Draft 3/18/20 Djibouti COVID 19 Emergency Response Project DRAFT Preliminary Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) This document provides the key information to be included in is the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) for the Djibouti COVID-19 Emergency Response Project which will be prepared by the Ministry of Public Health of Djibouti upon project approval. 1. Introduction/Project Description An outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading rapidly across the world since December 2019, following the diagnosis of the initial cases in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Since the beginning of March 2020, the number of cases outside China has increased thirteenfold and the number of affected countries has tripled. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic as the coronavirus rapidly spreads across the world. As of March 19, 2020, the outbreak has resulted in an estimated 231,056 cases and 8,930 deaths in 177 countries and territories. Currently in Djibouti there is one confirmed case of Covid19 and a few other suspected cases. The Government of Djibouti has prepared a Covid19 Preparedness and Responsiveness Plan in February 2020. The World Bank is supporting Djibouti’s Preparedness Plan through the Djibouti COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (P173807), through a USD 5 million grant to Djibouti. The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Health. Djibouti COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (P173807) comprises the following activities: (i) Activities supporting case detection, confirmation, recording and reporting (i.e. the procurement of testing kits, laboratory materials, transportation, personnel protective equipment, information systems, capacity-building and training of primary care staff and service providers); (ii) Activities supporting the communication and engagement of key stakeholders, including beneficiaries and service providers on key health messaging (i.e. washing hands, symptoms, social distancing); (iii) Activities strengthening the health response capacity (i.e. purchase of medication, ICU equipment, hospital grade incinerator, and the expansion, rehabilitation and renovation of existing sites to convert into quarantine facilities); (iv) emergency response component (CERC) with activities not defined at this stage. Most of the activities will take place in Djibouti-ville and its surroundings (i.e. Balbala and other suburbs), although communication and training activities are expected nation-wide. 2. Objective of this preliminary SEP To comply with the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) must be prepared by the Ministry of Health. Djibouti’s Covid19 Preparedness and Responsiveness Plan already includes a Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Component. The implementation of this component will be described in the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) associated with this project. The SEP will also include additional information and activities to comply with the requirements of ESS10 as well as the WHO technical guidance on Covid19 risk communication and community engagement .1 The ESF’ Environmental and Social Standard ESS 10 on Stakeholders Engagement and Information Disclosure, the overall objective of an SEP is to define a program for stakeholder engagement, including public information disclosure and consultation, throughout the entire project cycle. The preliminary SEP outlines the ways in which the project team will communicate with stakeholders and includes a mechanism by which people can raise concerns, provide feedback, or make complaints about project and any activities related to the project. In a time of a pandemic, ESS10 also requires that adequate measures are undertaken to ensure engagement and communication activities 1 https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance 1 do not contribute to the spread of the virus. 3. Stakeholder identification and analysis For the purposes of effective and tailored engagement, stakeholders of the proposed project(s) can be divided into the following core categories: • Affected Parties – persons, groups and other entities within the Project Area of Influence (PAI) that are directly influenced (actually or potentially) by the project and/or have been identified as most susceptible to change associated with the project, and who need to be closely engaged in identifying impacts and their significance, as well as in decision-making on mitigation and management measures; • Other Interested Parties – individuals/groups/entities that may not experience direct impacts from the Project but who consider or perceive their interests as being affected by the project and/or who could affect the project and the process of its implementation in some way; and • Vulnerable Groups – persons who may be disproportionately impacted or further disadvantaged by the project(s) as compared with any other groups due to their vulnerable status2, and that may require special engagement efforts to ensure their equal representation in the consultation and decision-making process associated with the project. 3.1 Affected parties Affected Parties include local communities, community members and other parties that may be subject to direct impacts from the Project. Specifically, the following individuals and groups fall within this category: • COVID19 infected people • People under COVID19 quarantine • Relatives of COVID19 infected people • Public Health Workers • Private health service providers (clinics and laboratory services) and their employers • Neighboring communities to laboratories, quarantine centers, and screening posts • Workers at construction sites of laboratories, quarantine centers and screening posts • People at COVID29 risks (travelers, inhabitants of areas where cases have been identified, etc.) • Municipal waste collection and disposal workers • The Ministry of Health (MOH) • Relatives of people under COVID19 quarantine 3.1 Other interested parties The projects’ stakeholders also include parties other than the directly affected communities, including: • The public at large • Representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Transport, Social Affairs, Telecommunication, • Regional and local government representatives • Village chiefs • Waqf representatives (imams, etc…) • Traditional media • Participants of social media • Other national and international health organizations • Businesses with international links • Airline and border control staff 2 Vulnerable status may stem from an individual’s or group’s race, national, ethnic or social origin, color, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, property, age, culture, literacy, sickness, physical or mental disability, poverty or economic disadvantage, and dependence on unique natural resources. 2 • Container port staff • Furloughed employees and affected business owners • The WHO, multilateral development banks and bilateral donors, and international NGOs 3.3 Disadvantaged / vulnerable individuals or groups Within the Project, the vulnerable or disadvantaged groups in the context of a Covid intervention in Djibouti may include : • households below poverty level • the illiterate • individuals who are at higher risk of getting very sick from Covid19 and requiring emergency care. - the elderly (over 65 years old) - individuals with underlying medical conditions, particularly heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and people who are immuno-compromised • refugees and asylum-seekers both registered and unregistered. • pregnant women 4. Stakeholder Engagement Program 4.1. Summary of stakeholder engagement done during project preparation Due to the emergency situation and the need to address issues related to COVID19, no dedicated consultations beyond engaging with public authorities and health experts, including local representatives of the WHO, have been conducted so far. 4.2 Methodology In order to meet best practice approaches, the project will apply the following principles for stakeholder engagement: a. Principles of engagement: 1. Openness and life-cycle approach: public consultations for the project(s) will be arranged during the whole life-cycle, carried out in an open manner, free of external manipulation, interference, coercion or intimidation; 2. Informed participation and feedback: information will be provided to and widely distributed among all stakeholders in an appropriate format; opportunities are provided for communicating stakeholders’ feedback, for analyzing and addressing comments and concerns; 3. Inclusiveness and sensitivity: Sensitivity to stakeholders’ needs is the key principle underlying the selection of engagement methods. Given Djibouti’s particular situation with diverse languages (Afar, Somali and Arabic) and a high illiteracy rate (43% of the population who is 15 years old and older), the SEP will ensure the messages will be transmitted in these different languages and use pictures and oral messaging to ensure the SEP meets these diverse needs. 4. Precautionary approach to the consultation process to prevent contagion: given the highly infectious nature of SARS-Cov-2, and as long as risk of contagion are present b. Key messages As per the National Covid19 Preparedness and Responsiveness Plan and per OMS guidelines the messages will include but may not be limited to the following: • Proper handwashing • Avoid touching one’s face 3 • Avoid touching contaminated surfaces • Social distancing • Characteristics of high-risk individuals • Covering of mouth when coughing • Isolating oneself when falling sick and seeking medical care when symptoms worsen • Avoiding hoarding practices. b. Means of engagement The following means of communication may be used: posters with images on the street, text messages, phone applications, social media, hotline, phone calls, mass media, the distribution of leaflets, spokeperson (i.e. imams, village chief, media personality, etc…) Every effort will be made to ensure a two-way communication channels and provide responses on feedback through forum moderators on mass media, radio shows, hotlines, etc…. The Preliminary SEP communication will fully be aligned with the Government strategy and in collaboration with the relevant institutions assigned for this purpose. Note: Social distancing and engagement: given the highly infectious nature of SARS-Cov-2, and as long as the risk of contagion are present, the preferred engagement method will be through distancing methods (i.e. phone interviews, the use of mass media such as the radio). In person individual interviews and consultations in small groups may be possible as long as it is allowed by official policy. However, big gatherings are not encouraged to implement the preliminary SEP as long as the risk of contagion prevails. The methods of engagement will be evaluated and selected based on the actual situation in Djibouti at the time of the activity. 5. Resources and Responsibilities for implementing stakeholder engagement activities The Ministry of Public Health will be in charge of implementing the SEP. However, many activities within the preliminary SEP may be implemented by partner agencies (the mass media, Ministry of Telecommunication, local representatives). The project implementation unit responsible for implementing the WB-financed project will include a communication expert. The preliminary and updated SEP implementation will be financed by the Project, an allocation of USD 500,000 has been allocated for this purpose. 6. Grievance Mechanism The Ministry of Public Health will put in place a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) is to assist to resolve complaints and grievances in a timely, effective and efficient manner that satisfies all parties involved. Specifically, the GRM will provide a transparent and credible process for fair, effective and lasting outcomes. It also builds trust and cooperation as an integral component of broader community consultation that facilitates corrective actions. Specifically, the GRM: ▪ Provides affected people with avenues for making a complaint or resolving any dispute that may arise during the course of the implementation of projects; ▪ Ensures that appropriate and mutually acceptable redress actions are identified and implemented to the satisfaction of complainants; and ▪ Avoids the need to resort to judicial proceedings. Once all possible redress has been proposed and if the complainant is still not satisfied then they should be advised of their right to legal recourse. 7. Disclosure To comply with WB requirements, once finalized the SEP will be disclosed on the MOH and the World Bank websites. Other instrument specific to this project, such as the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and associated plans as well as the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) will also be disclosed on the MOH and World Bank websites. All other information related to the nation-wide Covid19 response communication campaign will be disclosed centrally and locally as relevant according to the Covid19 Response communication activities. 4 8. Monitoring and Reporting The SEP will be periodically revised and updated as necessary in the course of project implementation in order to ensure that the information presented remains consistent. The project will also report to the World Bank the implementation of its Covid19 Response information and communication campaign. Summaries and internal reports on public grievances, enquiries and related incidents, together with the status of implementation of associated corrective/preventative actions will be collated by responsible staff and referred to the senior management of the project. These summaries will provide a mechanism for assessing both the number and the nature of complaints and requests for information, along with the Project’s ability to address those in a timely and effective manner. This information will be submitted to the Bank in the quarterly reports. 9. References The updated SEP will be prepared based on the following references: • The Djibouti’s National Covid19 Response Plan (Plan Operationnel de Preparation et de Riposte au Coronavirus 2019 Covid19 a Djibouti), which includes messages on proper handwashing, the characteristics of high-risks individuals • The preliminary SEP. • The Risk Communication and Community Engagement approach highlighted in the WHO “COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan OPERATIONAL PLANNING GUIDELINES TO SUPPORT COUNTRY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE� (2020). This approach highlights the following: “It is critical to communicate to the public what is known about COVID -19, what is unknown, what is being done, and actions to be taken on a regular basis. Preparedness and response activities should be conducted in a participatory, community-based way that are informed and continually optimized according to community feedback to detect and respond to concerns, rumours and misinformation. Changes in preparedness and response interventions should be announced and explained ahead of time and be developed based on community perspectives.� • The Environmental and Social Standard no. 10 of the World Bank’s ESF. • Any additional relevant messaging that mitigates the social impacts of the project, such as messaging designed to encourage social distancing, prevent hoarding of basic supplies, clarify rumors or false information, de-stigmatize Covid19 patients suspected or confirmed, etc…. 5