RESTRUCTURING PAPER ON A PROPOSED PROJECT RESTRUCTURING EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FOR FLOATING VILLAGES PROJECT APPROVED ON JUNE 10, 2016

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1 Public Disclosure Authorized The World Bank RESTRUCTURING PAPER REPORT NO.: RES31013 Public Disclosure Authorized ON A PROPOSED PROJECT RESTRUCTURING OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FOR FLOATING VILLAGES PROJECT APPROVED ON JUNE 10, 2016 TO SAVE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL Public Disclosure Authorized EDUCATION EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC Public Disclosure Authorized Regional Vice President: Country Director: Senior Global Practice Director: Practice Manager/Manager: Task Team Leader: Victoria Kwakwa Ellen A. Goldstein Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi Harry Anthony Patrinos Tsuyoshi Fukao

2 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS CB ECCD HB ISR PDO SCI Community-based Early Childhood Care and Development Home-based Implementation Status Report Project Development Objective Save the Children International

3 BASIC DATA Product Information Project ID P Original EA Category Partial Assessment (B) Approval Date 10-Jun-2016 Financing Instrument Investment Project Financing Current EA Category Partial Assessment (B) Current Closing Date 10-Jun-2019 Organizations Borrower Save the Children International Responsible Agency Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO The PDO is to improve access to quality Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) services through community and home-basedprograms for 0 to 5-year-olds, particularly for those from disadvantaged background, in the targeted areas. Summary Status of Financing TF Approval Signing Effectiveness Closing Net Commitment Disbursed Undisbursed TF-A May Jun Jun Jun Policy Waiver(s) Does this restructuring trigger the need for any policy waiver(s)? No

4 I. PROJECT STATUS AND RATIONALE FOR RESTRUCTURING A. Summary of Project Status 1. The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) for Floating Villages Project (hereinafter referred to as the Project) supports the Government of Cambodia, through Save the Children International (SCI) as an implementing agency, to improve access to quality ECCD services through community-based (CB) and home-based (HB) ECCD programs. To this end, the Project supports: (i) the construction of onshore and floating CB ECCD centers; (ii) establishment of HB ECCD programs; (iii) building capacity of CB ECCD center facilitators as well as government officials for improving CB ECCD services; (iv) training to core mothers and parent group leaders for conducting HB ECCD programs; and (v) maternal literacy program for promoting ECCD activities. The baseline and endline studies are included to assess the output and outcome results and indicators agreed in the project results framework. 2. The Project is half way through its short three-year implementation period. Its design is ambitious and innovative and reasonable progress has been made to-date. The project is now entering a crucial stage, with a range of important activities to be implemented within tight time constraints. Initial delays of approximately one year were due to the pilot nature of the construction (onshore and floating centers). More time was required for SCI to get qualified staff on board, especially in the areas of center designs, and construction of both onshore and floating centers. The design of the onshore center was approved by the Bank in February The design of the floating center was submitted to and approved by the Bank in December 2017 and the technical specifications finalized in March Thus far, one onshore ECCD center has been completed in March Three other onshore centers are being constructed and scheduled to finish in June For construction of floating ECCD centers, the bid announcement has taken place in mid April The bid opening will be carried out in mid May Despite the construction delays of the CB centers, SCI is to be complimented on implementing a series of training activities relating to the soft components. All project personnel are now on board and have received appropriate training, including training on safeguards to SCI engineers, staff and contractors, training on procurement and contract management as well as training on financial management. Training sessions for CB-ECCD volunteer teachers has been completed. While waiting for the construction to complete, trained facilitators use existing infrastructure or available spaces in the villages to organize CB ECCD classes such as community centers, primary schools and pagodas. These volunteer teachers will also be able to support the HB ECCD activities. For HB ECCD, parenting sessions are ongoing, with increasing numbers of participating parents. Parental literacy program has been successfully completed for 198 parents (the project has achieved the target of 150 parents). As of April 30, 2018, project cumulative disbursement stands at per cent of the total grant amount. 4. In terms of achieving the PDO, the most recent ISR rating is Moderately Unsatisfactory (MU). CB ECCD program enrollment and classroom environment have made little progress, as most of the CB ECCD centers are under construction, resulting in the slow progress of these two PDO indicators. On the other hand, HB ECCD program has been implemented on schedule and the PDO indicator on HB ECCD program enrollment is on track. Regarding the intermediate results, one intermediate indicator regarding the community-based ECCD center construction shows little progress, while a second indicator regarding parent s literacy class has been achieved and a third indicator related to parent s participation in the home-based ECCD program is on track. The fourth and last intermediate indicator the number of communes that address ECCD services in their official annual plans is expected to be met during the final year of implementation. 4

5 B. Rationale for Restructuring 5. The project mid-term review was conducted during November 20 December 1, Its key findings highlighted that the project is at a critical stage of implementing activities within the tight remaining timeframe due to the accumulated delays from the civil works component. Although the other components have been progressing relatively well, adjustment and alignment of targets and indicators as well as reallocation of funds were suggested to ensure that the PDO will be met during the remaining implementation period. The main adjustment will be the number of children enrolled in the CB ECCD programs as well as HB ECCD programs, the project s PDO level indicators, which will be reduced due to the following reasons. 6.First, findings from the project baseline study indicates that the number of children in the target areas who would participate in the ECCD programs has reduced due to the two main reasons: (i) children from floating communities migrate with their families to find jobs on the main land or in the neighboring country; and (ii) behaviors in reproductive health have changed, resulting in low new birth rate for the target age children of the project. The study shows that there is a decline of about 7 per cent per year in the population of age 0-6 children in target villages. Migration also causes the total number of parents who would participate in the project s HB ECCD program to reduce. 7.Second, the number of children enrolled in CB ECCD programs will be reduced due to the decreased number of CB ECCD centers to be constructed (from originally 18 to 11 centers) caused by the construction cost escalation. Two main reasons have contributed to such cost escalation: (i) the design has been significantly improved to ensure stability, safety and provision of quality learning environment; and (ii) the cost of materials has increased significantly due to inflation and limited availability in the domestic market. 8.In light of the above, SCI has requested that the project be restructured within the following parameters of PDO indicators as well as an intermediate indicator: (i) reduce the number of children enrolled in CB ECCD program from the original target of 1,200 children to 770 children (PDO Indicator); (ii) reduce the number of children enrolled in HB ECCD program from 12,183 children to 10,070 children (PDO Indicator); (iii) reduce the number of CB ECCD centers to be constructed using the project funds from 18 to 11 centers (Intermediate Indicator), (iv) reduce the number of parents participating in HB ECCD program from 10,153 to 8,483 persons, and (iv) reallocate the funds to cover the increased construction cost of the CB ECCD centers. The restructuring, which is in response to the local context changes, will allow the project to achieve its PDO and related indicators. Concerted efforts both by SCI and WB task teams will be made to ensure that the project implementation will be closely monitored and accelerated within the remaining project timeframe. II. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED CHANGES C. Results Framework and Monitoring 9.PDO Level Results Indicators (a) Indicator One: Number of children enrolled in CB ECCD grogram financed by the project The proposed change for this indicator is to reduce the end target to 770 children due to (i) the reduction of beneficiary children in the target areas, and (ii) the reduction of the number of CB ECCD centers to be constructed. 5

6 (b) Indicator Two: Number of children enrolled in HB ECCD program financed by the project The proposed change for this indicator is to reduce the end target to 10,070 children due to the reduction of beneficiary children in the target areas. 10. Intermediate Results Indicator (c) Intermediate Result Indicator One: Number of ECCD centers with health corners constructed The number of CB ECCD centers to be constructed is scaled down from 18 centers (9 onshore and 9 floating) to 11 centers (4 onshore and 7 floating) due to the cost escalation. (d) Intermediate Result Indicator Two: Number of parents participating in HB ECCD program The proposed change for this indicator is to reduce the end target to 8,483 parents due to the lower number of new parent groups participating in the project in Year 3. The reason for the lower number of parent groups is due to migration. D. Reallocation between Disbursement Categories 11. Due to the construction cost escalation, funds are proposed to be reallocated across disbursement categories to reflect the additional construction costs as follows: Original Proposed Reallocation Category Amount ($) % Amount ($) % Consultants Services 557, , Incremental Operating Costs 418, , Goods 159, , Works 600, , Training and Workshops 1,052, ,015, ,790, ,790, III. SUMMARY OF CHANGES Changed Change in Results Framework Not Changed Reallocation between Disbursement Categories Change in Disbursement Estimates Change in Implementing Agency Change in Project's Development Objectives 6

7 PDO_IND_TABLE The World Bank Change in Components and Cost Change in Loan Closing Date(s) Cancellations Proposed Additional Financing Proposed Change in Disbursements Arrangements Change in Overall Risk Rating Change in Safeguard Policies Triggered Change of EA category Change in Legal Covenants Change in Institutional Arrangements Change in Financial Management Change in Procurement Change in Implementation Schedule Other Change(s) IV. DETAILED CHANGE(S) OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_RESULTS_TABLE RESULTS FRAMEWORK Project Development Objective Indicators Number of children enrolled in Community-based ECCD program financed by the project Value Revised Date 10-Jun Jan May-2019 Number of children enrolled in Home-based ECCD program financed by the project Value Revised 7

8 Date 11-Jul Jan May-2019 Percentage of Community Based ECCD program rated as level 5 overall on the adjusted Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale throuhg classroom observation Unit of Measure: Percentage Value No Change Date 11-Jul Jan May-2019 Intermediate Indicators IO_IND_TABLE Number of ECCD centers with health corners constructed Value Revised Date 10-Jun Jan May-2018 Number of parents participating in HB ECCD program Value Revised Date 11-Jul Jan May-2019 Number of parents/mothers who participated and completed maternal literacy programs Value No Change Date 11-Jul Jan May-2019 Number of communes that address ECCD services in their official annual plans of commune council 8

9 Value No Change Date 11-Jul Sep May-2019 OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_REALLOCATION _TABLE REALLOCATION BETWEEN DISBURSEMENT CATEGORIES Current Allocation Actuals + Committed Proposed Allocation Financing % (Type Total) Current Proposed TF-A Currency: USD ilap Category Sequence No: 1 Current Expenditure Category: TFA CONS SERV 557, , , ilap Category Sequence No: 2 Current Expenditure Category: TFA GOODS 159, , , ilap Category Sequence No: 3 Current Expenditure Category: TFA WORKS 600, , , ilap Category Sequence No: 4 Current Expenditure Category: TFA TRAINING & WS 1,052, , ,015, ilap Category Sequence No: 5 Current Expenditure Category: TFA OPERATING COSTS 418, , , Total 2,790, ,178, ,790, OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_DISBURSEMENT_TABLE DISBURSEMENT ESTIMATES Change in Disbursement Estimates Yes 9

10 Year Current Proposed , ,000, , ,000, , , ,430,