capacity to support project implementation. 15. Awareness raising on GBV will also be undertaken at the community level and in coordination with religious leaders, traditional chiefs, and Sultans. These community leaders will be trained on issues related to GBV including SEA as well as good practices for referral to health services and reporting to law enforcement. The project will ensure that this community structures are not reinforcing gender norms and solving cases under an approach that is not survivor centered. Accountability and Response Framework 16. GBV/SEA-specific GRM. A specific GBV GRM will be developed for the project. The GBV GRM will follow the national referral protocol in place for the entire response procedure in case of GBV and SEA incidents as defined at the national level through the Ministry of Social Affairs with support from the Ministry of Health. The proposed project GRM for monitoring GBV risks and tracking resolution will have multiple entry points and will be run by the NGO service provider for reporting to ensure that GBV-related complaints are registered in a safe and confidential manner. Monitoring complaints will also be recorded in the project’s GRM but no identifiable information on the survivors will be stored in the GRM. The project GRM will register information only on the nature of the complaint, if to the best of its knowledge the perpetrator is associated with the project and, if possible, the sex and age of the contractor. The accountability and response mechanism for resolving GBV cases will identify who specifically will be responsible from handling complaints to seeking resolution and appropriate sanctions. 17. The selected NGO that will coordinate the GRM activities related to GBV will work closely with the international lead partners, the UNFPA, while also relying on existing regional service centers for promoting woman that will serve the role of orientation or referencing toward services. A GBV complaints management committee will also be established and trained to serve as an entry point for referring survivors to GBV care services through its complaints’ committees which will be integrated by trusted community-based organizations. Case management of GBV incidents will be coordinated at the regional level with the various essential services (health, justice, police, psychosocial [including social and economic integration]). This component is the responsibility of the key ministries that will provide the appropriate services and the specialized NGO will ensure GBV survivors can have adequate access. Follow- up coordination of the provision services, any technical assistance coordination meetings, and data sharing impact evaluation will be carried by the Ministry of Women Empowerment with the technical support of the UNFPA and other partners. The approach to the proposed referral pathways and GBV/SEA GRM mechanism for the project can be found in figure 1.1. 18. Community mobilization and the GBV GRM. The GBV GRM will be operated by the specialized NGO recruited under the project and will rely on the mobilization of communities’ involvement to raise awareness and support the referral mechanisms for GBV and SEA survivors through the focal points that will be identified under the GBV complaint committee. The project will seek to strengthen existing partnerships with service providers and local organizations that play a key role in preventing GBV. As needed, community dialogue, training and sensitization of men will be carried out by the NGO. Page 51 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Figure 2.1. Approach for GBV/SEA GRM and Service Provision Pathways to Survivors Page 52 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) 19. The project’s approach to mitigate GBV risks, including SEA, is based on the lessons learned from other projects and the ‘Good Practice Note for Addressing Gender Based Violence in IPF involving Major Civil Works’ issued in September 2018. Table 2.1. GBV and SEA Prevention and Response Action Plan Who Is Action to Address GBV Timing for Status at Actions Taken during Preparation/Appraisal and Ongoing Risk No. Phase Responsible Risks Action Appraisal Management during Implementation Stage for Action 1 Preparation Sensitize the technical Pre-appraisal World Bank Complete • The World Bank Task Team had discussions with the PCU, services of the Ministry of mission Task Team the technical services of MoE, BEEEI, MP on the importance Infrastructure in charge of of addressing GBV in on the project. the implementation of • Meetings were held with the UNFPA and NGOs to gather the project available data on GBV. • The World Bank Task Team is to monitor and provide additional guidance as necessary. 2 Preparation Assessing GBV risks Preparation PCU during Complete • GBV risks of the project were assessed using GBV the assessment tool and existing information and datasets from preparation the UNFPA. of the • Ongoing review during implementation support missions. ESIA/ESMP • Update project ESMP and C-ESMP if risk situation changes. 3 Preparation Mapping out GBV Pre-appraisal PCU Complete • The World Bank Task Team has identified key stakeholders prevention and response mission already working in Niger on the prevention and service actors in the project's provision of survivor of GBV. area of influence • Update mapping as appropriate. 4 Preparation Reflect GBV risks in all Preparation and PCU for ESIA Complete for • The GBV risks adequately reflected in the ESIA and safeguards documents Implementation and ESMP, preparation mitigation measures to be included in the C-ESMPs are (ESIA, ESMP). Include (before works Contractor stage identified. A specialized NGO was already identified for stakeholder mapping in begin) for C-ESMP monitoring GBV prevention and response actions of the these documents. project. • Ongoing review during implementation support missions. • Update project ESMP and C-ESMP if risk situation changes. 5 Preparation Develop a GBV action Preparation and PCU Under way • Ongoing review during implementation support missions. plan (including an implementation (Before • The Task Team will support the PCU in reviewing the GBV Accountability and (before works beginning of action plan and the C-ESMPs to make sure they include a Response Framework) in begin) civil works) detailed plan for the implementation of GBV contractual the ESMP. The ESMP shall clauses. reflect how the Page 53 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Who Is Action to Address GBV Timing for Status at Actions Taken during Preparation/Appraisal and Ongoing Risk No. Phase Responsible Risks Action Appraisal Management during Implementation Stage for Action contractors will implement this plan. 6 Preparation Review the PCU capacity Preparation World Bank Complete • PCU capacity to prevent and respond to GBV was reviewed to prevent and respond Task Team during project preparation. Staff will be reinforced with the to GBV as part of recruitment of a social development expert as part of the safeguards preparation key personnel and by mobilizing a specialized NGO. • Ongoing review during implementation support missions. • Update project ESMP if risk situation changes. 7 Preparation As part of the project’s Preparation and PCU Complete • Consultations with a variety of stakeholders were held stakeholder implementation during the preparation of the safeguards instruments. consultations, those • Consultations are expected to occur continuously during affected by the project implementation by the specialized NGO to partner with the should be properly community in preventing GBV. informed about GBV risks • Monitoring of implementation of Stakeholder Engagement and project activities to Plan. get their feedback on the • Ongoing consultations, particularly when the C-ESMP is project design and updated. safeguard issues. 8 Preparation/ Stakeholder Preparation and PCU Planned • The project is developing a communication plan that will Implementation mobilization/information implementation include GBV issues. The communication will target among plan should address GBV others religious leaders, traditional leaders, youth, and issues women. These activities will be an integral part of the mandate of the NGO to be recruited. • The World Bank Task Team will support the PCU in reviewing the communication plan to make sure it includes GBV issues. • Monitoring of implementation of communication plan. • Ongoing consultations, particularly when the C-ESMP is updated. 9 Preparation/ Establish an effective Before the PCU, with the Planned • A parallel GBV GRM outside of the project GRM is warranted Implementation complaints management mobilization of World Bank given the high-risk situation. The project will use the existing system the contractor Task Team mechanism to initiate a complaint related to GBV developed support by the Ministry of Women Empowerment complaints and UNFPA. The NGO will be in charge of the GBV GRM. • Ongoing monitoring and reporting on GRM to verify it is working as intended. Page 54 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Who Is Action to Address GBV Timing for Status at Actions Taken during Preparation/Appraisal and Ongoing Risk No. Phase Responsible Risks Action Appraisal Management during Implementation Stage for Action 10 Preparation Ensure IA has a GBV Pre-appraisal PCU Complete • The PCU capacity was reinforced with the recruitment of a specialist to support mission social development expert as part of the key personnel. A project implementation. specialized NGO will be recruited to complement the expertise. In addition, the project will partner with the UNPFA. • Ongoing reporting. 11 Preparation/ For supervision, have a During the PCU Planned • ToR of the supervision consultant will include a Implementation social/ environmental evaluation of social/environmental specialist as part of the key personnel. specialist with the the bids for the • Ongoing reporting. supervision consultant’s supervision team with GBV-specific consultant skills to supervise GBV- related issues (for example. supervise the signing of CoCs, verify working GRM for GBV in place, refer cases where needed) and work with the NGO as entry point into service provision to raise awareness of the GRM. 12 Preparation Funding must be available Pre-appraisal PCU Complete • The project plan to support the creation of a GBV service to recruit GBV service mission provider in the project area. The UNPFA will finance the providers to facilitate training of medical staff. access to timely, safe, and • PCU confidential services for survivors (money for transportation, documentation fees, and lodging with needed). 13 Preparation Oversight through an Before PCU Complete • An NGO specialized in GBV is expected to be recruited. independent third-party commencement • Ongoing reporting. monitor of civil works organization/independent agent verification Page 55 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Who Is Action to Address GBV Timing for Status at Actions Taken during Preparation/Appraisal and Ongoing Risk No. Phase Responsible Risks Action Appraisal Management during Implementation Stage for Action 14 Procurement Clearly define the GBV Award of PCU Planned • The project will use the latest versions of the World Bank's requirements and contracts standard bidding documents that define companies’ expectations in the bid expectations and obligations regarding GBV. Additional GBV documents. prevention measures will be included. • Review by the World Bank Task Team. 15 Procurement Based on the project’s Award of PCU Planned • The project will use the latest versions of the World Bank's needs, the World Bank’s contracts standard bidding documents that define companies’ Standard Procurement expectations and obligations regarding GBV. Documents, and the IA’s • Review by the World Bank Task Team. policies and goals, define the requirements to be included in the bidding documents for a CoC, which addresses GBV. 16 Procurement For national competitive Award of PCU Planned • The project will use the latest versions of the World Bank's bidding procurement, contracts standard bidding documents that define companies' consider integrating the expectations and obligations regarding GBV. ICB Standard • Review by the World Bank Task Team. Procurement Documents requirements for addressing GBV risks. 17 Procurement Clearly explain and define Award of PCU with the Planned • Three crucial elements are needed in the CoC: (a) clear the requirement of the contracts support of language on the values of the organization in relation to bidders CoC to bidders the World professional conduct on the site, (b) prohibition of sex with a before submission of the Bank Task minor, (c) dismissal and prosecution if a worker violates the bids. Team CoC. • A model of a good conduct CoC is attached to the ESMF and may be part of the bidding documents. • Review by the World Bank Task Team. 18 Procurement The bidding documents Procurement PCU with the Planned • There will be line items in the bill of quantities for GBV should clearly set out how World Bank activities (that is, training of workers on CoC). Lump sum for adequate GBV costs will Task Team activities that cannot be quantified. be paid for in the review • Review by the World Bank Task Team. contract. Page 56 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Who Is Action to Address GBV Timing for Status at Actions Taken during Preparation/Appraisal and Ongoing Risk No. Phase Responsible Risks Action Appraisal Management during Implementation Stage for Action 19 Award of Clearly explain to Procurement PCU with the Planned • An information meeting on GBV will be organized with the Contracts recruited contractors the World Bank companies recruited after the notification and before the requirements of the CoC. Task Team service order. review • Review by the World Bank Task Team. 20 Award of Evaluate the contractor's Award of PMCU with Planned • The contractor’s ability to meet the project’s GBV contracts GBV response proposal in contracts the World requirement will be the selection requirement before the C-ESMP and confirm Bank Task signing the contract. before finalizing the Team review • Review by the World Bank Task Team. contract the contractor’s ability to meet the project’s GBV requirements. 21 Implementation Review the C-ESMP to Implementation PCU with the Planned • The Task Team will review the C-ESMP before its verify that appropriate World Bank commencement of civil works. mitigation actions are Task Team • Review by the PCU. included. support 22 Implementation Review that the GRM Implementation PCU, World Planned • The NGO is expected to be operationalized and continuously receives and processes Bank Task verify that GBV GRM is working. complaints to ensure that Team • Ongoing reporting. the protocols are being • Monitoring of complaints and their resolution. followed on time, referring complaints to an established mechanism to review and address GBV complaints. 23 Implementation CoCs signed and Initiated before PCU, Planned • Review of GBV risks during project supervision (for example., understood contractor Contractor, midterm review) to assess any changes in risk. • Ensure the mobilization Consultant • Supervision consultant reporting that CoCs are signed and requirements in CoCs and continued that workers have been trained and understand their are clearly during obligations.18 understood by those implementation • Monitoring of GRM for GBV complaints. signing. • Discussion at public consultations. 18 Civil works supervision consultant’s monthly reports should confirm all persons with physical presence at the project site ha ve signed a CoC and have been trained. Page 57 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Who Is Action to Address GBV Timing for Status at Actions Taken during Preparation/Appraisal and Ongoing Risk No. Phase Responsible Risks Action Appraisal Management during Implementation Stage for Action • Have CoCs signed by all those with a physical presence at the project site. • Train project-related staff on the behavior obligations under CoCs. • Disseminate CoCs (including visuals) with employees and surrounding communities. 24 Implementation Have project workers and Implementation PCU, Planned • Ongoing reporting local community undergo Contractor, training on SEA and Consultant sexual harassment. 25 Implementation Undertake regular Implementation PCU, Planned • Ongoing reporting monitoring and Contractor, • Monitoring of GRM evaluation of progress on Consultant, GBV activities, including NGO reassessment of risks as appropriate. 26 Implementation Implement appropriate Before PCU, Planned • The Task Team will ensure that these measures are included project-level activities to commencing Contractor, in the C-ESMP. reduce GBV risks before works Supervision • Ongoing reporting. commencing civil works: Consultant, • Reviews during implementation support missions. World Bank • Have separate, safe, Task Team and easily accessible facilities for women and men working on the site. Page 58 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) Who Is Action to Address GBV Timing for Status at Actions Taken during Preparation/Appraisal and Ongoing Risk No. Phase Responsible Risks Action Appraisal Management during Implementation Stage for Action • Visibly display signs around project site that signal to workers and community that the project site is an area where GBV is prohibited. • As appropriate, public spaces around the project grounds should be well lit. Note: MP = Ministry of Planning; IA = Implementing agency. Page 59 of 60 The World Bank Niger Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project (P164498) ANNEX 2: PROJECT AREA Page 60 of 60