INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET APPRAISAL STAGE Report No.: ISDSA20774 Public Disclosure Copy Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 18-Dec-2016 I. BASIC INFORMATION 1. Basic Project Data Country: Armenia Project ID: P158359 Project Name: AGRICULTURE POLICY MONITORING AND EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT (P158359) Task Team Bekzod Shamsiev,Arusyak Alaverdyan Leader(s): Estimated Estimated 31-Jan-2017 Appraisal Date: Board Date: Managing Unit: GFA03 Lending Investment Project Financing Instrument: Is this project processed under OP 8.50 (Emergency Recovery) or OP No 8.00 (Rapid Response to Crises and Emergencies)? Financing (In USD Million) Total Project Cost: 1.80 Total Bank Financing: 0.00 Financing Gap: 0.00 Financing Source Amount Public Disclosure Copy Japan Policy and Human Resources Development Fund 1.80 Total 1.80 Environmental C - Not Required Category: 2. Project Development Objective(s) The project's development objective is to strengthen M&E capacity and systems as elements of evidence-based agriculture policy analysis and formulation. This is in line with the broad objective of the PRIME window of the Japanese PHRD technical assistance grants program which is to enhance the use evidence-based decision making in government systems, by strengthening the M&E systems of recipient ministries in priority sectors. Agriculture has been selected as a priority area for grant support, along with health, nutrition, population and urban development. Armenia's Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is viewed as a strong candidate for support due to itsdemonstrated commitment to policy reform, its awareness of the need to improve its capacity for policy analysis and policy formulation, and its recent efforts to strengthen its capacity for monitoring and evaluation. Strengthened government ownership of the policyprocess is viewed as an important further outcome of grant support. 3. Project Description Page 1 of 4 The project will run for 2 years (2017 and 2018), with an estimated total cost of US$ 1.8 million, and will have the following two components below: Public Disclosure Copy Component I: Capacity Building for Evidence-Based Policy-Making (US$1.638 million) This component will include the following sub-components: (i) Staff training (US$ 312,500); (ii) Survey design and analysis (US$ 168,000); (iii) Specific evaluations (US$400,000); (iv) Computers, printers, remote sensing technology and software for data base management (US$ 100,000); and (v) Technical assistance (US$657,500). Component II: Project Management and Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, Knowledge Dissemination (US$ 162,000) The project will be managed by a national expert with extensive experience in agriculture and the institutional structures of government and assisted by a full-time secretary. The project will be implemented by the existing Agriculture Projects Implementation Unit (APIU) of the MoA. The project budget provides for incremental project management costs, including additional technical specialists as identified during further project preparation, costs of transport and field visits, costs of impact assessments at mid-term including project evaluations, and audit. 4. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) 5. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists Darejan Kapanadze (GEN03) 6. Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental No The project is classified as environmental Category C. Assessment OP/BP 4.01 Natural Habitats OP/BP No Public Disclosure Copy 4.04 Forests OP/BP 4.36 No Pest Management OP 4.09 No Physical Cultural No Resources OP/BP 4.11 Indigenous Peoples OP/ No BP 4.10 Involuntary Resettlement No OP/BP 4.12 Safety of Dams OP/BP No 4.37 Projects on International No Waterways OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed No Areas OP/BP 7.60 Page 2 of 4 II. Key Safeguard Policy Issues and Their Management A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues Public Disclosure Copy 1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts: The project is classified as environmental Category C, as it is likely to have only indirect environmental and social impacts. The project will not finance civil works, delivery of goods, or other physical activity on the ground. It will provide technical assistance and training in the area of agricultural policy analysis and well informed decision making that will involve advice on the ways of considering and incorporating environmental and social aspects into agricultural policies. 2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: 3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. 4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described. 5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. B. Disclosure Requirements If the project triggers the Pest Management and/or Physical Cultural Resources policies, the respective issues are to be addressed and disclosed as part of the Environmental Assessment/ Audit/or EMP. Public Disclosure Copy If in-country disclosure of any of the above documents is not expected, please explain why: The project is classified as environmental Category C, as it is likely to have only indirect environmental and social impacts. The project will not finance civil works, delivery of goods, or other physical activity on the ground. It will provide technical assistance and training in the area of agricultural policy analysis and well informed decision making that will imply advice on the ways of considering and incorporating environmental and social aspects into agricultural policies. C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level The World Bank Policy on Disclosure of Information Have relevant safeguard policies documents been sent to the Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] World Bank's Infoshop? Have relevant documents been disclosed in-country in a public Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] place in a form and language that are understandable and accessible to project-affected groups and local NGOs? All Safeguard Policies Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? Page 3 of 4 Have costs related to safeguard policy measures been included Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] in the project cost? Public Disclosure Copy Does the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the project Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] include the monitoring of safeguard impacts and measures related to safeguard policies? Have satisfactory implementation arrangements been agreed Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] with the borrower and the same been adequately reflected in the project legal documents? III. APPROVALS Task Team Leader(s): Name: Bekzod Shamsiev,Arusyak Alaverdyan Approved By Safeguards Advisor: Name: Nathalie S. Munzberg (SA) Date: 27-Dec-2016 Practice Manager/ Name: Jeren Kabayeva (PMGR) Date: 27-Dec-2016 Manager: Public Disclosure Copy Page 4 of 4