INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Public Disclosure Copy Report No.: ISDSC1805 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 12-Mar-2013 Date ISDS Approved/Disclosed: 12-Mar-2013 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: South Sudan Project ID: P143915 Project Name: SS Social Safety Net and Skills Devt (P143915) Task Team Endashaw Tadesse Gossa Leader: Estimated 08-Apr-2013 Estimated 31-May-2013 Appraisal Date: Board Date: Managing Unit: AFTSE Lending Specific Investment Loan Instrument: Sector(s): Other social services (100%) Theme(s): Improving labor markets (50%), Social safety nets (50%) Financing (In USD Million) Total Project Cost: 21.00 Total Bank Financing: 21.00 Total Cofinancing: Financing Gap: 0.00 Public Disclosure Copy Financing Source Amount BORROWER/RECIPIENT 0.00 International Development Association (IDA) 21.00 Total 21.00 Environmental B - Partial Assessment Category: Is this a No Repeater project? B. Project Objectives The proposed Project Development Objective (PDO) is to provide basic income to poor and vulnerable South Sudanese, particularly youth and women, through temporary employment programs and income generating opportunities. C. Project Description The proposed Project would finance productive social safety net and skills development activities to help address the urgent needs of at-risk populations, particularly youth and women, by scaling up existing programming while simultaneously setting in place the building blocks for an integrated approach to social protection. The focus would be on relatively quick impact activities to increase livelihood opportunities, particularly for women and youth, through public works activities and skills Public Disclosure Copy development. This would build on successful pilot interventions and will be limited in its geographic coverage. To accomplish the PDO, the proposed Project would be structured around three components: Component 1 – Public Works: This component responds to the urgent need to improve the living standards, including basic food security, of targeted households through a direct cash transfer. The public works activities would finance a positive list of labor intensive public works and, through these activities, provide temporary employment to poor and at-risk South Sudanese. Local governments and communities would select the public works activities with preference given to works that promote local economic opportunity, such as movement of produce from farms to the market. Given then emphasis on labor intensive works, the proposed Component 1 would finance primarily wages for the participants but also make available financing for equipment, materials, and technical assistance, as necessary, to complete the selected works. Component 1 would include non- cognitive skills training to reinforce basic life skills and workforce readiness behaviors provided by the overall experience of participating in the public works activities. The public works component would build off the successes of the ongoing Food Price Crisis Response Project, as outlined above. Preparation of the proposed Project would include a detailed assessment of these ongoing activities, including consultation with Government, NGO, and community stakeholders, as to potential areas for improvement and expansion of these activities. Component 2 – Skills Development: This component would seek to expand income generating opportunities, particularly of young men and women, through skills development. The technical training activities would be closely tied with the demand for skills and services in the private sector. Given the prevalence of the informal and agricultural sectors in the South Sudanese economy, much of the technical training would focus on basic business/entrepreneurial skills and improving Public Disclosure Copy agricultural productivity. The technical training would be complimented by socialization activities, life skills and financial literacy training, access to savings and credit, and community sensitization activities. The skills development component would expand on the AGI Project, as outlined above. A key finding from these ongoing activities is the recommendation of the need to develop parallel systems through which young men can access similar support networks. Preparation of the proposed Project would develop a gender sensitive training package for young men and would also undertake a review and revision of the current training package for young women. In addition, the proposed Project would strengthen the ties between types of technical trainings available and ongoing market assessment research. Component 3 – Social Protection Systems Building: Policy Technical Assistance: The proposed Project would seek to build Government capacity to develop a comprehensive social protection system, as outlined in the SSDP 2011-2013, through two interrelated sub-components. 3(a) Technical assistance: The Government has begun the process of developing a National Social Protection Policy, which will include e ngagement of a wide-range of stakeholders and at the state level to secure national consensus on the objectives and functions of a future social protection system. Ongoing technical assistance from the World Bank, including a Background Note on Social Protectio nPolicy Options and a Social Safety Net Diagnostic Report, will inform the drafting of the National Policy. The proposed Project would continue this assistance in keeping with the objectives of the forthcoming National Social Protection Policy. This could inc lude building capacity to coordinate ongoing projects as well as research and knowledge generation toward establishing Public Disclosure Copy national systems that can be used across these and future projects. 3(b) Capacity building and project management: The major implementation challenge is weak capacity and limited experience in implementation of social safety net and skills development project. This component will finance different activities that will address implementation challenges. Activities under this component include (i) develop local capacities for the implementation of the Social Safety Net and Skill Development project by creating strong local counterpart teams that can work side by side with consultants; and (ii) finance administrative cost of the implementation of the Social Safety Net and Skill Development project. D. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) The Project location has yet to be determined; however, universal coverage of all ten states is not expected to be feasible. Preparation will include an iterative consultation with Government and other key stakeholders to develop a consensus on the Project's geographic coverage. A phasing strategy to target states and counties not currently covered, or slated for coverage, by other Government, Bank, and development partner programs, will be explored. E. Borrowers Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies The Borrower currently has limited institutional capacity to manage environmental and social safeguards. An Environmental and Social Safeguards Assessment Framework (ESSAF) has been prepared for South Sudan, once discussed by the Executive Directors, and is applicable to the proposed project. In order to strengthen the capacity of the implementing agency and ensure that the project is implemented in a socially responsible and environmentally sound manner, an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) will be prepared in the first year of project implementation. The ESMF will establish a mechanism to determine and assess the potential Public Disclosure Copy environmental and social impacts of subproject investments under the proposed program, and set out appropriate mitigation, monitoring and institutional measures to be taken during implementation and operation of the subprojects to avoid and/or minimize the expected environmental and social impacts to an acceptable levels. The program will include assistance to identify the staffing and capacity building needs as well as the procedural and oversight framework at the appropriate implementation levels to manage application of standards for environmental and social safeguards appropriate to limited safeguards risks posed by the small-scale sub-projects financed under the project. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Varalakshmi Vemuru (AFTCS) Bedilu Amare Reta (AFTSE) II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment OP/ Yes The proposed project is classified as BP 4.01 environmental Category B because no activity funded under the proposed Project is expected to have a significant negative environmental or social impact and triggers the OP 4.01 on environmental assessment. Subprojects to be financed under Component 1 are unlikely to generate any major adverse environmental Public Disclosure Copy effects. Given the anticipated small scale of the subprojects, the negative environmental impacts are likely to be localized, temporary, and easily mitigated through sensible construction management techniques, and diligent management practices that geared towards sustainable improvement and development of proposed subprojects. Since the location, extent and magnitude of the investments are not known at this stage of project preparation, the appropriate instrument to prepare is an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF). The Project will use the National ESSAF to prepare the project ESMF. The ESMF will contain basic environmental screening checklists that will be used for identification of different types sub projects and based on the outcome of the screening process, Environmental Management Plans will be prepared for each sub projects resulted in significant impacts as and when required. Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 No Any Project activity that would affect Natural Habitats will be listed under negative list and be excluded from the project. Forests OP/BP 4.36 No Any Project activity that would affect Forests Public Disclosure Copy will be listed under negative list and be excluded from the project. Pest Management OP 4.09 Yes The sub project investment menu are expected to have a livelihood improvement activities like improved agricultural practices , use of new improved seeds, nursery site establishment and management, re-vegetation or afforestation. These activities will ultimately result in the use of chemical and fertilizers and subsequent environmental and health risks. In order to offset or minimize the anticipated impacts, based on the ESSAF, the project will prepare an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP) will be prepared as required. Physical Cultural Resources OP/ Yes South Sudan is a newly emerging nation and its BP 4.11 cultural heritage resources are not yet known, but some public road works may be located in the area of influence of some sites. Graves could be located along existing public road rehabilitation work sites. The proposed Project may have subproject on rehabilitation works for Public Disclosure Copy public road and pose an impact on cultural property and graveyards situated along the road. Such subprojects having a significant impact on the cultural resources will not be financed and listed under negative list. The national ESSAF and Project ESMF provides a clear procedure for identification, protection and treatment of cultural resources and grave yards discovered. The chance find procedure will be clearly indicated in the ESSAF and ESMF and used as instrument to minimize the anticipated potential impacts. Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 Yes The overwhelming majority of people in the project area are expected to meet the requirements of OP 4.10. Per the requirements of OP/BP 4.10, when Indigenous Peoples are the sole or the overwhelming majority of direct project beneficiaries, the elements of an Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) should be included in the overall project design; a separate IPP is not required. Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP No Limited land requirements for Component 1 4.12 subprojects will not require involuntary land acquisition as sufficient land is available in South Sudan. Subprojects are likely to be Public Disclosure Copy implemented on government lands or on lands provided by the Bomas on a voluntary basis. Subprojects requiring land acquisition under eminent domain will not be financed. Requirements for voluntary community donations and use of available government land will be included in the ESMF and Operations Manual. Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No N/A Projects on International TBD Though the project is expected to be selected by Waterways OP/BP 7.50 the communities from the proposed investment menu, the proposed water sector subprojects are likely to have an impact on the surface and ground water sources and particularly White Nile water sources. Therefore, triggering this OP/BP will be determined before the appraisal of the project. Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP No N/A 7.60 Public Disclosure Copy III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Tentative target date for preparing the PAD Stage ISDS: 25-Mar-2013 B. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing1 should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS: Since the ESSAF is applicable to the proposed project, no specific safeguards related studies are planned before appraisal. However, an ESMF and IPMP will be prepared during the first year of project implementation. Social Analysis undertaken for the Local Governance and Service Delivery project that examined the diversity of socio-political organization, incidence and drivers of conflict, opportunities, constraints, and risks to inclusion of vulnerable social groups and participatory processes, will inform project design. IV. APPROVALS Task Team Leader: Name: Endashaw Tadesse Gossa Approved By: Regional Safeguards Name: Alexandra C. Bezeredi (RSA) Date: 12-Mar-2013 Coordinator: Sector Manager: Name: Manuel Salazar (SM) Date: 12-Mar-2013 Public Disclosure Copy 1 Reminder: The Bank's Disclosure Policy requires that safeguard-related documents be disclosed before appraisal (i) at the InfoShop and (ii) in country, at publicly accessible locations and in a form and language that are accessible to potentially affected persons.