The World Bank Romania Secondary Education Project (P148585)

Transcription

1 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized The World Bank RESTRUCTURING PAPER ON A PROPOSED PROJECT RESTRUCTURING OF ROMANIA SECONDARY EDUCATION PROJECT APPROVED ON MARCH 16, 2015 TO ROMANIA REPORT NO.: RES30323 Public Disclosure Authorized EDUCATION EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA Public Disclosure Authorized Regional Vice President: Country Director: Senior Global Practice Director: Practice Manager/Manager: Task Team Leader: Cyril E Muller Arup Banerji Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi Mario Cristian Aedo Inostroza Mariana Doina Moarcas, Andrea C. Guedes

2 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS PDO PISA ROSE TIMSS - Project Development Objective - Program for International Student Assessment - Romania Secondary Education Project - Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study

3 Note to Task Teams: The following sections are system generated and can only be edited online in the Portal. BASIC DATA Product Information Project ID P Original EA Category Not Required (C) Approval Date 16-Mar-2015 Financing Instrument Investment Project Financing Current EA Category Not Required (C) Current Closing Date 31-Dec-2022 Organizations Borrower Romania Responsible Agency Ministry of Education and Scientific Research,Ministry of Education and Scientific Research / Unit for Externally Financed Projects Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO The proposed Project Development Objectives are to improve the transition from upper secondary into tertiary education and increase the retention in the first year of tertiary education in project-supported education institutions. Summary Status of Financing Ln/Cr/Tf Approval Signing Effectiveness Closing Net Commitment Disbursed Undisbursed IBRD Mar Apr Oct Dec

4 Policy Waiver(s) Does this restructuring trigger the need for any policy waiver(s)? No Note to Task Teams: End of system generated content, document is editable from here.

5 I. PROJECT STATUS AND RATIONALE FOR RESTRUCTURING Status of Implementation Progress 1. The IBRD Loan 8481-RO was approved by the Board on March 16, 2015 in the amount of EUR 200 million (USD million equivalent), and became effective on October 14, Overall, progress towards achieving the PDO is considered satisfactory. School grants, which account for 80 percent of project cost and are the key intervention to attaining project outcomes, have been successfully launched: The first set of grants to high schools (266) and universities (193) is either under implementation or has been completed (40 summer bridge programs in universities), and the evaluation for the selection of the second set of high school grants (607) in underway. At the same time, there are implementation delays related to systemic interventions and monitoring and evaluation activities, which is being closely monitored by the Bank s team. Rationale for restructuring 2. On October 30, 2017, the Bank received an official request from the Ministry of Public Finance, on behalf of the Ministry of National Education, to amend the Loan Agreement so that the project could support Romania s participation in international assessments. While Romania has participated in such assessments in the past, due to fiscal constraints it was unable to participate in TIMSS - Trends in international Mathematics and Science Study in This was a significant missed opportunity to obtain a system diagnosis based on reliable data, also comparable to other education systems. 3. Given the importance of participating in international assessments as an input to improve education quality, and the direct relevance of such activity to ROSE s development objective, the task team requests management s approval to support this request. More specifically, ROSE is expected to support activities including a revision of exam items for the national evaluation at grade 8. This revision is aimed at ensuring a better alignment with interdisciplinary competencebased designs of international assessments such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) or the TIMSS. Therefore, the results from Romania s participation in international assessments would be key to inform the revision of exam items and provide a baseline on how well prepared students are when entering upper secondary education. At the same time, such data would contribute to further finetune ROSE activities aimed at increasing the transition to next education levels.

6 II. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED CHANGES 4. This restructuring seeks management s approval to allow ROSE to finance Romania s participation in international assessments. As previously stated, this activity is consistent with project objectives. For this purpose, Schedule 1 of the Loan Agreement would be modified to include this activity. As the total number of schools eligible to receive grants under the project has decreased due to school closures and transfers from high schools into professional schools, there are sufficient funds under the project to support the new activity. Note to Task Teams: The following sections are system generated and can only be edited online in the Portal. III. SUMMARY OF CHANGES Changed Not Changed Change in DDO Status Change in Loan Closing Date(s) Reallocation between Disbursement Categories Change in Safeguard Policies Triggered Change of EA category IV. DETAILED CHANGE(S) OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_IA_TABLE IMPLEMENTING AGENCY Implementing Agency Name Type Action Ministry of Education and Scientific Research Implementing Agency Ministry of Education and Scientific Implementing Research / Unit for Externally Financed Agency Projects

7 PDO_IND_TABLE The World Bank OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_PDO_TABLE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE Current PDO The proposed Project Development Objectives are to improve the transition from upper secondary into tertiary education and increase the retention in the first year of tertiary education in project-supported education institutions. Proposed New PDO OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_RESULTS_TABLE RESULTS FRAMEWORK Project Development Objective Indicators Average dropout rate in the final grade in project-supported high schools Value Date 30-Jun Jun Dec-2022 Percentage of project-supported high schools with dropout rate above 7% Supplement Value Average Baccalaureate passing rate in project-supported high schools Value Date 30-Jun Jun Dec-2022 Average retention rate in the first year of tertiary education in project-supported faculties

8 Value Date 30-Jun Jun Dec-2022 Average graduation rate in project-supported high schools Value Date 30-Jun Jun Dec-2022 Intermediate Indicators IO_IND_TABLE Percentage of eligible high-schools benefitting from the project grants Value Date 30-Jun Jun Dec-2022 Percentage of project-supported high schools that implement the grants in compliance with grant performance indicators Value Date 01-Jan Jun Dec-2022 Percentage of project-supported high schools that implement the grants in compliance with requirements for citizen engagement applicable to the Project Value

9 Date 01-Jan Jun Dec-2022 Average percentage of students of project-supported high school benefiting from remedial, tutoring or counselling activities Value Date 30-Jun Jun Dec-2022 Grade 10 assessment developed and administered, and results used to inform policy Unit of Measure: Yes/No Value No No Yes Date 01-Jan Jun Dec-2022 Report on the analysis of existing demand-side programs for disadvantaged upper secondary education students published with recommendations Unit of Measure: Yes/No Value No No Yes Date 01-Jan Jun Dec-2022 Percentage of eligible faculties benefitting from project grants Value Date 01-Jan Jun Dec-2022 Number of at risk tertiary education students benefiting from remediation and counseling programs Unit of Measure: Number Value

10 Date 01-Sep Jun Dec-2022 Number of project-supported high school students who participate in bridge programs Unit of Measure: Number Value Date 01-Jan Jun Dec-2022 Share of students of project-supported high school attending bridge programs who demonstrate motivation to pursue tertiary education Value Date 31-Dec Jun Dec-2022 Tertiary education students loan scheme revised and used to inform policy makers Unit of Measure: Yes/No Value No No Yes Date 01-Sep Jun Dec-2022 Direct project beneficiaries Unit of Measure: Number Value Date 01-Sep Jun Dec-2022 Female beneficiaries Supplement Value

11 OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_COMPONENTS_TABLE OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_CANCELLATIONS_TABLE OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_SORT_TABLE The World Bank COMPONENTS Current Component Name 1 - School-based and Systemic Interventions 2 - University-Level Interventions and Bridge Programs 3 - Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation Current Cost (US$M) Action Proposed Component Name 1 - School-based and Systemic Interventions 2 - University-Level Interventions and Bridge Programs 3 - Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation Proposed Cost (US$M) TOTAL CANCELLATIONS Ln/Cr/Tf Status Currency IBRD Disburs ing EUR Current Amount 200,000, Cancellation Amount 0.00 Value Date of Cancellation New Amount 200,000, Reason for Cancellation OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_DISBURSEMENT_TABLE DISBURSEMENT ESTIMATES Change in Disbursement Estimates SYSTEMATIC OPERATIONS RISK-RATING TOOL (SORT) Risk Category Rating at Approval Current Rating Political and Governance Substantial Macroeconomic Moderate Sector Strategies and Policies Low

12 OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_LEGCOV_TABLE The World Bank Technical Design of Project or Program Low Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Sustainability Moderate Fiduciary Substantial Environment and Social Low Stakeholders Moderate Other Overall Moderate LEGAL COVENANTS Loan/Credit/TF Description Status Action IBRD Finance Agreement :Project Management Information System Description :The Borrower, through the MESR, shall design and implement a project management information system for enhanced monitoring, reporting and financial management, on terms and in a manner satisfactory to the Bank. Due Date :30-Jun-2016 Partially complied with IBRD Finance Agreement :Provision of Grants Description :The Grants to Beneficiaries pursuant to Part 1(a) and Part 2 of the Project shall be selected, appraised, implemented, monitor and evaluated by the Borrower, through the MESR, in accordance with the principles, procedures and requirements set forth in the Project Operations Manual, the Procurement Guidelines, the Consultant Guidelines, and the Anti-Corruption Guidelines. Frequency :Yearly Complied with IBRD Finance Agreement :Provision of Grants Description :The Borrower, through the MESR, shall enter into Grant Agreement with each Beneficiary of a Grant financed by the Project under the terms and conditions of said Grant. Frequency :Yearly Complied with IBRD Finance Agreement :Safeguards Description :The Borrower, through MESR, shall screen all grant Complied with

13 applications submitted pursuant to Parts 1(a) and 2 of the Project with a screening checklist acceptable to the Bank in order to ensure that any works to be carried out by Beneficiaries involve existing buildings and are not of a significant nature and will have minimal or no adverse environmental impacts. Frequency :Yearly IBRD Finance Agreement :Institutional Arrangements Description :The Borrower, through MESR, shall (i) operate and maintain UEFP within MESR until the completion of the Project; and (ii) ensure that UEFP functions at all times in a manner and with adequate staffing (including a project director, a financial management specialist, a procurement specialist, and two officers to administer the provision of Grants) and budgetary resources, all acceptable to the Bank Frequency :Yearly Partially complied with IBRD Finance Agreement :Institutional Arrangements Description :The Borrower, through MESR, shall: (a) maintain the Project Operations Manual in form and content satisfactory to the Bank; (b) carry out the Project in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Project Operations Manual; and (c) not assign, amend, abrogate or waive the Project Operations Manual without obtaining the prior approval of the Bank. Frequency :Yearly Partially complied with Note to Task Teams: End of system generated content, document is editable from here.