Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Building a Modern Fiscal System Technical Assistance (P154694) Building a Modern Fiscal System Technical Assistance (P154694) EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC | China | Macro Economics & Fiscal Management Global Practice | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing | FY 2016 | Seq No: 2 | ARCHIVED on 15-Jun-2017 | ISR26699 | Implementing Agencies: People's Republic of China, Policy Research Office, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Finance, Internatinoal Economic and Financial Cooperation Department Key Dates Key Project Dates Bank Approval Date:29-Apr-2016 Effectiveness Date:25-Aug-2016 Planned Mid Term Review Date:15-May-2019 Actual Mid-Term Review Date:-- Original Closing Date:31-Jul-2021 Revised Closing Date:31-Jul-2021 Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The development objectives of the proposed project are to inform the design and implementation of the Central Government's fiscal reform program and to improve the Government's capacity in public financial management Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No PHRPDODEL Components Name Key elements of China's public finance system:(Cost $20.66 M) Fiscal Policy and Sustainable Development:(Cost $7.49 M) Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO  Satisfactory  Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP)  Satisfactory  Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating  Moderate  Moderate Implementation Status and Key Decisions 6/15/2017 Page 1 of 6 Public Disclosure Copy Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Building a Modern Fiscal System Technical Assistance (P154694) I. Overview of Implementation Progress 1 . Since the start of the project in August 2016, 5 proposals have been approved by MOF and the Bank has sent no objection letters. USD 1.85 million has been committed from the loan. 13 more proposals are under preparation for a total of USD 6.05 million. The proposals selected and endorsed by MOF fit well into the thematic areas of Components 1 and 2 and are well aligned with the PDOs. 2 . Progress on the approved subprojects has been somewhat uneven but broadly satisfactory. The main reason for this is that the relatively new Policy Research Department of MOF is leading a Bank-financed project for the first time. The approval of the Project Operations Manual was delayed, and as a result, Staff in subproject implementation departments has not been sufficiently trained yet. The preparation of terms of reference (TORs) is also behind schedule, with only two TORs for researchers posted online. No contracts have been awarded yet. Staff turnover, including at management level, is an additional factor in some departments. 3. Staff from subproject implementation departments expressed great satisfaction with being able to learn from other countries’ experience (“expand their horizons”) through this project. Overseas training and international literature review and translation are novel and very useful to staff at China’s MOF. Staff has completed three overseas study tours: (i) accrual accounting at the UK Treasury, (ii) US Treasury cash management with special interest in target cash balance, and (iii) staff training programs and their management in Russia and Poland. II. Project Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 1. The Project Operations Manual has been submitted for the Minister’s approval and will be circulated soon to the various departments to provide guidance on project implementation. 2. The PMO team is gradually acquiring the appropriate project management capacity, with more work needed to improve quality control. At the operational level the PMO is comprised of MOF’s Policy Research Department and a subordinate unit dealing with day-to-day project coordination and implementation. The function of implementation support is in place, with 4 staff assigned the responsibility of coordination, procurement, reimbursement/financial management, and administrative support, respectively. Given the difficulty in evaluating technical assistance projects in general, the mission observed that quality control in subproject design, as well as continuous monitoring of outcomes throughout implementation need to be enhanced in both the PMO and the subproject implementation departments. Risks Systematic Operations Risk-rating Tool Risk Category Rating at Approval Previous Rating Current Rating Political and Governance  Low  Low  Low Macroeconomic  Moderate  Moderate  Moderate Sector Strategies and Policies  Moderate  Moderate  Moderate Technical Design of Project or Program  Moderate  Moderate  Moderate Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Sustainability  Moderate  Moderate  Moderate Fiduciary  Low  Low  Low Environment and Social  Low  Low  Low 6/15/2017 Page 2 of 6 Public Disclosure Copy Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Building a Modern Fiscal System Technical Assistance (P154694) Stakeholders  Moderate  Moderate  Moderate Other  --  --  -- Overall  Moderate  Moderate  Moderate Results Project Development Objective Indicators PHINDPDOTBL  Dissemination of fiscal policy reform proposals to decision makers (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 -- 0.00 20.00 Date 06-Sep-2016 -- 26-May-2017 03-May-2021 PHINDPDOTBL  Enhanced capacity and skills in core budget management systems in MOF (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 -- 0.00 75.00 Date 06-Sep-2016 -- 26-May-2017 03-May-2021 Overall Comments Intermediate Results Indicators PHINDIRITBL  Policy studies undertaken (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 -- 0.00 40.00 Date 06-Sep-2016 -- 26-May-2017 03-May-2021 6/15/2017 Page 3 of 6 Public Disclosure Copy Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Building a Modern Fiscal System Technical Assistance (P154694) PHINDIRITBL  High level Policy Dialogue Workshops (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 -- 0.00 4.00 Date 06-Sep-2016 -- 26-May-2017 03-May-2021 PHINDIRITBL  Public outreach of policy study findings on fiscal policy (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 -- 0.00 20.00 Date 06-Sep-2016 -- 26-May-2017 03-May-2021 PHINDIRITBL  Capacity building: secondments (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 -- 1.00 100.00 Date 06-Sep-2016 -- 26-May-2017 03-May-2021 PHINDIRITBL  Capacity building: training (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 -- 10.00 100.00 Date 06-Sep-2016 -- 26-May-2017 03-May-2021 6/15/2017 Page 4 of 6 Public Disclosure Copy Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Building a Modern Fiscal System Technical Assistance (P154694) PHINDIRITBL  Collecting, recording and reporting inputs received from beneficiaries (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 -- 0.00 10.00 Date 06-Sep-2016 -- 26-May-2017 03-May-2021 Overall Comments 1. Capacity Building: number of secondees One staff from MOF is being seconded in the DEC, World bank, working on Global Macroeconomic analysis and projections. 2. Capacity building: nubmer of trainees Two overseas trainings and one study visit under two subprojects were completed, see the following: 1 . Training on accrual accounting at the UK Treasury: 4 2 . Training on US Treasury cash management with special interest in target cash balance: 4 3 . Study visit on staff training programs and their management in Russia and Poland: 2 Data on Financial Performance Disbursements (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed Disbursed P154694 IBRD-86160 Effective USD 22.00 22.00 0.00 1.06 20.95 5% Key Dates (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Orig. Closing Date Rev. Closing Date P154694 IBRD-86160 Effective 29-Apr-2016 31-May-2016 25-Aug-2016 31-Jul-2021 31-Jul-2021 Cumulative Disbursements 6/15/2017 Page 5 of 6 Public Disclosure Copy Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Building a Modern Fiscal System Technical Assistance (P154694) Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Project(s) There are no related projects. 6/15/2017 Page 6 of 6 Public Disclosure Copy