IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION AND RESULTS REPORT (TF-97340) ON A GRANT FROM THE EDUCATION FOR ALL-FAST TRACK INITIATIVE CATALYTIC FUND

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1 Public Disclosure Authorized Document of The World Bank Report No: ICR Public Disclosure Authorized IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION AND RESULTS REPORT (TF-97340) ON A GRANT FROM THE EDUCATION FOR ALL-FAST TRACK INITIATIVE CATALYTIC FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF US$45 MILLION Public Disclosure Authorized TO THE REPUBLIC OF TOGO FOR AN EDUCATION AND INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING PROJECT (PERI) Public Disclosure Authorized Education Global Practice Africa Region October 30, 2015

2 CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (Exchange Rate Effective October 19, 2015) Currency Unit = FCFA FCFA 1.00 = US$ US$ 1.00 = FCFA 578 FISCAL YEAR ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AeA AFD AfDB AGETUR AWP CF CMA COGEP CSO CSR DAF DANIDA DEPP DPEE DRE ECD EDIL EFA-FTI EMIS ENI EPTT ERGG ESMF ESP FGB Aide et Action (Non-Governmental Organization) French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement) African Development Bank Contract Management Agency (Agence d Exécution des Travaux Urbains) Annual Work Plan Catalytic Fund Contract Management Agency School-based management committee (Comité de Gestion des Ecoles Primaires) Civil Society Organization Country Status Report Directorate of Finance (Direction des Affaires Financières) Danish Cooperation Directorate of Pre-primary and Primary Education Directorate of Education Planning and Evaluation (Direction de la Planification de l Education et de l Evaluation) Regional Education Directorate (Direction Régionale de l Education) Early Childhood Development Community School (Ecole D Initiative Locale) Education For All - Fast Track Initiative Education Management of Information System Primary Teacher Training Institute (Ecole Normale d Instituteurs) AFD-financed Education project (Education Pour Tous au Togo) Economic Recovery and Governance Grant Environmental and Social Management Framework Educator Sector Plan Grassroots Management Training (Formation de gestion de base) ii

3 FM GA GDP GMT GTZ HDI HIV/AIDS IDA IFR IGF IDB IRR ISN ISR LEDG M&E MDG MEPSA MTEF MTR NGO NPV PAD PASEC PCR PCU PDC PDO PERI PERI 2 QER QUIBB RF RPF SDI SE SSA STP TA Financial Management Grant Agreement Gross Domestic Product Grassroots Management Training German Cooperation Human Development Index Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome International Development Association Interim Financial Report General Finance Inspectorate (Inspection Générale des Finances) Islamic Development Bank Internal Rate of Return Interim Strategy Note Implementation Status Report Local Education Donor Group Monitoring and Evaluation Millennium Development Goal Ministry of Primary, Secondary Education and Literacy (Ministère des Enseignements Primaire, Secondaire et de l Alphabétisation) Medium Term Expenditure Framework Mid-Term Review Non-Governmental Organization Net Present Value Project Appraisal Document CONFEMEN Education System Analysis Program (Programme d Analyse des Systèmes Educatifs de la CONFEMEN) Primary Completion Rate Project Coordination Unit Community-Development Project (Projet de Développement Communautaire) Project Development Objective Education and Institutional Strengthening Project (Projet Education et Renforcement Institutionnel) Second Education and Institutional Strengthening Project (Projet Education et Renforcement Institutionnel - 2) Quality Enhancement Review Survey on Basic Indicators of Well-Being (Questionnaire des Indicateurs de Base du Bien-être) Results Framework Resettlement Policy Framework Service Delivery Indicators Supervising Entity Sub Saharan Africa Permanent Technical Secretariat (Secrétariat Technique Permanent) Technical Assistance iii

4 TOR UCG UNICEF UPE WFP Terms of Reference Accounting and Procurement Unit (Unité Comptable et de Gestion) United Nation Children s Fund Universal Primary Education World Food Programme Vice President: Makhtar Diop Senior Global Practice Director: Claudia Maria Costin Country Manager: Joelle Dehasse Businger Practice Manager: Peter N. Materu Project Team Leader: Hyacinthe Gbaye ICR Team Leader: Hyacinthe Gbaye iv

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6 REPUBLIC OF TOGO Education and Institutional Strengthening Project (PERI) CONTENTS Data Sheet A. Basic Information B. Key Dates C. Ratings Summary D. Sector and Theme Codes E. Bank Staff F. Results Framework Analysis G. Ratings of Project Performance in ISRs H. Restructuring I. Disbursement Graph 1. Project Context, Development Objectives and Design Key Factors Affecting Implementation and Outcomes Assessment of Outcomes Assessment of Risk to Development Outcome Assessment of Bank and Borrower Performance Lessons Learned Comments on Issues Raised by Borrower/Implementing Agencies/Partners Annex 1. Project Costs and Financing Annex 2. Outputs by Component Annex 3. Economic and Financial Analysis Annex 4. Bank Lending and Implementation Support/Supervision Processes Annex 5. Beneficiary Survey Results Annex 6. Stakeholder Workshop Report and Results Annex 7. Summary of Borrower's ICR and/or Comments on Draft ICR Annex 8. Comments of Cofinanciers and Other Partners/Stakeholders Annex 9. List of Supporting Documents Annex 10. Indicators under the Project MAP v

7 A. Basic Information DATA SHEET Country: Togo Project Name: Project ID: P L/C/TF Number(s): TF ICR Date: 10/30/2015 ICR Type: Core ICR TG- Education For All- Fast Track Initiative Program Lending Instrument: SIL Grantee: REPUBLIC OF TOGO Original Total Commitment: Revised Amount: USD 44.90M Environmental Category: B USD 45.00M Disbursed Amount: USD 44.90M Implementing Agencies: Ministère de l Enseignement Primaire, Secondaire et de l Alphabétisation (MEPSA) Cofinanciers and Other External Partners: B. Key Dates Process Date Process Original Date Revised / Actual Date(s) Concept Review: 06/11/2009 Effectiveness: 01/24/ /28/2011 Appraisal: 02/17/2010 Restructuring(s): 04/17/2014 Approval: 09/16/2010 Mid-term Review: 12/10/ /11/2013 Closing: 05/01/ /31/2014 C. Ratings Summary C.1 Performance Rating by ICR Outcomes: Risk to Development Outcome: Bank Performance: Grantee Performance: Moderately Satisfactory Moderate Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory C.2 Detailed Ratings of Bank and Borrower Performance (by ICR) Bank Ratings Borrower Ratings Quality at Entry: Satisfactory Government: Satisfactory Quality of Supervision: Moderately Satisfactory Implementing Agency/Agencies: Moderately Satisfactory Overall Bank Overall Borrower Moderately Satisfactory Performance: Performance: Moderately Satisfactory vi

8 C.3 Quality at Entry and Implementation Performance Indicators Implementation QAG Assessments Indicators Performance (if any) Potential Problem Project at any time (Yes/No): Problem Project at any time (Yes/No): DO rating before Closing/Inactive status: Yes No Moderately Satisfactory Quality at Entry (QEA): Quality of Supervision (QSA): Rating None None D. Sector and Theme Codes Original Actual Sector Code (as % of total Bank financing) Adult literacy/non-formal education 1 1 Pre-primary education 2 2 Primary education Public administration- Education Theme Code (as % of total Bank financing) Education for all E. Bank Staff Positions At ICR At Approval Vice President: Makhtar Diop Obiageli K. Ezekwesili Country Director: Ousmane Diagana Madani M. Tall Practice Manager/Manager: Peter Nicolas Materu Christopher J. Thomas Project Team Leader: Hyacinthe Gbaye Matthieu Brossard ICR Team Leader: Hyacinthe Gbaye ICR Primary Author: Laura McDonald, Bernardo da Cruz Vasconcellos F. Results Framework Analysis Project Development Objectives (from Project Appraisal Document) The objectives of the Project are to: (i) increase coverage of and retention in basic education; (ii) support improvements in quality of teaching; and (iii) strengthen institutional and community capacity in implementation and management of the Project. vii

9 Revised Project Development Objectives (as approved by original approving authority) Not Applicable. (a) PDO Indicator(s) Indicator Original Target Values (from Baseline Value approval documents) Increase in Primary Completion Rate Formally Revised Target Values Actual Value Achieved at Completion or Target Years Indicator 1: Value quantitative or 65% 74% 81% 83.6% Qualitative) Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments Target exceeded. End target was modified under the 2014 restructuring to take (incl. % into account revised population data. The end-of-project values are taken from achievement) 2013/2014 data. Indicator 2: Primary Completion Rate, girls Value quantitative or 72.1% 73.5% 80% Qualitative) Date achieved 12/12/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Target exceeded. Indicator added under the restructuring. Baseline taken from data for SY school year. The end-of-project values are taken from 2013/2014 data. Indicator 3: Direct Project Beneficiaries (% female) Value quantitative or 0 75,000 90,200 (48.4%) Qualitative) Date achieved 01/26/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Indicator 4: Value quantitative or Qualitative) Target exceeded. The date for achievement noted in the PAD is 2013.This indicator measures the number of beneficiaries from school construction only. A large number of additional individuals benefitted from textbooks and/or school grants. Primary retention rate 57.1% 62% 66% Date achieved 12/31/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Target exceeded. The date for achievement noted in the PAD is This indicator was added under the restructuring. The end-of-project values are taken from 2013/2014 data and rate amongst girls was 66.1%. Indicator 5: Schools constructed by the school-based communities according to the standardized school construction guidelines under the project (percentage) Value quantitative or 27.5% 80.0% 99.6% viii

10 Qualitative) Date achieved 02/14/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Indicator 6: Value quantitative or Qualitative) Target exceeded. The date for achievement noted in the PAD is This indicator was added under the restructuring. Improvement of the Reading Textbooks: Student Ratio in Primary 1:2 1: :1 Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % Target exceeded. The end-of-project values are taken from 2013/2014 data. achievement) Indicator 7: Improvement of the Mathematics Textbooks: Student Ratio in Primary Value quantitative or 1:2.1 1:1.5 1:1 Qualitative) Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % Target exceeded. The end-of-project values are taken from 2013/2014 data. achievement) Time-bound implementation plan to support capacity-building of the Indicator 8: communities and of the MEPSA and skills transfer from the PCU is approved by MEPSA and at least 75 percent of activities each year are successfully implemented. Value Not Approved Approved quantitative or 0% 75% Qualitative) 90% Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Indicator was revised under restructuring and classified as an intermediate-level indicator. The 75 percent target would be evaluated by the joint donor supervision mission. The plan includes the indicator on number of communities that receive GMT. *PDO-level Indicators are only specified in the main text and Annex 3 of the PAD (not in the Grant Agreement) ** Annual targets are specified in Annex 3 of the PAD (b) Intermediate Outcome Indicator(s) Indicator Indicator 1: Value quantitative or Qualitative) Baseline Value Original Target Values (from approval documents) Formally Revised Target Values Actual Value Achieved at Completion or Target Years Number of additional classrooms built or rehabilitated at the primary level as a result of project intervention ix

11 Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments Target exceeded. The original end-of-project was expressed as 80% of 815 (or (incl. % 652). achievement) Indicator 2: Percentage of resources managed by CMA and communities according to agreed procedures Value quantitative or 0 80% 100% 100% Qualitative) Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Indicator 3: Value quantitative or Qualitative) Target achieved. Resources were first transferred to the CMA and communities in School building program overall satisfaction of actors and beneficiaries 0 70% 92% Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/2014 Comments Target exceeded. PAD specified that the Evaluation Instrument will be approved (incl. % in Survey was postponed given delay in overall school building program. achievement) Indicator 4: Actual number of textbooks purchased and delivered to primary school (% compared to planned number) Value quantitative or million 2.9 million or 181% Qualitative) Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % Target significantly exceeded. achievement) Indicator 5: New textbooks in math and reading for the first grade of primary schools is ready to be introduced on a pilot basis Value quantitative or Qualitative) New curricula rewritten according to competencybased approach Draft version of new textbooks in math and reading are available for the first grade of primary school Textbooks in math and reading have been finalized; pilot is ongoing Date achieved 04/17/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments Target achieved. Initial indicator was completion of new textbooks in math and (incl. % reading and was modified under the project restructuring. achievement) Indicator 6: Percentage of schools benefitting from school grants Value quantitative or 0 83% Undetermined Qualitative) Date achieved 04/17/ /31/ /31/2014 x

12 Comments (incl. % achievement) Indicator 7: Value quantitative or Qualitative) Level of achievement cannot be determined given challenges with delivery of school grants under the PERI. Original indicator, Actual number of schools with grant delivered compared to the planned number (target of 75%) was revised under restructuring. Number of regional teacher training institutes built and equipped Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Target achieved. Indicator 8: Number of financing agreements signed between Inspectorates and communities compared to planned number Value quantitative or 80% 100% 130% Qualitative) Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Target exceeded. Indicator 9: Percentage of communities that have been trained on at least 4 out of the 5 modules Value quantitative or 65% 100% 100% Qualitative) Date achieved 04/17/ /31/ /31/2014 Target achieved. As of restructuring, 124 of 204 communities had been trained Comments in 4 modules. Original indicator was "number of communities have GMT (incl. % training compared to planned number" (yearly target of 80%). By closing, 266 achievement) COGEP had been fully trained. Primary school teachers deployment consistency index (R2 of the number of Indicator 10: teachers and of students, calculated on the basis of all public/edil primary schools) Value quantitative or Qualitative) Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Target exceeded. Indicator 11: System for student learning assessment Value quantitative or No Yes, 3 Yes, 3 Qualitative) Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/2014 Comments Target achieved. This indicator is measured on a Likert scale (0 to 4). (incl. % xi

13 achievement) Indicator 12: Completion of ECD implementation plan Value quantitative or Qualitative) N/A Implementation Started Plan finalized and approved Plan finalized and approved Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Target achieved. Indicator 13: Completion of literacy implementation plan Value Implementation Plan finalized Plan finalized and quantitative or N/A Started and approved approved Qualitative) Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Target achieved. Indicator 14: Completion of a credible school health, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS implementation plan Value quantitative or Qualitative) N/A Implementation Started Plan finalized and approved Plan finalized and approved Date achieved 12/31/ /01/ /31/ /31/2014 Comments (incl. % achievement) Target achieved. *Intermediate-level indicators are only specified in Annex 3 of the PAD. **Annual targets are specified in Annex 3 of the PAD. G. Ratings of Project Performance in ISRs No. Date ISR Archived DO IP Actual Disbursements (USD millions) 1 03/27/2011 Satisfactory Satisfactory /13/2011 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory /05/2012 Moderately Satisfactory Satisfactory /01/2012 Satisfactory Satisfactory /24/2013 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory /30/2013 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory /24/2014 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory /11/2014 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory xii

14 H. Restructuring (if any) Restructuring Date(s) Board Approved PDO Change ISR Ratings at Restructuring DO Amount Disbursed at Restructuring in USD millions 04/17/2014 MS MS IP Reason for Restructuring & Key Changes Made The restructuring: (i) introduced an amendment to the description of project components; (ii) introduced revisions to some of the PDOand intermediate-level indicators; and (iii) extended the closing date by 6 months to October 31, I. Disbursement Profile xiii

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16 1. Project Context, Development Objectives and Design 1.1 Context at Appraisal Country context 1. Located in Western Africa in the Gulf of Guinea between Benin and Ghana and south of Burkina Faso, Togo is among one of the smallest countries on the African continent. At the time of project appraisal in 2009, Togo had a population of 6.1 million with an annual population growth rate of approximately 2.6 percent. Up until that period, Togo had experienced two decades of political instability and more serious crises which had only ended two years prior. In addition, Togo s growth performance had been among the weakest in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with per capita income declining by an average of one percent annually since the early 1980s. The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was also very low and stood at US$515 and the rate of extreme poverty had increased in recent years. The country ranked 159 (out of 182) on the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI) reflecting poor human development outcomes with a high infant mortality rate, a low life expectancy and a low literacy rate. 1 Sector Context 2. At the time of project preparation, the education sector had been negatively impacted by socio-political crises and instability, economic mismanagement and limited donor support. Togo had made limited progress towards achievement of the educationrelated millennium development goals (MDGs) and faced considerable challenges including limited access to education, significant gender and geographic disparities in access to services, poor quality of instruction, an inadequate teaching and learning environment, and limited institutional capacity. 3. Access to Education. Access to education services was characterized by significant gender and geographic disparities. Access to schooling in rural areas was low given the lack of schools within communities, often requiring children to travel long distances to school. Further, a large portion of schools were only temporary shelters (abris provisoire or apatams). Approximately one-third of primary schools and nearly 80 percent of community schools (écoles d initiative locale EDILs) were held in these conditions. These temporary shelters were highly vulnerable to inclement weather and lacked basic infrastructure and learning materials. Further, the design/plans for classrooms varied across development partners (DPs) which made it difficult to ensure cost-effectiveness while it also hampered technical collaboration and learning. Enrollment among girls in primary school was also low. In addition to the limited availability of schooling, there was also fragile public demand. Though the Government had abolished fees for primary and pre-primary schooling in 2008/2009, relieving some of the financial burden on poor 1 Infant mortality rate was 62 out of 1,000 live births; average life expectancy was 55 years and illiteracy rate was 43 percent. 1

17 households, the schools were not provided with adequate resources to compensate for this financial loss. 4. Poor Quality of Education Services. Education provided was generally of poor quality and this was reflected in low learning outcomes. The primary completion rate (PCR) in 2009/2010 was 65 percent, the same rate that it had been almost ten years prior. Repetition and dropout rates were high. Only 61 percent of new grade 1 entrants completed the primary cycle compared to an average of 71 percent in the region. The quality of education was also highly inequitable. The PCR was much higher among boys than girls (76 percent compared to 61 percent) and significantly higher in urban areas than in rural ones (84 percent compared to 60 percent). Some of the main factors contributing to the poor quality of education services provide were: (i) a shortage of teaching and learning materials; (ii) inadequate teacher training; (iii) insufficient resources at the school level to cover operating costs; and (iv) an inefficient deployment of teachers. 5. Limited institutional capacity. Institutional capacity to manage, supervise and monitor the effective delivery of education services was limited at the central and decentralized levels of Government. Limited technical and financial resources had been earmarked to build institutional capacity within the education system. Project Context 6. In 2009, the Government along with key stakeholders including civil society organizations had prepared and approved a Letter of Sector Development Policy, an Education Sector Plan (ESP) for the period from , and a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the first three years of the ESP ( ). These documents reflected the Government s strategy for addressing challenges facing the education sector and outlined plans and policy approaches for addressing them. Similar to other Education for All-Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI)-funded programs in the region, the ESP s primary aim was to achieve universal primary education (UPE) in Togo by Specifically, EFA-FTI aimed to: reduce disparities in access; improve efficiency and quality of education services; develop effective partnerships with civil society; and improve management and governance of the sector. The ESP had been endorsed and approved by the Local Education Donor Group (LEDG) and benefitted from a high-level of collaboration among the Government, key stakeholders and the DPs. Given the severe financial constraints at the time, external funding was needed in order to effectively implement the Plan s envisioned activities and programs. It was in this context, and on the basis of the well-defined and endorsed ESP, that the Education and Institutional Strengthening Project (Projet Education et Renforcement Institutionnel PERI) was developed, appraised and approved by the EFA-FTI and the World Bank. 7. The Bank had begun to re-engage with the Government of Togo in May of 2008 when the country s arrears to the International Development Association (IDA) were cleared. Following the Bank s reengagement, and prior to project preparation, an Interim Strategy Note (ISN) for FY was endorsed and a US$175 million Economic Recovery and Governance Grant (ERGG) approved. The LEDG determined that the Bank 2

18 would be supervising entity (SE) of the EFA-FTI Catalytic Fund (CF)-supported PERI given its growing presence on the ground and experience implementing this type of operation in other settings. Funding from the EFA-FTI CF was expected to fund approximately 25 percent of the US$182 million financing gap facing the sector. 2 This support would be complemented by contributions from other DPs, including the French Development Agency (Agence francaise de développement AFD), United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Danish Cooperation (DANIDA) and a few non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including Aide et Action (AeA) and Plan Togo. The international community aimed to support the country in its recovery from crisis and to promote its long-term economic growth and development. Many of the DPs were encouraged by the success of the Parliamentary elections held in 2007 and aimed to support the Government as it embarked on its new reform agenda. 1.2 Original Project Development Objectives (PDO) and Key Indicators 8. According to the Grant Agreement (GA) dated October 29, 2010 and the Project Appraisal Document (PAD), the objectives of the PERI were to: (i) increase coverage of and retention in basic education; (ii) support improvements in the quality of teaching; and (iii) strengthen institutional and community capacity in implementation and management of the Project. The PDO-level indicators were: (i) increase in the PCR from 65 percent in 2009 to 74 percent by 2013; (ii) reach 75,000 direct beneficiaries by 2013; (iii) improve Reading textbook: student ratio from 1:2 in 2009 to 1:1.14 by 2013; and (iv) improve Mathematics textbook: student ratio from 1:2.1 in 2009 to 1:1.15 by In addition, another indicator and target was to: (v) have a time-bound implementation plan to support capacity-building of the communities and of the Ministry of Primary, Secondary Education and Literacy (Ministère des enseignements primairem secondaire et de l alphabétisation MEPSA) and skills transfer from Project Coordination Unit (PCU) approved by MEPSA with at least 75 percent of activities for each year successfully implemented as evaluated by joint supervision mission (the plan would include an indicator on the number of communities that received Grassroots Management Training (GMT)). 1.3 Revised PDO (as approved by original approving authority) and Key Indicators, and reasons/justification 9. The PDO was not revised during the life of the Project although revisions were made to the original Results Framework (RF) under the 2014 restructuring. The revised RF was better able to measure the Project s achievements with respect to each of its intended objectives. In addition, a number of end-of-project target values were increased to reflect the progress that had been made up until that point while also ensuring that the operation retained its ambitious nature. Some indicators were added to capture progress made on newly introduced activities while a few others were redefined and strategically narrowed to target those activities which were deemed to be essential to the achievement of the PDO. A comprehensive list of indicators, modifications to them under the 2014 restructuring, and level of achievement on each, can be found in Annex As laid out in the MTEF. 3

19 1.4 Main Beneficiaries 10. The PERI aimed to reach a large number of beneficiaries, including: children of primary school-age; primary school students; parents; and communities. It also aimed to benefit the MEPSA, regional and district level staff, school administrative staff, prospective teachers and teachers seeking to strengthen their existing skill-set. 1.5 Original Components 11. The Project consisted of three components: (i) Access and Retention; (ii) Inputs for Quality; and (iii) Institutional Strengthening. 3 Each component is described in further detail below. 12. Component 1: Access and Retention (Cost at Appraisal: US$22.6 million; Actual Expenditure: US$23.0 million). Component 1 was comprised of two subcomponents which together aimed to promote access and retention. Under sub-component 1.1, the Project would support the construction of new classrooms and related facilities in selected urban areas of Togo. Under sub-component 1.2, the Project would carry out specific development projects consisting of the construction of new classrooms and related facilities in select rural areas and would provide grants to eligible school-based management committees (Comités de gestion des écoles primaries COGEPs). Component 1 would apply the new construction strategy developed by the MEPSA during the preparation of the ESP 4 and build about 815 new classrooms (163 in Year 1, 285 in Year 2 and 367 in Year 3). The management of classroom construction would be delegated by the MEPSA to either a contract management agency (CMA) in urban areas or to a COGEP in rural areas. The classroom design was to be disability-friendly and these classrooms would be equipped with gender-friendly latrines and water access. 13. Component 2: Inputs for Quality (Cost at Appraisal: US$14.7 million; Actual Expenditure: US$13.7 million). Component 2 was comprised of three sub-components. Under sub-component 2.1, the Project aimed to provide textbooks in core subjects (e.g., Mathematics and Reading) for public and community primary schools (EDILs). Under sub-component 2.2, the Project would provide sub-grants to eligible COGEPs to fund the following: teaching materials; support to teaching and learning; and quality enhancements including pedagogical materials, textbooks, stationary, school building maintenance and school furniture maintenance. Sub-component 2.3 would fund the construction of Regional Teacher Training Institutes (Ecole Normale d Instituteurs ENIs) in each of the Kara, Golfe and Centrale regions of Togo. 14. Component 3: Institutional Strengthening (Cost at Appraisal: US$7.7 million; Actual Expenditure: US$7.5 million). Under sub-component 3.1, the Project aimed to 3 These Components were describes as Parts A, B, and C in the Grant Agreement. 4 The construction strategy is detailed in the document Stratégie Nationale du MEPSA en matière de constructions scolaires du primaire, MEPSA, Togo, August A translated summary was included in Annex 16 of the PAD. 4

20 strengthen the school building management capacity and supervision of the MEPSA and of the communities, while under sub-component 3.2, the Project aimed to support capacitybuilding of the MEPSA. The Project would provide such support by: (i) setting up a learning assessment system; (ii) improving consistency of teachers deployment across schools; (iii) supporting the preparation of a credible implementation plan for (a) Preschool; (b) Literacy Development; and (b) School Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS. 1.6 Revised Components 15. Under the April 17, 2014 restructuring, changes were introduced to Components 1 and 2. Under Component 1, given the complexity of constructing water points, the responsibility for their construction was delegated to private contractors. To reflect this change, a new sub-component (The Construction of Water Points by Private Contractors in Selected Areas, sub-component 1.3) was added. A fourth sub-component was also introduced to support the Reorganization of primary cycle into three sub-cycles (subcomponent 1.4), a measure to increase retention in basic education which was an objective of the PERI. Under Component 2, some of the planned activities were narrowed while two additional activities were added. The effort to develop new curricula textbooks in Mathematics and Reading with a Government-owned copyright was narrowed to focus only on the first grade with their introduction on a pilot basis. Two new activities review of the curricula for pre-school and literacy training and improving teaching practices through in-service training for teachers at the primary level were added. Component 3 remained unchanged. 1.7 Other significant changes 16. The level 2 restructuring approved on April 17, 2014 was undertaken on the basis of an agreement reached with the Government during the mid-term review (MTR) and in response to a formal Government request received by the Bank on August 26, This restructuring included the following: (i) an amendment to the project description and some additional activities of project components; (ii) a narrowing of the scope of some projectsupported activities; (iii) a reallocation of funds from Categories 2 and 3 to Category 1; (iv) revisions to some of the PDO- and intermediate-level indicators and their associated end-of-project targets; and (v) an extension of the Project closing date by six months from May 1, 2014 to October 31,

21 2. Key Factors Affecting Implementation and Outcomes 2.1 Project Preparation, Design and Quality at Entry Project Preparation 17. Preparation of the PERI began in 2009 with an identification mission held in April of that year. The Bank team worked closely with the Government and various DPs to identify those activities that EFA-FTI financing could most effectively support within the framework of the ESP. The PERI s design was grounded in the ESP which had been developed collaboratively by the Government and the DPs and other relevant stakeholders and was endorsed by the LEDG. Project preparation also benefited from a Bank-supported Education Sector Technical Assistance (TA). The Project was prepared in a timely manner and the Project task team possessed the necessary expertise in operations to appraise and design the Project. 18. EFA-FTI CF Secretariat approved the request for financing of PERI on May 7, 2010 in the amount of US$45 million. The Project was approved by the Bank s Regional Vice President on September 16, 2010 with the GA signed on October 29, The original project closing date was May 1, 2014 with an initial planned duration of about 3 ½ years. Project Design 19. The operation s design benefitted from significant input from various stakeholders which was further fostered during the development of the ESP and which was articulated in a statement of intent (Cadre Partenarial). The primary aims of the PERI reflected the Government s own strategic objectives as articulated in the ESP, MTEF, Letter of Sector Development Policy and the National School Construction Strategy. The Project supported the aim of the recently approved Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) of promoting human capital. International experience and lessons learned from other EFA-FTI funded Projects guided a number of aspects of the PERI, including its emphasis on capacitybuilding as well as its use of a community-based approach. Available evidence from Togo, including the AFD-funded EPTT (Projet Education pour Tous au Togo EPTT), and other settings had demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of a community-centered approach to construction vis-à-vis more centrally managed ones. This feature of the operation was also aligned with the Accelerated Strategy for Community-Based Development (Stratégie Accelerée de Développement des Competences à la Base SADEC) as it considered a community-based approach to construction to be the most expedient. 20. A community-based approach to development had been utilized in Togo prior to this Project through various operations including the Community-Development Project (Projet de developpement communautaire PDC). Almost two-thirds of construction for the primary sub-sector between 2006 and 2009 had used this approach but with no involvement of the Ministries of Education. While capacity-building at all levels was central to PERI s design, many communities were already familiar with a community- 6

22 based approach in the implementation and monitoring of civil works. A survey of local firms was also undertaken during preparation which found that a large number of firms had the capacity to carry out the construction activities planned under Project. The targeted focus on capacity-building within the Ministry, at the central and decentralized levels supported under PERI was appropriate, particularly, given that there had been very limited support to this area during the decade prior. Strengthened capacity was considered essential for effective project implementation, timely achievement of project outputs and outcomes, the adoption and effective roll out of policy reforms, sustainability of achievements and outcomes, and later the scale up of innovative approaches supported under PERI. 21. The implementation arrangements were sound with MEPSA as the project implementing agency and the PCU responsible for managing the implementation of project-supported activities. During the Project preparation, it was agreed that the PERI and the ongoing AFD-funded EPTT would have the same coordination unit in order to strengthen harmonization of efforts and to reduce administrative costs. During the preparation of the operations manual, it was noted that certain aspects of the standards and procedures of the two institutions were slightly different. Therefore, an agreement was reached to postpone the merging of these coordination units. In order to inform the design and selection of TA activities to support capacity within the Ministry, a needs assessment was carried out which highlighted the importance of strengthening capacity in FM, procurement and civil works management. The selection of a sector investment grant as the financing instrument was appropriate given the near absence of externally-funded projects for almost a decade and the MEPSA s limited fiduciary capacity. 22. Applying a community-based approach to construction and activities to improve quality of education services marked a major shift for the sector. This design, which strongly promoted community-level capacity-building, fostered local ownership and heightened accountability, required support from central and decentralized levels of the Government. Up until this point, MEPSA did not have experience in supporting a community-based approach in its activities. While it was deemed to be the most expedient approach, completing the community-based construction, other construction and other activities, would still be an ambitious undertaking given the limitations in capacity as well as the short implementation timeframe. The risks identified and accounted for in the design were appropriate and measures to address capacity limitations related to FM, management, and M&E were outlined in the key project documents. A number of well-developed mitigation measures were incorporated into project design. 23. Quality at Entry. PERI s design was highly relevant to sector needs at the time of preparation and was strongly aligned with the Government s strategic agenda as laid out in key strategic documents. Lessons learned from relevant contexts were taken into account in the design as it also reflected the growing evidence-base demonstrating that communitybased approaches to construction were sustainable and cost-effective. It represented a sound alternative to more traditional centralized methods and was aligned with Government strategy. Further, mitigation measures were proposed to adequately address identified risks to effective project implementation. A quality enhancement review (QER) 7

23 held in December of 2009 determined that the operation was well-grounded in the overall ESP, was guided by lessons learned, and effectively incorporated innovative approaches. On the basis of the information provided above, Quality at Entry is rated Satisfactory. 2.2 Implementation 24. PERI became effective on January 28, 2011 approximately four months after it had been approved by the Regional Vice President. By project effectiveness, the PCU had been established, the PCU Coordinator and Procurement Specialist had been hired, and the project operations manual and annual work plan (AWP) for 2011 had been finalized and approved fulfilling each of the conditions of effectiveness. The contract with AGETUR (Agence d éxecution de travaux urbains), the Construction Management Agency (CMA), had been signed and the selection process for the communities training coordinator (specialist in GMT) was being finalized towards fulfillment of two of the Project s disbursement conditions. 25. The PCU, housed within the MEPSA, was responsible for the day-to-day implementation of all project-supported activities, liaising with ESP coordination structures (i.e., including the Permanent Technical Secretariat or Secrétaire technique permanent - STP) and MEPSA Departments, and transferring skills to Ministry staff. The PCU consisted of a coordinator, an accountant, a procurement specialist, an FM specialist, the head of the school building program, a GMT specialist to coordinate the community capacity building program, a civil engineer who was responsible for technical aspects of the program, and an M&E specialist. The coordination unit had a few departments, including an Accounting and Management Unit (Unité Comptable et de Gestion) responsible for fiduciary aspects, a Technical Construction Unit (Cellule technique de construction CTC) responsible for the technical aspects of school construction under the Project and strengthening community capacity in this area, as well as an M&E unit. Coordinators were recruited nationally and assigned to each of the five targeted regions to ensure timely and effective implementation of project-supported activities at the decentralized levels. Factors affecting early implementation 26. The initial period of project implementation was slow with only 1.5 percent of the grant disbursed six months after project effectiveness. This was attributable to a number of factors, including: limited capacity within the MEPSA and a complex and hierarchical decision-making process within the Government. It was several months before the list of construction sites was approved and there were significant delays in the establishment of the STP which was to be the main body for ESP M&E. The PCU s working conditions were inadequate with no separate office space and no Internet capacity impeding day-today project management. By the fall of 2011, the list of construction sites had been approved, the PCU was fully staffed, a contract had been signed between the Ministry and AGETUR, coordinators for each of the sub-components as well as government counterparts (homologues) had been nominated, and the first round of school grants had been provided. 8

24 27. There were, however, delays in some key project-supported activities. Although textbooks were procured in a timely manner, there was significant delay in their delivery to Togo from France. Delays were also observed in construction activities. The STP, which was expected to serve as steering committee for the Government s ESP and important to the implementation of the Plan, had yet to be established. Additionally, there were delays in some FM activities. Though the conditions of the PCU had improved somewhat, there was little awareness of the Project in the Government and among local communities. This was of some concern as effective project implementation relied on adequate information and knowledge among beneficiaries and knowledge and capacity transfer supported under the Project would rely on a strong relationship between project staff and the Ministry. 28. Approximately one year after effectiveness, disbursement stood at 8.1 percent. The Bank and Government identified and agreed on proactive steps to address these delays, increase the pace of implementation, and to improve communications around the Project. It had been agreed that construction would follow a phased approach whereby the training of communities would precede construction within the communities selected for that phase. However, given the delays up until that point, it was agreed that a laboratory phase for construction would be undertaken. This would entail rolling out community-based training and construction in two clusters of eight communities in the Maritime and Plateaux regions. This phase would provide a microcosm in which the community-based approach could be practiced (i.e., learning by doing ) and related documents, tools, and templates could be improved and fine-tuned. In this way, PERI s visibility would also be heightened. 29. Important progress was made in this laboratory phase in a short period with 30 out of 48 classrooms having been constructed by mid A large number of communities were trained, a standardized classroom model was developed, and a list of endorsed contractors was created. Further, various documents were improved upon, including the financing agreement template to be signed between Inspectorates and the communities. At the same time, preparation for Phase I of the construction program was well underway. Progress was made on a number of key activities including the purchase and delivery of 2.9 million textbooks (including teachers guides) to schools and the preparation of a Government-issued directive (circulaire) prescribing standards for textbook management. Capacity-building activities were also underway and communications around the Project had improved as a result of TA provided by a consultant in this area. Training of COGEPs was ongoing while the Competency Transfer Plan was almost completed and a larger capacity-building program was under development. In addition, the STP was established by a Ministerial decree as were other M&E entities. An administrative text for re-organizing the primary cycle into three sub-cycles, and prohibiting repetition within each cycle, had also been drafted and the Literacy implementation plan was under development. Though initially the school grants were to be transferred to the school-level, the costs of maintaining an account for each school was too high and, therefore, it was agreed to transfer the school grants to Inspectorates for the financing of activities authorized by the COGEPs. While a large number of textbooks had been delivered, it was discovered that a small number of them were being sold in the market. 9

25 The Government responded quickly and effectively to this observed irregularity and, in turn, the monitoring system for textbooks was improved. As of October 2012, 53 percent of the grant had been disbursed. 30. At the same time, construction of classrooms and of the ENIs to be carried out by AGETUR lagged behind. While preparatory milestones had been achieved, actual construction had not yet commenced. Some of the firms which had been contracted by AGETUR were not providing satisfactory services (i.e., technical studies), were costly, and in some instances, misrepresented their technical expertise. To address delays and to remedy identified bottlenecks in activities for which AGETUR was responsible, the Ministry began holding bi-monthly meetings with the Agency while the CTC provided support to AGETUR in terms of onsite supervision and in ensuring the quality of technical studies. As the cost of urban construction had been underestimated, a tax exemption was provided by the Government in order to ensure that these construction activities could be completed in full under the Project. In addition, the development of curricula was delayed. A high level of staff turnover was observed within the PCU with the departure of six different staff during a one-year period. There was also a change in the Project s Task Team Leader (TTL). 31. The March 2013 MTR concluded that more time was needed to complete project activities that had experienced delays as described above and determined that the scope of some activities should be reduced as they could not be completed within the remaining timeframe, including the narrowing of curricula development to only grade 1. At around this same time, the pace of project implementation increased as evidenced by: the commencement of construction in urban areas and of ENIs; approval of a time-bound implementation plan for capacity transfer and the administrative text re-organizing primary into three sub-cycles; progress made in the development of the three implementation plans; the carrying out of a national evaluation 5 and the establishment of a learning assessment unit; and the provision of school grants to more than 3,720 COGEPs. Initially, it had been envisaged that the training to be provided under the restructured design would focus on strengthening teachers pedagogical skills. However, findings from the Service Delivery Indicators (SDI) Study highlighted the need to further strengthen teachers content knowledge in Math and French. The training was, therefore, subsequently tailored to improve teachers pedagogical skills and content knowledge in these two areas. 32. As of December 2013, the STP was fully staffed and operational. In addition to this, a large number of COGEPs had been trained in the majority of community-based training modules. Almost all of the financing agreements had been signed between the COGEPs and the Inspectorates and the construction program was well underway though there were some delays particularly with respect to construction in urban areas and of ENIs. Further, as some issues related to the quality of this construction had been identified, the CTC and the technical unit of the Regional Education Directorate (DRE) provided support to supervision. In addition, progress had been made in the development of the primary school 5 The National Evaluation (2013) uses mixed methods based on PASEC and Service Delivery Indicators (SDI) that allows for comparison on the PASEC scale. 10

26 curricula. Around this time, the STP had also revised the ESP which was a major achievement and important for the upcoming GPE-funded Project (PERI 2). The Literacy Policy had been developed and validated and the other policies, including ECD and HIV/AIDS, school health and nutrition, were underway. Though school grants had been disbursed for the second year, information from communities and suppliers pointed to some difficulties in the delivery of these funds to communities as well as in their overall management at the Inspectorate/Public Accounting (Tresorier) level. Some reports had been received that vendors at the community-level were not paid by district-level tax officers. This led the Project to further investigate these issues and, in turn, to request the General Finance Inspectorate (Inspectorate Générale des Finances IGF) to undertake a larger audit of school grants provided under the Project. 33. To ensure completion of all project activities during the project life, the PERI was restructured in April of This restructuring introduced minor adjustments to the design (with some changes in activities) and the RF in order to further capture progress towards achievement of the PDO and to strategically focus on solidifying gains that had been realized up until that point. Further, it extended the project closing date by six months to October 31, Prior to the 2014 restructuring, the majority of project funding had been disbursed. 34. During the last six months of the Project, the pace of implementation was strong allowing the project to complete the majority of its planned activities and to achieve, and in many cases, surpass its end-of-project targets. The only exception to this was the effective implementation of the school grants sub-component. Since issues had been identified at the end of the second year of school grants, the third tranche was delayed. While money had been transferred to the Inspectorate, in some cases, it did not reach the intended beneficiaries. As a result of the observed limitations in the implementation of the school grants activity revealed by the project and a Government-commissioned review, the following actions were recommended and are ongoing: information related to school grants was to be made public; an internal auditor would be hired to strengthen the Ministry s fiduciary capacity; a follow-up audit would be undertaken on school grants; and additional training would be provided to Government staff to ensure proper monitoring of grant receipts and expenditures at the inspectorate, regional and school levels. Many of these recommendations and actions have been reflected in the design of the new PERI 2 which became effective on July 2,

27 2.3 Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Design, Implementation and Utilization Original M&E Design 35. The RF for the PERI was based on the logical diagnostic tool developed by the World Bank Africa Region. 6 The PERI indicators were drawn directly from the ESP Monitoring Framework. The use of a defined set of indicators was agreed among all DPs. The PDO-level and intermediate-level indicators were generally aligned with each of the objectives and sub-objectives of the Project and were appropriate for measuring progress towards achievement of the project s three main objectives increasing access and retention, improving quality of education, and strengthening institutional capacity in the sector. However, the criteria used to calculate and verify the level of achievement of a few intermediate-level indicators could have been clearer. Baseline and end-of-project target values were provided in the RF The Directorate of Education Planning and Evaluation (Direction de la Planification de l Education et de l Evaluation DPEE) played a lead role in the M&E of the ESP and the PERI with support from M&E specialists from the PCU and the STP. By design, coordination of M&E of the ESP was to be centralized under the STP which was to have been established and staffed by project effectiveness. Progress under the project on each of the PDO- and intermediate-level indicators would draw on the following sources: the education management information system (EMIS); external evaluations; technical audits and surveys; annual and project progress reports; and education statistical yearbooks. These data would feed into the PERI s RF and would be made available for the joint annual sector reviews in which all key sector stakeholders would participate. The Project would also finance capacity-building TA for DPEE as well as the establishment of a national student learning assessment system. Revised M&E Design 37. Under the 2014 restructuring, a number of modifications were introduced to the Project s RF and M&E arrangements. Indicators measuring the primary retention rate, the primary completion rate among girls and the percentage of schools constructed by schoolbased committees according to standardized school construction guidelines were added to the RF. An indicator measuring the implementation of the time-bound capacity building plan was reclassified as an intermediate-level performance measure. In addition, two intermediate-level indicators were revised: (i) number of communities having GMT compared to planned number (percentage) was modified to communities having received at least four out of five GMT modules under the planned project (percentage); and (ii) 6 N.O. Mugwagwa, V. Gyllerup, Powerpoints. Results in Bank Projects. Africa Region Experience with Results Framework. 7 Since a number of intermediate-level indicators were formulated to measure project-specific activities, prior to the launch of the Project the baseline value was assumed to be 0. 8 Primary education gender parity index was not formally included in the Project s RF, although it was monitored by the Bank and Government as it was a core FTI indicator. A measure of gender parity was introduced under the 2014 restructuring project (primary completion rate among girls). 12

28 completion of new textbooks in math and reading was revised to new textbooks in mathematics and reading for the first grade are ready to be introduced on a pilot basis. 38. Target values were adjusted to take into account newly available population data and to account for additional time while maintaining the ambitious nature of the Project. Indicators on implementation plans were made more specific by committing the Project to supporting the finalization of the plans rather than beginning their implementation. The revisions were appropriate as they introduced measures to better capture progress on objectives. Changes to some of the indicators targets were relevant in light of the additional time allotted to the Project with the extension of the closing date as well as the cost savings which were realized as a result of exchange rate gains. In addition, in light of the increased cost of constructing water points, under the restructured design this activity was transferred to private contractors (adding a sub-component to reflect this change). Annex 10 provides a detailed overview of all indicators and end-of-project targets over the life of the operation. Implementation and Utilization 39. MEPSA s capacity to collect, analyze and report on data was limited at project inception. The M&E system was in the process of being fine-tuned. Capacity-building measures included in the Project s design were initially insufficient to ensure proper monitoring and reporting of project-supported activities. M&E capacity improved over the life of the Project. The recruitment of an M&E specialist within the PCU and TA provided by the Bank contributed to this positive outcome. A number of the PDO-level indicators had been drawn from the ESP. As progress under the ESP was systematically tracked by DPs and Directorates of Education Planning and Evaluation, the PERI was able to benefit from the mechanism which had been established to collect and report on data for key outcome indicators. Though there were some delays in the establishment and staffing of the STP, this entity was fully established and able to fulfil its mandated role beginning in As progress under the ESP was systematically tracked by DPs, the PERI was able to benefit from the mechanism which had been established to collect and report on data for key outcome indicators. Though there were some delays in the establishment and staffing of the STP, the main M&E body for the ESP, this entity was fully established and able to fulfil its mandated role beginning in During the Project, some additional field-level M&E was introduced to track progress made under the Project. This was important in gauging adherence to the construction timetable, maintaining speed of implementation, and identifying and addressing bottlenecks in a timely manner. Additionally, technical reports for the civil works activities and capacity-building interventions were produced periodically throughout the Project and provided detailed and up-to-date information on progress made. Further, as envisaged in the project design, the operation supported the successful establishment of a national student learning assessment system and this was complemented by the establishment of an evaluation unit within the MEPSA. The finding from these assessments were incorporated into the Government s annual assessment of the education 13

29 sector and have also informed the design and choice of interventions to be supported under PERI 2 which became effective on July 2, Some activities, including the delivery of textbooks were monitored through fieldlevel missions, rather than through a more comprehensive systematic mechanism. While there was M&E at various levels, the entire process did not have a complete M&E system to track issues at the school level. For instance, in the case of school grants, while the grant amount to be awarded to each school was made public and the relevant funding was provided to the Inspectorates, since there was no decentralized and formal tracking mechanism, some difficulties were observed in the implementation of this activity. Further, though field-level supervision was undertaken by the PCU, given the far-reach of the Project with respect to the school grants activity, it would have been useful for a larger sample of communities to be visited in order to have a more accurate understanding as to whether or not there were any systemic issues in the provision and processing of these grants. The decision to integrate a beneficiary survey assessment within the original design was warranted and could have guided corrective action if it had been carried out much earlier in the Project life. Since this survey was undertaken near the end of the Project, its findings could not be used to improve the implementation of the PERI. It was, however, used to guide the design and implementation of PERI 2. A Public Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETS) was undertaken in 2013 and tracked the delivery of textbooks and school grants among other deliverables as well as projected vs. actual budget expenditures in the sector. 43. While the M&E design and utilization were sound, certain studies were not undertaken in a timely manner (i.e., the beneficiary survey) and the delivery and execution of the school grants activity could have been more closely monitored and evaluated. In light of the information above, M&E is rated Modest. 2.5 Safeguard and Fiduciary Compliance Safeguards Compliance 44. The environmental screening category for the Project was B (Partial Assessment) and triggered OP 4.01 Environmental Assessment and OP 4.12 Involuntary Resettlement due to the potential negative environmental and social impacts related to the construction of schools assessed during project preparation. As a result, an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and a Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) were prepared and disclosed in January Concerted efforts were made under the Project to ensure adherence with safeguards standards and requirements and to strengthen the capacity of relevant actors, including COGEPs, and to increase the availability of important tools in assessing and addressing environmental and social risks. No significant safeguard issues were identified throughout the course of project implementation. Technical audits and supervision missions by the Bank ensured adequate follow up in instances in which 14

30 minor challenges arose. 9 In addition to the need for a resettlement action plan (RAP) for one of the identified ENI sites, the Government was also requested to provide counterpart funding to ensure that the ENIs could apply necessary safeguards measures in construction. Fiduciary Compliance 45. An initial assessment of FM capacity 10 undertaken during project implementation noted some limitations and determined that the FM arrangements for the Project needed to be improved in order to satisfy the World Bank s minimum requirements under OP/BP The specific recommendations to be adopted to fulfil Bank standard requirements, included: (i) preparation of a financial and administrative procedures manual; (ii) recruitment of one FM specialist and one accountant with qualifications and experience satisfactory to the World Bank; (iii) the development and implementation of an accounting software; and (iv) the recruitment of an external auditor with qualifications and experience satisfactory to the World Bank. The FM risk at the time of project appraisal was rated High, however, with the application of these measures it would be considered Substantial. In addition to these audits, the Project also would support a PETS which would focus, to a large, on delivery of textbooks and provision of school grants (Component 2). Moreover, capacity-building measures including the transfer of competencies, were supported under Component 3 of the Project. 46. The fiduciary aspects of the Project were handled by the PCU located within the MEPSA, with a procurement specialist hired as a condition of grant effectiveness and an FM specialist and project accountant recruited in adherence with a legal covenant in the Grant Agreement (GA). The following actions were undertaken during the course of the Project to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the use of Project funds. The hiring of these key staff was complemented by the recruitment of an external auditor and the development and use of an acceptable accounting software system. The external auditor was hired in a timely manner and provided annual reports on a yearly basis. All audits were of unqualified opinion although some were of poor quality and delayed in their submission. These audits, however, did not provide sufficient data and analysis pertaining to the effective delivery of school grants which followed a complex delivery method. In addition, the FM specialist recruited under the project left his position and was subsequently replaced by a Ministry counterpart who also left and was not replaced in a timely manner. Following these turnovers, the project accountant thereafter also fulfilled the role which had been originally assigned to the FM specialist. Given the decentralized approach to the provision of grants, the GMT specialist who was working within the PCU under the PERI, describes in the GMT final report that he supported the DAF in the training of key actors involved in the management of funding (either under construction or with 9 Some of the challenges were related to ensuring necessary studies were undertaken in a timely manner and were comprehensive in their assessment of specific sites and ensuring timely response when any issues did arise. 10 The FM assessment undertaken during project preparation including a review of the following key areas: (i) budgeting; (ii) accounting; (iii) reporting; (iv) auditing; and (v) internal control systems. 15

31 regards to the school grants), to include public accountants within the Ministry of Finance (MOF), Inspectors, and the accountants within the Inspectorate and Regional Offices. 47. Following the transfer of grant funding for the school year, a number of issues were identified which pointed to the possibility that the grant mechanism was not functioning appropriately and reaching the intended beneficiaries. In order to have a better understanding of whether this was a pervasive issue and to devise appropriate solutions, a field-level mission was undertaken in March 2014 which was followed by a Governmentcommissioned audit in May 2014 that had been requested by the World Bank. The report which was based on a sample of 120 schools in 41 out of the 60 inspections, was submitted to the Bank in September 2014 and revealed the following issues: only 3 (or 2.5 percent of) schools included in the sample were adhering to procedures required in the Manual; only three public accounting offices (out of 33) were keeping electronic records related to the grants to track expenditures; mid- and senior-level management in many cases were not regularly monitoring the delivery and execution of school grants to assure that the policies, principles and procedure were followed; and the PERI account was poorly monitored. As indicated earlier, a number of concrete actions were proposed and have been agreed to rectify the identified issues and have been properly reflected in the design of PERI Although the unaudited interim financial reports (IFRs) were also submitted in a timely manner and identified some issues, these reports should have included a more detailed breakdown of actual expenditures by the various project-supported activities. Despite this important limitation, detailed technical reports were drafted regularly by the Bank team and these provided both a qualitative and quantitative assessment of civil works activities supported under the PERI. 49. Procurement under the Project was, for the most part, timely and effective although the cost which were included in the contracts signed with AGETUR were higher than the appraised estimates and needed to be adjusted in order to be effectively completed. The FM/accounting software, if it had been fully set up earlier, might have provided a more comprehensive accounting of the use of project funds over the project life. 2.5 Post-completion Operation/Next Phase 50. A follow-on operation PERI 2 was approved by the GPE in June 2014 and by the Bank s Regional Vice President on February 6, 2015 and signed on March 5, PERI 2 became effective on July 2, in the amount of US$27.8 million and is expected to be implemented through September 30, The development objectives of the PERI 2 are to: (i) improve the quality of teaching and learning in early grades of primary schools; and (ii) strengthen access and equity in primary schools particularly in deprived prefectures. The design of PERI 2 builds on the activities supported under PERI and is informed by lessons learned during the implementation of the first project. In particular, the follow-on operation continues to support the provision of textbooks, school grants, 11 As the first PERI closed on October 31, 2014, there was an eight month gap in financing. 16

32 construction of schools and boreholes, and capacity-building across the education system. The design also incorporates steps to address limitations identified during the implementation of the first PERI, for example, in the distribution and monitoring of school grants and required that suitable FM arrangements were in place when project implementation began. Although many of the same activities are supported, PERI 2 targets the poorest regions in Togo and supports activities specifically designed to increase girls participation in schooling and achievements. There is support to community strengthening under PERI 2 12 as it is also being supported by other Projects outside the education sector, including under the PDC Plus Project. 51. Given the significant gains under the first PERI in terms of increasing access and building the institutional capacity of the Government to manage activities in the sector, PERI 2 places a stronger emphasis on further increasing the internal efficiency of the education system as well as improving the quality of teaching and learning. 3. Assessment of Outcomes 3.1 Relevance of Objectives, Design and Implementation Relevance of Objectives 52. The PDO was highly relevant as it responded to the challenges identified at appraisal and priorities outlined in the ESP. The key challenges facing the education sector included: inequitable access to education; poor quality of education services; and limited institutional capacity to manage the education sector. 53. The PDO remains highly relevant today. It is aligned with current strategies, including: the Interim Strategy Note (ISN) (FY ); the World Bank Africa Region Strategy (Africa's Future and the World Bank Support to It); the World Bank Strategy for Education (Learning for All - Investing in People's Knowledge and Skills to Promote Development); and the Government's Accelerated Growth and Employment Promotion Strategy (SCAPE) for the period The SCAPE supports the achievement of UPE and underscores the need to further improve the quality of education services in Togo. The objectives also reflect the Government s emphasis on community-based approaches to development activities in particular community-based school construction and capacity-building at the local level. Moreover, the objectives are well-aligned with those of the PERI 2 which recently became effective. 54. In light of the above information, relevance of objectives is rated High during both the pre- and post-restructuring periods. 12 PERI 2 provides a series of training activities at the community-level to COGEPs to ensure: (i) purchase of uniforms for girls and distribution of sanitary kits; (ii) management of school grants; and (iii) involvement in the monitoring of overall school activities. A pilot literacy program will be implemented for members of the COGEPs. 17

33 Relevance of Design 55. The Project s design was sound. The Project-supported activities were appropriately selected to address the main challenges faced by the sector at appraisal. Each of the activities was logically linked to achievement of the PDO. The design of the operation was guided by analytical work and lessons learnt from other projects. The Project s strong reliance on a community-based approach to construction was informed by a growing body of international evidence which highlighted it as a cost-effective and efficient method for school construction. Moreover, research pointed to its positive impact on strengthening beneficiary communities capacity in management and implementation of projects. It was also aligned with the approach endorsed in the National Construction Strategy. Support to the reform of the primary school curricula and the provision of textbooks and school grants were appropriate activities to improve the quality of education. The Project s support to training at the central, regional and community levels as well as the transfer of capacity to the Government, was consistent with the Government s strategic shift towards decentralization of education services and could support sustainable growth of the education sector. 56. Changes introduced under the restructuring ensured that activities critical to achievement of the PDO were prioritized. As a result of these modifications, adjustments were made to some of the project indicators and associated end-of-project targets to ensure that the outcomes and outputs of the operations could be adequately documented. 57. The relevance of project design is rated Substantial during both the pre- and postrestructuring periods. 3.2 Achievement of Project Development Objectives 58. While the PDO was not changed over the course of project implementation, a number of performance indicators and their associated end-of-project targets were adjusted under the 2014 restructuring. In compliance with the established Operational Policy and Country Services (OPCS) guidelines and given the changes introduced to a number of endor-project targets as well as specific activities supported within key components of the operation, this Implementation Completion and Results Report (ICR) undertakes a split evaluation of the operation with the overall outcome rating determined by analyzing the Project s performance during the pre- and post-restructuring periods. An overall assessment of the achievements and challenges observed under the Project is also provided here and further detailed in the report s annexes. Objective 1: Increase Coverage and Retention in Basic Education 59. One of the primary objectives of the Operation, to be achieved through activities supported under Component 1, was to increase access and retention by supporting community-based construction in rural and urban areas in Togo. 18

34 60. Under this Project, the sites to receive support from the Project were strategically selected applying a pre-defined criteria which included: number of students in the school; accessibility of the school; number of students per class; quality of school infrastructure; and classroom size and capacity. Construction activities under the Project were delayed due to: (i) a delay in the finalization and approval of the list of sites and in the classrooms plan; and (ii) the time needed to negotiate a tax exemption for construction delegated to AGETUR because costs of infrastructure had overrun the original grant amount. The decision to undertake a laboratory phase was appropriate for increasing the pace of implementation, promoting visibility of the Project and providing an opportunity for learning by doing for all stakeholders involved. 61. During the pre-restructuring period, a total of 234 classrooms out of the planned for rural areas had been fully constructed while 39 classrooms out of the 204 planned for urban areas had been fully built. The construction of an additional 375 classrooms were in advanced stages of completion. It was estimated that during this time 100 percent of resources were managed by the CMA (in this case, AGETUR) and the communities according to agreed procedures (as outlined in relevant project manuals). According to the beneficiary survey, over 92 percent of survey respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the school construction program in their community. During the prerestructuring period, substantial progress was observed across all key PDO-level indicators. The PCR increased from 65 in 2009 to 83.6 percent by 2014, and among girls increased from 72.1 in 2013 to 80 percent by Improvements were also observed in the retention rate which increased from 57.1 percent in 2011 to 66 percent by 2014, with a rate of 66.1 percent among girls. 62. During the post-restructuring period, 558 additional classrooms were constructed in rural areas, significantly exceeding the revised targets, and the remaining 165 planned classrooms had been constructed in urban areas. Due to cost savings resulting, in part from exchange rate gains, the Project was able to exceed the original and revised end-of-project targets for construction of primary classrooms. The total number of classrooms constructed by project closing was 996 of which 204 were constructed in urban areas and 792 in rural ones. The values achieved for the PDO-level indicators designed to capture progress towards achievement of this objective are the same which were observed during the prerestructuring period The level of achievement of Objective 1 is rated Substantial. 13 This figure includes the 48 classrooms (16 schools) constructed during the Laboratoire phase in two rural communities in the Plateaux and Maritime Regions. 14 Given the short amount of time between project restructuring and project closing, additional data on these indicators were not available as insufficient time had lapsed to have new figures. The figures for a number of these indicators were only calculated on an annual basis. 19

35 Objective 2: Support Improvements in the Quality of Teaching 64. In order to support improvements in the quality of teaching, under Component 2, the PERI supported the development of new textbooks based on the competency-based curricula and provided school grants to communities (COGEPs) as well as the provision of reading and mathematics textbooks (and teachers guides) to public and community schools. The Project also funded the construction and equipment of three regional ENIs. 65. During the pre-restructuring period, progress was made on the development of the new primary curricula which employed a competency-based approach though there were some considerable delays in rolling out this activity. A total of 2.9 million textbooks and teachers guides in reading and mathematics were purchased and delivered to schools, far exceeding the end-of-project target of 1.6 million. By this time the textbook: student ratio for mathematics had reached 1:1 and for reading had reached 1.2:1. Each of the ENIs were in advanced stages of construction. The number of school grants delivered to schools in 2011/2012 totaled 3,500. The funding for school grants in 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 was transferred to the Inspectorate level but approximately US$700,000 (or 12 percent of the US$5.7 million allocated to this activity) remained unspent at the Inspectorate level. The Bank has formally requested the Government to return the unspent resources to the GPE. As of the writing of this ICR, this action is still pending. 66. During the post-restructuring period, 3,000 teachers were provided in-service training and new textbooks in mathematics and reading for grade 1 had been finalized and the pilot was ongoing. In addition, the Government reorganized the primary education system into three sub-cycles and prohibited repetition within each of the sub-cycles which was an important measure to reduce repetition and to increase the internal efficiency of the education system. The construction and equipment of the three ENIs in the Kara, Plateaux and Central regions had been fully completed, the first cohort of students to enroll was selected in 2013 and the management staff for these Institutes was recruited in In addition, during this period 11,154 reading panels were delivered for grades 1 and 2. The values achieved for the PDO-level indicators are the same which were observed during the pre-restructuring period The level of achievement of Objective 2 is rated Modest due to the challenges associated with the school grants sub-component although a large number of outputs and outcomes to support quality improvements were achieved during the life of the Project. Objective 3: Strengthen Institutional and Community Capacity and the Implementation and Management of the Project 68. The PERI, through Component 3, aimed to strengthen school building management capacity as well the supervision capacity of both the Ministry and communities. It also aimed to support institutional capacity-building within the MEPSA. Moreover, through this Component, the PERI also sought to support the establishment of a learning assessment 15 Ibid. 20

36 system, improvement in the consistency of teachers deployment across schools and the development of implementation plans for the following areas: Pre-School; Literacy Development; and School Health, Nutrition, and HIV/AIDS. 69. During the pre-restructuring period, a large number of COGEPs were trained in various modules which had been designed under the Project. Each of these training modules was designed to equip the community with the capacity necessary for effective management and implementation of the school construction program and in the management of textbooks. The training to targeted communities was provided using a phased approach. 16 During this period, around two-thirds of the 204 targeted communities had completed four of the five training modules. In addition, a number of Ministry staff at the central and decentralized levels had also benefitted from training supported under the PERI. The successful roll-out of these trainings to communities and the outcomes realized as a result of this activity is a major achievement of the Project. In addition, during this period, the Bank had strengthened its dialogue with the Government around ensuring the equitable deployment of teachers in the country. This dialogue contributed to an increase in the internal efficiency of the education system reflected in an improvement in the Teacher Deployment Consistency Index (R-Squared) which increased from a baseline of 0.55 to 0.66 by 2011/2012. During this period, a national assessment was also completed and all of the sub-sector plans had been drafted. The time-bound capacity building plan was being rolled out with skills transfer occurring between the PCU and Ministry staff in key areas such as FM, procurement and civil works management. 70. During the post-restructuring period, progress was made in a number of areas. Training of 266 COGEPs 17 in each of the five modules had been completed. Financing agreements related to PERI-supported activities had been signed between all COGEPs and the relevant Inspectorates. The Teacher Deployment Consistency Index improved even further reaching By project closing, a national learning assessment system had been established and was fully functional and the plans on Pre-School, Literacy Development, and School Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS had been finalized and validated by the Government. The time bound capacity building implementation plan had been 90 percent implemented. In terms of capacity-building, in addition to supporting a number of specialized training activities, the Project continued to promote skills transfer by pairing counterparts (homologues) with specialists working for the Project. In addition, a Competency Transfer Plan was finalized which will continue to guide skills transfer and capacity-building within the Ministry at the central and decentralized levels. 71. The level of achievement of Objective 3 is rated Substantial. 16 Completion of specific modules was required prior to launching certain construction-related activities within the community. Training in FM and procurement was a pre-requisite for receiving grant funding related to school construction. 17 The number of COGEPs increased with the construction of additional classrooms in rural areas. 21

37 3.3 Efficiency Returns to Education 72. Estimated Mincer Wage Coefficients. The PERI contributed to increased educational access and attainment of beneficiaries. An economic analysis of the returns to education using the QUIBB 2011 shows that there are positive returns to education. Controlling for various socio-demographic variables, the results of a Mincerian regression equation indicate a positive correlation between years of education and average wage earnings. An analysis of the QUIBB 2011 data using a sample of individual between 15 and 64 years old shows that there is a 10.9 percent increase in monthly income for an additional year of schooling. There are also positive returns to primary and lower secondary education of 6 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. On average, annual earnings are estimated to be FCFA 475,118.4 for those who finished primary school and FCFA 659,351.2 for those who completed upper secondary school whereas earnings of those without education are FCFA 381, This shows that completion of primary schooling is associated with a 24.5 percent increase in annual earnings when compared to individuals who have no education. These findings provide strong evidence of the economic and social importance of investing in primary education within the Togolese context. Cost-effectiveness of School Construction and Textbooks 73. School construction. At the design stage, it was determined that community-based approaches to school construction were 20 percent to 25 percent more cost-effective when compared to centrally based approaches primarily as a result of strong competition among small contractors. Community-based construction was cost-effective, proving to be both less expensive and more expedient than construction undertaken by the CMA (AGETUR). Of all classrooms constructed, 79.6 percent were carried out using the community-based approach. The estimated unit cost for construction of a classroom using the communitybased approach was US$110 per square meter compared to the US$216 per square meter using the CMA (AGETUR) approach making the construction under the AGETUR approach more costly. A portion of the difference in costs was related to the more expensive materials employed by AGETUR for the construction of school roofs (i.e., slabs rather than basic roofing materials). The construction undertaken by AGETUR was, overall, less costeffective and its activities more delayed. However, this approach to construction accounted for a much smaller number of classrooms constructed under the Project. The unit cost of US$110 per square meter using the community-based approach under the PERI is much lower than the costs realized in other Bank supported projects in comparator countries: Gambia (EFA-FTI) (US$175-US$188); Mauritania (Education Sector Development Programme) (US$197); and Niger (Basic Education Support Project) (US$220). 74. Textbook procurement and delivery. A significantly larger number of textbooks were purchased and delivered than originally planned under the Project. Although there were challenges with systematic tracking of textbooks, field reports and site visits during project implementation reveal that, for the most part, textbooks arrived in schools in a timely manner. As noted earlier, however, in one instance it was observed that Project- 22

38 funded textbooks were being illegally sold. The Government responded quickly and effectively to address the situation and to hold relevant individuals responsible. The actual project unit costs of textbooks and teachers guides were lower at US$1.60 and US$3.20, respectively, compared to the original unit cost estimations of US$3.70 and US$4.00, respectively. These unit costs, however, are not as low as those observed in other similar projects implemented in African countries, including: (i) Burundi (with a unit cost of US$1.15); (ii) Eritrea (with a unit cost of US$0.60); and (iii) Mauritania (with a unit cost of US$0.73). Cost-Benefit Analysis 75. This cost-benefit analysis assess the Project s quantifiable benefits in the area of access/equity (school construction) and quality. Benefits pertaining to Institutional strengthening and capacity building are more difficult to quantify and consequently, will not be included in the present analysis. Computation of the Net Present Value (NPV) are estimated for the access/equity activities and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) based on this component is computed. 76. Access/equity. The access/equity analysis will focus on the benefits of the construction of new schools (new and rehabilitated classrooms). The cost and benefits flows are quantified based on the individual s lifetime earnings from higher levels of educational attainment. 77. Quality. The quality analysis will rely on the direct and indirect investments of the project activities that were designed to improve learning. The measurement method of the project direct impact is based on the extent of quality improvement as illustrated by the provision of new textbooks and the school grants. 78. Assumption for the cost-benefit analysis. The cost and benefits computation for the Project has been informed by the project description and the outputs by component. The assumptions are the following: Because the analysis takes into account the quantifiable benefits, it is assumed that the NPV and IRR are at their lowest bound for the impact of the project; A discount rate of 5 percent is used; The official exchange rate has been set at 500 FCFA per US$1; Wages have been estimated for various educational level using data from the QUIBB 2011; Wages change with age over the duration of the benefits with adjustments for inflation; The difference in wages remains the same throughout the career each beneficiary Beneficiaries enter the labor market at age 15; Employment rates by level of education as estimated using the QUIBB 2011 data; and Schools provide services for 40 years. 79. Cost-benefits results: Access/Equity (School construction). According to the analysis, under the base scenario (using the assumptions of 5 percent discount rate) for 23

39 Component 1, benefit streams observed outweigh the incurred project costs. More specifically, the NPV is estimated to be US$73.16 million with an IRR of 16 percent. It can be, therefore, concluded that the school construction component of the project represented a good investment. Even when looking at other scenarios, this basic observation and conclusion still hold. 80. The cost-benefit analysis shows that the cost-benefit ratio is high and positive with respect to community-based construction and procurement and delivery of textbooks. Efficiency under the Project is rated Modest primarily due to three principle factors: (i) challenges associated with the delivery and execution of school grants; (ii) the higher than anticipated costs of construction undertaken by AGETUR including both classrooms and ENIs; and (iii) initial delays in implementation of some key activities. 3.4 Justification of Overall Outcome Rating Rating: Moderately Satisfactory 81. Based on the pre- and post-restructuring ratings for relevance, efficacy and efficiency, the Overall Outcome Rating for the PERI is Moderately Satisfactory. Table 2 below summarizes the detailed analysis presented in Sections of the ICR. Table 2: Overall Rating before and after Restructuring Period Pre- Restructuring Post- Restructuring Relevance (Objectives/ Design) High/ Substantial High/ Substantial Achievement of PDO Efficacy Efficiency Overall Rating Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Summary Substantial Modest Substantial Substantial Modest Substantial Modest Substantial Substantial Modest Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 82. The Project s development objectives were highly relevant as they sought to address the critical challenges observed within the Togolese education sector at appraisal. These objectives were also highly consistent with the Government s own strategic agenda. These aims remained highly relevant over the life of the Project and continue to be fully aligned with the Government s emphasis today on improving the quality of education while also supporting a community-based approach to development. The Project s design was sound insofar as it was guided by strong analytical work and lessons learned from other relevant operations. Project-supported activities were also logically linked to the overarching development objectives. The RF for the operation was generally adequate, but M&E and FM mechanisms should have been stronger to properly monitor the use of grants at the school-level. The Project had a positive impact on increasing access and retention to higher quality education, while also building institutional capacity within the Government and beneficiary communities. Notwithstanding the initial delays observed in project implementation, and the important challenges experienced with the provision of school grants, a large number of outputs and outcomes were achieved by the operation s closing date. In a number of cases, the end-of-project targets were, in fact, exceeded. Despite some 24

40 delays and the higher-than-anticipated costs of school construction in urban areas carried out by AGETUR, the community-based approach to construction proved to be both a costeffective and viable alternative to the more traditional centrally managed arrangements. Despite the high relevance of objectives/design and the large number of achievements observed, the Project s overall efficiency remained modest given the challenges experienced in the provision of school grants as well as the fact that the unit cost of construction undertaken by AGETUR was relatively high when compared both to the community-based approach as well as to other relevant comparator countries. 3.5 Overarching Themes, Other Outcomes and Impacts (a) Poverty Impacts, Gender Aspects, and Social Development 83. Project-supported activities played an important role in supporting social development and in increasing women s participation in community life. The establishment of COGEPs strengthened equitable representation within the community, including females, elderly persons, people with disabilities, as well as individuals with varying levels of education and training. The training modules were grounded on principles of inclusion (for both literate and illiterate persons) as they were guided by a GMT expert and senior GMT trainers as well as the communities themselves. 84. Evidence points to community members use of skills obtained under the PERI to other activities of daily life which has resulted in, among other positive outcomes, more competitive pricing and selective purchasing. Women s participation in these activities has taught them not only how to apply these principles but has empowered them to make use of them in their day-to-day activities. For example, beneficiaries have indicated that they apply principles of competitive selection of contractors to carry out tasks or to provide household services. 85. Finally, the targeting mechanism used for selection of sites for school construction and the provision of school grants was guided by poverty-related criteria. In this way, the support provided in these two areas were able to target those communities with the greatest needs. This was one way in which the Project was able to promote equitable access to quality education in Togo. (b) Institutional Change/Strengthening 86. Capacity-building at the community and Ministerial level was an important aim of the PERI and was evidenced in activities supported at the central and decentralized levels. In addition to achieving the timely completion of community-based construction, communities were also provided with the opportunity to develop skills in FM, procurement and monitoring and to learn by doing. Although other Projects had used a communitybased approach prior to this operation, it was under the PERI that for the first time this approach was applied on a wide-scale within the education sector to the construction of schools. Each of the five training modules sought to convey key principles useful in each of these areas and the roll out of this training (which used a training of trainers approach) 25

41 strengthened the knowledge and capacity of relevant stakeholders. Further, the Project supported the development of simplified manuals to be used at the community level to promote greater buy-in. Evidence from field-level visits demonstrated the viability of COGEPs as an important entity within the communities, supporting collective decisionmaking and problem-solving. This entity is expected to be maintained in the future and will be useful in the effective implementation of other community activities. 87. Considerable efforts were undertaken to support capacity-building within the Ministry itself which had received limited support in this area in the decade prior to the PERI. At the central level, the Project aimed to ensure the transfer of skills from the PCU staff to counterparts (homologues) within the MEPSA and other bodies (DAF, etc.) This was done in an effort to strengthen skills in each of these areas and to ensure that the Government could continue to draw on these experts and skills in supporting the sector. Further, training was also provided to various individuals at the regional, inspectorate and district levels to promote the effective implementation of activities supported under the PERI. (c) Other Unintended Outcomes and Impacts (positive or negative) Not Applicable. 3.6 Summary of Findings of Beneficiary Survey and/or Stakeholder Workshops 88. A Beneficiary Survey was undertaken and is archived in WBdocs. 4. Assessment of Risk to Development Outcome Rating: Moderate 89. A large portion of resources available for the education sector in Togo are provided by the various DPs operating within the country including AFD, Islamic Development Bank, World Food Programme and GPE, among others. The Government s prioritization of the basic education sector is reflected in its allocation to recurrent expenditures of 27.6 percent, which is higher than the SSA average of 22.1 percent, as well as in the fact that around 48 percent of the sector budget is devoted to primary education, almost reaching the recommended GPE benchmark of 50 percent. A number of activities supported under the PERI are being continued and/or scaled up under the PERI 2. Key among these initiatives are: capacity-building at the central and community levels; teacher training; construction of schools and boreholes in targeted prefectures; and school grants to further improve the quality and relevance of primary education. In addition, the Project targets those areas and communities where the socio-economic and education needs are the greatest as it also focuses on promoting girls schooling which is considered to have a longterm impact on human development outcomes and economic growth in years to come. 90. The PERI has successfully supported capacity-building interventions within the central and decentralized levels of the Ministry as well as within the communities. Building 26

42 on the gains realized under this operation, PERI 2 plans to provide technical support in FM and M&E. PERI 2 also places a strong emphasis on further equipping the various stakeholders at the local level (i.e., school headmasters, technical staff at the central and decentralized levels and staff working at the Inspectorate-level) with necessary skills to successfully implement activities at the decentralized levels. The positive experience with regards to community-based construction has also been taken into account in the design of PERI 2 with continued training to be provided to COGEPs in key areas related to school construction and management of school-level activities. Moreover, the strong emphasis of the PERI on strengthening community-based development increases the likelihood that gains achieved under the Project will be sustained and/or scaled up in the future. The strategic targeting of PERI 2 towards the 18 most deprived prefectures bodes well for further increasing equitable access to primary education in Togo. The Government has expressed its commitment to providing the necessary financial resources to support the functioning of the new classrooms and ENIs constructed under the Project. The Government should also ensure that any limitations related to quality of civil works activities are prioritized. On the basis of the information provided above, the Risk to Development Outcome is rated Moderate. 5. Assessment of Bank and Borrower Performance 5.1 Bank Performance (a) Bank Performance in Ensuring Quality at Entry Rating: Satisfactory 91. The Bank worked closely with the Government and various DPs at appraisal to identify those activities that the PERI could most successfully support within the framework of the ESP. The PERI was strongly aligned with the Government s strategic agenda as articulated in key documents and targeted a number of the major challenges facing the education sector in Togo. The Project s design was underpinned by growing evidence on the cost-effectiveness, feasibility and positive outcomes associated with community-based construction. The design of the operation also incorporated appropriate mitigation measures to address risks that had been identified during project preparation related to institutional capacity and FM and these aspects were well articulated and described in the project documents. The design s emphasis on sustainability reflected in its activities to strengthen community capacity through training and promoting skills transfer between technical experts and Ministry staff was forward-thinking and increased the likelihood that activities supported under the Project could be maintained or further strengthened in the future. Moreover, the Project s phased approach to community-based construction was innovative and allowed for the process of learning by doing and further fine-tuning of relevant procedures and tools. The Bank team also possessed the necessary skillset to effectively undertake the project, including an expert on community-based construction who guided the design of this activity. While the operation was indeed ambitious given the allotted time frame, in light of the significant investment from EFA- FTI and the high demand for classrooms and the need for key quality inputs, its objectives, design and reach were appropriate. The Quality at Entry is, therefore, rated Satisfactory 27

43 given the high relevance of objectives and the soundness of the link between the projectsupported activities and the overarching development objectives. (b) Quality of Supervision Rating: Moderately Satisfactory 92. The Bank worked closely with the Government to supervise project-supported activities. This was facilitated by the presence of an education team member in-country who supported the day-to-day management of the operation. The Bank undertook regular supervision missions which included detailed aide-memoires and technical reports. Joint annual sector reviews were also held during the project implementation period and allowed relevant stakeholders to take stock of achievements, identify some important bottlenecks, and to take corrective action. Given the decentralized nature of the Project, arrangements were set up to provide training in key areas and supervision of school construction throughout the life of the Project. This was made possible by recruiting key specialists in GMT and establishing specific decentralized units within the Ministry such as the Construction Technical Unit. Through its close supervision in some areas, the Bank was able to identify difficulties in the distribution of textbooks and was able to work closely with the Government to resolve these. In an effort to further adapt the scope and relevance of activities to ensure achievement of the PDO, the Project was effectively restructured although with some delay. As the pace of implementation increased in the latter phases of the Project, the Bank was able to support the Government in completion of all project activities by the closing date which was an important achievement in light of the short time frame in which the project was implemented only being extended once for a period of six months. 93. Despite these strong aspects of the Bank s supervision, the FM functions performed by the Bank as well as by the externally recruited auditor were of poor quality with the IFRs not including an adequate assessment of the use of funds at the school level related to school grants. Although the FM system was able to track expenditures at the Inspectorate level, the system was not adequately strengthened under the Project as had been envisaged to monitor the effective provision and execution of all school grants. As issues became apparent in the implementation of this activity, although again with some delays, the Bank did seek to address these issues by undertaking focused supervision missions and by raising this issue with the Government and Bank management. On the basis of the above, the Quality of Bank Supervision is rated Moderately Satisfactory given the Bank team s ongoing support to the Government and its proactive efforts at addressing and rectifying most of the issues which arose over the course of the Project s implementation. 28

44 (c) Justification of Rating for Overall Bank Performance Rating: Moderately Satisfactory 94. Taking into account the ratings for Quality at Entry (Satisfactory), Quality of Supervision (Moderately Satisfactory) and Overall Outcome Rating (Moderately Satisfactory), the Bank s Overall Performance is rated Moderately Satisfactory. 5.2 Grantee Performance (a) Government Performance Rating: Satisfactory 95. The Government was highly proactive and demonstrated its strong commitment to the sector throughout the entire life of the Project. The Government worked closely with the Bank to design the Project and provided support to ensure harmonization of activities supported by various stakeholders in the sector. Despite having limited experience in community-based approaches, it was willing to support such activities on a large scale under the PERI. When issues were identified in the course of project implementation, such as delays in AGETUR-supported construction, the Government took steps to strengthen dialogue with AGETUR and to assist in remedying challenges faced. When the costs of construction undertaken by AGETUR were higher than what had been forecasted, the highest level of Government focused its attention on finding a solution and, in turn, provided a tax exemption allowing AGETUR to complete the planned construction within a reasonable funding envelope. In the one instance in which the Bank notified the Government that it had observed anomalies in terms of the distribution of textbooks, the Government responded expediently to hold relevant individuals accountable, demonstrating their commitment to the sector and to protecting measures to strengthen quality of education provided in the country. The Government also showed its strong commitment to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities under the PERI. In response to fieldlevel reports of challenges associated with the distribution of school grants to COGEPs, the Government commissioned a thorough audit of the situation which resulted in a number of recommendations to rectify these issues as possible under the PERI and to ensure that the resulting lessons were integrated into the design of PERI 2. (b) Implementing Agency or Agencies Performance Rating: Moderately Satisfactory 96. During the early stages of the project, there were delays in launching some projectsupported activities including the provision and delivery of textbooks and urban and rural construction. As a result of initial delays, disbursement remained low. The PCU worked closely with various actors to increase the pace of implementation. In response to delays in urban construction, steps were taken to work closely to identify bottlenecks and to provide support to AGETUR on an on-going basis. Although the Implementing Agency s performance was generally adequate, the unit experienced some difficulties as a result of 29

45 staff turnover and shortcomings in its oversight of the delivery and execution of school grants at the local level. Despite the challenges faced, most of the envisaged outputs and outcomes of the PERI were successfully achieved by the operation s closing date with only one extension required. The community-based approach to construction and training of COGEPs supported by the PCU and various experts, including the GMT specialist, was successful and efficient. These achievements are particularly noteworthy given the logistical constraints faced by the PCU in the early phases of the Project and in light of the PERI s ambitious reach relying on a decentralized and community-based approach in its activities. In light of the above information, Implementing Agency performance is rated Moderately Satisfactory. (c) Justification of Rating for Overall Grantee Performance Rating: Moderately Satisfactory 97. Based on the ratings for Government Performance (Satisfactory), Implementing Agency Performance (Moderately Satisfactory) and Overall Outcome Rating (Moderately Satisfactory), the Overall Grantee Performance is rated Moderately Satisfactory. 6. Lessons Learned 98. The successful establishment of a robust and well-functioning M&E system must always be prioritized. In order to systematically and comprehensively document the achievements and shortcomings of an operation as well as to detect issues which delay project implementation and/or pose a challenge to the attainment of the intended development impacts a sound M&E system must be established and maintained throughout the life of a project. Although there were some limitations to the Project s M&E, including a nascent M&E system at the early stages of the Project and a delay in carrying out the beneficiary survey, the M&E system was capable of properly documenting progress towards achievement of the PDO. Refinements introduced under the restructuring further strengthened the capacity of the M&E system to capture project gains observed with regards to access and retention. 99. A community-based approach to construction, while a complex undertaking, can provide a number of important benefits. The community-based approach to school construction utilized under the Project proved to be a cost-effective and effective in building the envisaged structures. This approach also built the institutional and managerial capacity of targeted communities throughout Togo Applying a phased approach to development activities can pay high dividends in terms of its development effectiveness and impact. This operation s use of a phasedapproach to community-based construction provided an important feedback loop whereby activities, procedures and tools could be refined along the course of project implementation in order to improve the overall quality of structures and the process in which they were built. 30

46 101. The establishment of a robust FM system capable of tracking project expenditures at the beneficiary level should always be prioritized at the design phase of any operation. If it is determined at appraisal that a country s FM system does not confirm to the Bank s minimum standards, mitigation measures must be introduced and adhered to before a project can be declared effective. Disbursements should only commence once these minimum FM standards have been fully met. The FM system established under the Project was insufficient to comprehensively and systematically assess transfer and execution of funds at the decentralized level. 7. Comments on Issues Raised by Grantee/Implementing Agencies/Donors (a) Grantee/Implementing agencies 102. The Government prepared a project completion report which has been filed in WBdocs, the summary of which can be found in Annex 7 of this report. (b) Cofinanciers/Donors Not Applicable. (c) Other partners and stakeholders Not Applicable. 31

47 Annex 1. Project Costs and Financing (a) Project Cost by Component (in USD Million equivalent) Components Appraisal Estimate (USD millions) Actual/Latest Estimate (USD millions) Percentage of Appraisal Component 1: Access and Retention Component 2: Inputs for Quality * 93 Component 3: Institutional Strengthening Total Project Costs Project Preparation Costs Total Financing Required * 98 *Of the total grant amount of US$45 million, US$0.1 million was cancelled. In addition, US$0.7 million remained unspent under the school grants activity as of May 30, As these resources remained unspent after the Project s closing date, the Bank has formally requested that the Government return these funds to the GPE. This accounts for the different figure presented in the system-generated data sheet (US$44.9 million) and the total disbursement figures reported in Annex 1 (US$ 44.2 million). (b) Financing Source of Funds Type of Cofinancing Appraisal Estimate (USD millions) Actual/Latest Estimate Percentage of (USD Appraisal millions) Trust Funds Education for All - Fast Track Initiative * 98 *see footnote for Table 1(a). 32

48 Annex 2. Outputs by Component 1. The Project consisted of three components: (i) Access and Retention; (ii) Inputs for Quality; and (iii) Institutional Strengthening Component 1: Access and Retention (Cost at Appraisal: US$22.6 million; Actual Expenditure: US$23.0 million). Under Sub-component 1.1, the Project aimed to support the construction of new classrooms and related facilities in selected urban areas of the Recipient s Territory. Under Sub-Component 1.2, the Project would support specific development projects consisting of construction of new classrooms and related facilities in select rural areas, through the provision of Sub-grants to eligible school-based management committees (Comités de gestion des écoles primaries COGEPs) beneficiaries in Togo. Specifically, the Component was to apply the new construction strategy developed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and Literacy (Ministère de l Enseignements Primaire, Secondaire et de l Alphabétisation MEPSA) during the preparation of the Education Sector Plan (ESP) 19 and build about 815 new classrooms (163 in Year 1, 285 in Year 2 and 367 in Year 3) with 204 in urban areas and 611 in rural areas. The classrooms construction management was to be delegated by the Ministry to either a contract management agency (CMA) (urban) or COGEPs (rural). The classrooms were to be disability-friendly and complemented with gender-friendly latrines and water access. 3. Component 2: Inputs for Quality (Cost at Appraisal: US$14.7 million; Actual Expenditure: US$13.7 million). Under sub-component 2.1, the Project aimed to provide textbooks in Mathematics and Reading for public and community primary schools (EDILs) in Togo. Under sub-component 2.2, the Project would support specific development projects consisting of supplying teaching materials and providing support to teaching and learning and quality enhancement programs. Specifically, under this second subcomponent, the Project would support the supply of pedagogical materials, textbooks, stationary, school building maintenance and school furniture maintenance, through the provision of Sub-grants to eligible COGEPs in Togo. In addition, this Component would fund the construction of a regional teacher training institute (or ENI) in each of the Kara, Golfe and Centrale regions of Togo. 4. Component 3: Institutional Strengthening (Cost at Appraisal: US$7.7 million; Actual Expenditure: US$7.5 million). Under sub-component 3.1, the Project aimed to strengthen the school building management capacity and supervision of the Ministry and of the communities and under Sub-component 3.2, the Project aimed to support capacity building of the MEPSA. It aimed to provide such support by: (i) setting up a learning assessment system; (ii) improving consistency of teachers deployment across schools; and 18 These Components were describes as Parts A, B, and C in the Grant Agreement. 19 The construction strategy is detailed in the document Stratégie Nationale du MEPSA en matière de constructions scolaires du primaire, MEPSA, Togo, August A translated summary was included in Annex 16 of the PAD. 33

49 (iii) supporting the preparation of credible implementation plans for (a) pre-school; (b) literacy development; and (c) school health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS. 5. The following diagram lays out the results chain linking project-supported activities with the envisioned outputs and outcomes of the PERI. 1. Increased access and retention in primary education (Component 1) (Ind.1.I) 1.1. Improved availability of satisfactory built schools in under equipped areas (Ind.1.1.III) Build classrooms in urban (with AGETUR executing agency) and rural (with communities) areas according to agreed procedures (Ind.1.1.I, 1.1.II) Provide public/edil primary schools with Mathematics and Reading textbooks (Ind.2.1.III) Increased coverage and retention of primary education, improvements in quality of teaching, strengthened institutional and community capacity (PDO) 2. Improved availability of teaching material and of trained teachers (Component 2) 3. Strengthened institutions and communities (Component 3) (Ind 3.I) 2.1. Improved availability of textbooks (Ind.2.1.I, Ind.2.1.II) 2.2. Increased resources and responsibilities for school committees and improved accountability (Ind.2.2.I) 2.3. The regional teacher training centers are running (Ind. 2.3.I) 3.2c. Improved consistency in teacher deployment (Ind. 3.2.II) 3.1. Improved efficiency and management of school building program (Ind.3.1.I, Ind.3.1.II) 3.2a. Improved capacity of the MEPSA for ESP implementation (Ind.3.I) 3.2b. Learning assessment system up and running (Ind 3.2.I) 3.2d. ECD and Literacy implementation plans approved and implementation started (Ind. 3.2.III, Develop new curricula and new textbooks with Gov. owned copyright (Ind.2.1.IV) Disclose in schools the individual school grant amount and calculation method Provide school grants to school committees Build and equip regional teacher training institutes and Regionalize training and recruitment of teachers (Ind. 2.3.I) Build capacity of MEPSA (central and decentralized administration) and communities for school building management Build capacity of MEPSA according to the time-bound capacity-building and skills transfer implementation plan (Ind 3.I) Support the set-up of a monitoring system able to routinely assess student learning Support the preparation of ECD and Literacy implementation plans 3.2e. School health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS implementation plan approved and implementation started (Ind.3.2.V) Support the preparation of school health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS implementation plan 34

50 6. The PDO remained unchanged during the Project life. Under the April 17, 2014 restructuring, however, changes were introduced to Components 1 and 2. Under Component 1, given the complexity of constructing water points, the responsibility for their construction was delegated to private contractors. To reflect this change, a new subcomponent (The Construction of Water Points by Private Contractors in Selected Areas, sub-component 1.3) was added. A fourth sub-component was also introduced to support the Reorganization of primary cycle into three sub-cycles (sub-component 1.4), a measure to increase retention in basic education which was an objective of the PERI. Under Component 2, some of the planned activities were narrowed while two additional activities were added. The effort to develop new curricula textbooks in Mathematics and Reading with a Government-owned copyright was narrowed to focus only on the first grade with their introduction on a pilot basis. Two new activities review of the curricula for preschool and literacy training and improving teaching practices through in-service training for teachers at the primary level were added. Component 3 remained unchanged. Component 1 7. One of the primary objectives of the Operation, to be achieved through activities supported under Component 1, was to increase access and retention by supporting community-based construction in rural and urban areas in Togo. The following provides an overview of achievements under Component 1 of the PERI, by period. 8. Under this Project, the sites to receive support from the Project were strategically selected applying a pre-defined criteria which included the following, among others: number of students in the school; accessibility of the school; number of students per class; quality of school infrastructure; and classroom size and capacity. Construction activities under the Project were delayed due to: (i) a delay in the finalization and approval of the list of sites and in the classrooms plan; and (ii) the time needed to negotiate a tax exemption for construction delegated to AGETUR because costs of infrastructure had overrun the original grant amount. The decision to undertake a laboratory phase was appropriate for increasing the pace of implementation, promoting visibility of the Project, and providing an opportunity for learning by doing for all stakeholders involved. 9. During the pre-restructuring period, a total of 234 classrooms out of the planned for rural areas had been constructed while 39 classrooms out of the 204 planned for urban areas had been constructed. In addition to this, the construction of an additional 375 classrooms were in the advanced stages of completion. It was estimated that during this time 100 percent of resources were managed by the CMA (in this case, AGETUR) and the communities according to agreed procedures (as outlined in relevant project manuals). According to the beneficiary survey, over 92 percent of survey respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the school construction program in their community. During the pre- 20 This figure includes the 48 classrooms (16 schools) constructed during the Laboratoire phase in two rural communities in the Plateaux and Maritime Regions. 35

51 restructuring period, substantial progress was observed across all key PDO-level indicators. The primary completion rate increased from 65 in 2009 to 83.6 percent by 2014, and among girls increased from 72.1 in 2013 to 80 percent by Improvements were also observed in the retention rate which increased from 57.1 percent in 2011 to 66 percent by 2014, with a rate of 66.1 percent among girls. 10. During the post-restructuring period, 558 additional classrooms were constructed in rural areas, significantly exceeding the revised targets, and the remaining 165 planned classrooms had been constructed in urban areas. Due to cost savings resulting, in part from exchange rate gains, the Project was able to exceed the original and revised end-of-project targets for construction of primary classrooms. The total number of classrooms completed by project closing was 996 of which 204 were constructed in urban areas and 792 in rural ones. The values achieved for the PDO-level indicators designed to capture progress towards achievement of this objective are the same which were observed during the prerestructuring period. 21 Component Through Component 2, the PERI aimed to improve the quality of teaching in primary education. The following was achieved under the PERI by period: 12. During the pre-restructuring period, progress was made on the development of the new primary curricula which employed a competency-based approach though there were some considerable delays in rolling out this activity. A total of 2.9 million textbooks and teachers guides in reading and mathematics were purchased and delivered to schools 22, far exceeding the end-of-project target of 1.6 million. By this time the textbook: student ratio for mathematics had reached 1:1 and for reading had reached 1.2:1. Each of the ENIs were in advanced stages of construction. The number of school grants delivered to schools in 2011/2012 totaled 3,500. Eligible expenses under these school grants included: pedagogical materials, textbooks, stationary, organization of journées pedagogiques, school building maintenance, school furniture maintenance, first aid medical kits and a miscellaneous category (which required pre-approval and authorization by the Bank). Each year between 3,500 and 3,735 schools (between 70 to 75 percent of all primary schools) were selected to receive school grants. The funding for school grants in 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 was transferred to the Inspectorate level but approximately US$700,000 (or 12 percent of the US$5.7 million allocated to this activity) remained unspent at the Inspectorate level. The Bank has formally requested the Government to return the unspent resources to the GPE. As of the writing of this ICR, this action is still pending. 21 Given the short amount of time between project restructuring and project closing, additional data on these indicators were not available as insufficient time had lapsed to have new figures. The figures for a number of these indicators were only calculated on an annual basis. 22 A total number of 2,055,960 mathematics textbooks and 28,442 teachers guides (in math) were purchased and delivered while 790,268 reading textbooks and 28,890 teachers guides (in reading) were purchased and delivered. 36

52 13. During the post-restructuring period, 3,000 teachers were provided in-service training and new textbooks in mathematics and reading for grade 1 had been finalized and the pilot was ongoing. In addition, the Government reorganized the primary education system into three sub-cycles and prohibited repetition within each of the sub-cycles which was a major measure to reduce repetition and to increase the internal efficiency of the education system. The construction and equipment of the three ENIs in the Kara, Plateaux and Central regions had been fully completed, the first cohort of students to enroll was selected in 2013 and the management staff for these Institutes was recruited in In addition to the provision of textbooks and teachers guides, 11,154 reading panels were delivered for grades 1 and 2. The values achieved for the PDO-level indicators are the same which were observed during the pre-restructuring period. 23 Component The PERI, through Component 3, aimed to strengthen school building management capacity as well the supervision capacity of both the Ministry and communities. It also aimed to support institutional capacity-building within the MEPSA. Moreover, through this Component, the PERI also sought to support the establishment of a learning assessment system, improvement in the consistency of teachers deployment across schools and the development of implementation plans for the following areas: Pre-School; Literacy Development; and School Health, Nutrition, and HIV/AIDS. The following provides an overview of achievements under Component 3 of the PERI, by period: 15. During the pre-restructuring period, a large number of COGEPs were trained in various modules which had been designed under the Project. Each of these training modules, included illustrations and together were designed to equip the community with the capacity necessary for effective management and implementation of the school construction program and in the management of textbooks. The training to targeted communities was provided using a phased approach. 24 During this period, around twothirds of the 204 targeted communities had completed four of the five training modules. In addition, a number of Ministry staff at the central and decentralized levels had also benefitted from training supported under the PERI. The decentralized training system relied on a cascade approach, with junior and senior trainers at the regional level and the selection of a community facilitator to support COGEPs. Various trainings and workshops were required in order to ensure the effective reach of training provided. The successful roll-out of these trainings to communities and the outcomes realized as a result of this activity is a major achievement of the Project. Simplified manuals were also provided to communities to ensure adequate information to guide activities under the PERI. In addition, 23 Given the short amount of time between project restructuring and project closing, additional data on these indicators were not available as insufficient time had lapsed to have new figures. The figures for a number of these indicators were only calculated on an annual basis. 24 Completion of specific modules was required prior to launching certain construction-related activities within the community. Training in FM and procurement was a pre-requisite for receiving grant funding related to school construction. 37

53 the Bank had strengthened its dialogue with the Government on the importance of addressing inequities in the deployment of teachers. During this period, a significant improvement was observed in terms of the deployment of teachers reflected in an increase in the Teacher Deployment Consistency Index (R-Squared) from a baseline of 0.55 to 0.66 by 2012 (the latest available figure). During this period, a national assessment was completed and all of the sub-sector plans had been drafted. In addition, the time-bound capacity-building plan was being rolled out with skills transfer occurring between the PCU and Ministry staff in key areas such as FM, procurement and civil works management. 16. During the post-restructuring period, progress was made in a number of areas. Training of 266 COGEPs 25 in each of the five modules had been completed. Financing agreements related to PERI-supported activities had been signed between all COGEPs and the relevant Inspectorates. The Teacher Deployment Consistency Index improved further reaching 0.73 by By project closing, a national learning assessment system had been established and was fully functional and the plans on Pre-School, Literacy Development, and School Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS had been finalized and validated by the Government. The time bound capacity-building implementation plan had been 90 percent implemented. In terms of capacity-building, in addition to promoting skills transfer by pairing counterparts (homologues) with specialists working for the Project, a Competency Transfer Plan was finalized which will continue to guide skills transfer and capacitybuilding within the Ministry at the central and decentralized levels. Over the project life, TA was also provided in the use and management of a new database set up within the DPEE and to the core M&E team within the Government. Training was also provided to 16 education sector executives on sector policies and the management of education systems. 25 The number of COGEPs increased with the construction of additional classrooms in rural areas. 38

54 Annex 3. Economic and Financial Analysis 1. This Annex provides an analysis of the following: (i) returns to education; (ii) positive externalities observed resulting from attainment of more education; (iii) internal efficiency gains observed in the sector; (iv) efficiency of implementation; (v) cost-benefit analysis of the Project s quantifiable economic benefits in the area of access and quality; and (vi) fiscal sustainability in the post-project period. Background 2. Located between Ghana and Benin and on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, Togo had an estimation population of approximately 7 million as of In 2009, compared to other SSA countries, Togo s per capita income was low (US$437) and it had very poor human development outcomes, ranking 159 out of 182 countries on the HDI. Since 2010, public expenditures in education as a share of GDP have remained relatively constant (4 percent of GDP in 2010 and 2011, 5 percent of GDP in 2012 and 4 percent of GDP in 2013) Labor market analysis of data from the 2011 Togo QUIBB 27 (Questionnaire des Indicateurs des Bases de Bien Etre) reveals significant wage differentials by level of education, providing strong justification for the need to invest in basic education. As Figure 1 below shows, monthly wage earnings increase with age and level of education. Figure 1: Monthly Earnings by Education levels (in FCFA) 150, Earnings 100, , Age in years No education Completed primary Upper secondary Source: Author s estimate using QUIBB World Bank education Statistics 27 This is the latest household survey undertaken in Togo (2011). 39

55 Returns to Education 4. Estimated Mincer Wage Coefficients. The PERI I contributed to increased educational access and attainment of beneficiaries. An economic analysis of the returns to education using the QUIBB 2011 shows that there are positive returns to education. Controlling for various socio-demographic variables, the results of a Mincerian regression equation indicate a positive correlation between years of education and average wage earnings. An analysis of the QUIBB 2011 data using a sample of individual between 15 and 64 years old shows that there is a 10.9 percent increase in monthly income for an additional year of schooling. There are also positive returns to primary and lower secondary education of 6 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. Annual earnings are estimated to be FCFA 475,118.4 for those who finished primary school and FCFA 659,351.2 for those who completed upper secondary school whereas earnings of those without education are FCFA 381, This shows that completion of primary schooling is associated with a 24.5 percent increase in annual earnings when compared to individuals who have no education. These findings provide strong evidence of the economic and social importance of investing in primary education within the Togolese context. Positive Externalities 5. In addition to benefits to wage earnings, education has positive spillover effects in terms of health practices and outcomes. Table 1 below shows the association between level of educational attainment and observed behavioral changes. More specifically, the analysis reveals that a woman with higher educational attainment is more likely to be assisted by trained personnel during childbirth. Furthermore, those individuals who have completed secondary school or higher are more aware of HIV/AIDS and its consequences. Analysis of data from a sample of women in Togo ages 15 to 59 found that women with a higher level of educational attainment were less likely to believe that female genital mutilation should maintain a continuous practice than women with no education. These few examples show that there are great benefits associated with an investment in education. 40

56 Table 1: Benefits of education: Selected indicators 28 Average No Education Primary Secondary or above Use of tetanus vaccine during pregnancy [women 15-49] women's age at first birth (woman sample ) Assistance at delivery (%) by trained personnel (15-49) % of women aged with one live birth % of women (15-49) with post-delivery care (2 days after delivery) HIV knowledge* probability of child death after birth % of women instructed % of women who believe that excision must remain a continuous practice *Based on those who know that regular use of a preservative and limitation of sexual activity to one non-infected partner can reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Positive Trends Key Sector Indicators and Internal Efficiency Gains 6. Internal efficiency gains were also observed in the life of the Project and were observed in increases in: (i) the primary completion rate from 63 percent in 2009 to 83.6 percent (2014) and from 72.1 percent to 80 percent amongst girls over the same period; (ii) primary retention rate increased from 57.1 percent in 2011 to 66 percent in 2014 and (iii) the textbook: student ratio from 1:2 (2009) to 1.2:1 for Reading textbooks and from 1:2.1 (2009) to 1:1 for Mathematics textbooks. Efficiency of Implementation 7. The efficiency of implementation can be characterized by two distinct periods a slow start with low disbursement and a period with an increased pace of implementation across most project-supported activities. Available evidence points to efficiency in key project activities including school construction and the provision and delivery of textbooks, but some challenges in the provision of grants at the school level. 8. School construction. At the design stage, it was determined that community-based approaches to school construction were 20 percent to 25 percent more cost-effective when compared to centrally based approaches primarily as a result of strong competition among small contractors. Community-based construction was cost-effective, proving to be both less expensive and more expedient than construction undertaken by the CMA (AGETUR). 28 Source: Ministère de la Planification, du Développement et de l Aménagement du Territoire (MPDAT), Ministère de la Santé (MS) et ICF International, Enquête Démographique et de Santé au Togo Rockville, Maryland, USA : MPDAT, MS et ICF International 41

57 The total number of classrooms constructed under the Project was 996 of which 792 (79.6 percent) were constructed in rural areas using the community-based approach and the remaining 204 (20.4 percent) were constructed in urban areas by AGETUR. The estimated unit cost for construction of a classroom using the community-based approach was US$110 per square meter compared to the US$216 per square meter using the CMA (AGETUR) approach. The construction undertaken by AGETUR was less cost-effective and encountered delays, however, this approach to construction accounted for far fewer classrooms constructed under the Project. The unit cost of US$110 per square meter using the community-based approach under the PERI is much lower than the costs realized in other Bank supported projects in comparator countries: Gambia (EFA-FTI) (US$175- US$188); Mauritania (Education Sector Development Programme) (US$197); and Niger (Basic Education Support Project) (US$220). 9. Construction of Teacher Training Institutes. The estimated cost of construction of all ENIs was US$1.8 million. According to the contracts signed with the CMA (AGETUR), the total cost of constructing the three regional ENIs was around US$2.4 million. 29 Therefore, the actual cost was approximately one-third or 33 percent higher than the appraised amount. 10. Textbook procurement and delivery. A significantly larger number of textbooks were purchased and delivered than originally planned under the Project. Although there were challenges with systematic tracking of textbooks, field reports and site visits during project implementation reveal that, for the most part, textbooks arrived in schools in a timely manner. As noted earlier, however, in one instance it was observed that Projectfunded textbooks were being illegally sold. The Government responded quickly and effectively to address the situation and to hold relevant individuals responsible. The actual project unit costs of textbooks and teachers guides were lower at US$1.60 and US$3.20, respectively, compared to the original unit cost estimations of US$3.70 and US$4.00, respectively. These unit costs, however, are not as low as those observed in other similar projects implemented in African countries, including: (i) Burundi (with a unit cost of US$1.15); (ii) Eritrea (with a unit cost of US$0.60); and (iii) Mauritania (with a unit cost of US$0.73). Cost-Benefit Analysis 11. This cost-benefit analysis assess the Project s quantifiable benefits in the area of access/equity (school construction) and quality. Benefits pertaining to Institutional strengthening and capacity building are more difficult to quantify and consequently, will not be included in the present analysis. Computation of the Net Present Value (NPV) are estimated for the access/equity activities and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) based on this component is computed. 12. Access/equity. The access/equity analysis will focus on the benefits of the construction of new schools (new and rehabilitated classrooms). The cost and benefits 29 Making the average unit cost of construction of each ENI approximately US$0.8 million. 42

58 flows are quantified based on the individual s lifetime earnings from higher levels of educational attainment. 13. Quality. The quality analysis will rely on the direct and indirect investments of the project activities that were designed to improve learning. The measurement method of the project direct impact is based on the extent of quality improvement as illustrated by the provision of new textbooks and the school grants. 14. Assumption for the cost-benefit analysis. The cost and benefits computation for the Project has been informed by the project description and the outputs by component. The assomptions are the following: Because the analysis takes into account the quantifiable benefits, it is assumed that the NPV and IRR are at their lowest bound for the impact of the project. A discount rate of 5 percent is used; The official exchange rate has been set at 500 FCFA per US$1; Wages have been estimated for various educational level using data from the QUIBB 2011 Wages change with age over the duration of the benefits with adjustments for inflation; The difference in wages remains the same throughout the career each beneficiary Beneficiaries enter the labor market at age 15; Employment rates by level of education as estimated using the QUIBB 2011 data; and Schools provide services for 40 years 15. Cost-benefits results: Access/Equity (School construction). According to the analysis, under the base scenario (using the assumptions of 5 percent discount rate) for Component 1, benefit streams observed outweigh the incurred project costs. More specifically, the NPV is estimated to be US$73.16 million with an IRR of 16 percent. It can be, therefore, concluded that the school construction component of the Project represented a good investment. Even when looking at other scenarios, this basic observation and conclusion still hold (refer to Table 2). 43

59 Table 2: Summary Results Case 1: Base scenario: Component 1: Schools Component 2a: Total Project Discount rate=5% construction Textbooks IRR 16% 20% 18% Discounted cost (present value of costs) $15,405, $11,429, $26,834, Present value of incremental benefits $73,156, $77,131, $150,287, NPV $57,750, $65,702, $123,453, Benefit/cost ratio Case 2: Optimal scenario: Discount rate=4% Component 1: Schools construction Component 2a: Textbooks Total Project IRR 16% 20% 18% Discounted cost (present value of costs) $15,805, $11,706, $27,512, Present value of incremental benefits $103,850, $107,949, $211,800, NPV $88,045, $96,242, $184,287, Benefit/cost ratio Case 3: Worst Scenario: Component 1: Schools Component 2a: Discount rate=6% construction Textbooks Total Project IRR 16% 20% 18% Discounted cost (present value of costs) $14,646, $10,903, $25,549, Present value of incremental benefits $38,083, $41,826, $79,909, NPV $23,436, $30,922, $54,359, Benefit/cost ratio Fiscal Sustainability 16. A 2013 IMF country report emphasizes the Government s efforts in terms of debt management and improved fiscal sustainability. From the published date of this report, for example, resources have been allocated to increase primary school enrollment rate and increasing the literacy rate of female youth aged 15 to 24. According to the same report, access to education increased between 2006 and Economic growth is subjected to increase each year by 6% therefore allowing a debt reduction 30. A better fiscal balance may result in more fund allocated to various sectors of the Togolese economy such as education. Table 3 shows a selected budget framework of the Togolese government regarding the 30 IMF country report

60 projected spending in education and professional development. A high emphasis is put on primary and secondary education and literacy as well as higher education and research. Table 3: Human capital/sector allocation in the Budget framework 2012 budget avg Education and professional training of which primary and secondary education and literacy of which professional training of which higher education and research Source: Estimates/prediction MEF/MPDAT, August 2012 in IMF Togo Poverty Reduction Paper (July 2014) 17. PERI 2 will focus on the following main objectives: (i) improving the quality of pre-primary and primary education (ii) Strengthening access and equity in primary education (iii) strengthening education services delivery. 18. The cost-benefit analysis shows that the cost-benefit ratio is high and positive with respect to community-based construction and procurement and delivery of textbooks. Efficiency under the Project is rated Modest primarily due to three principle factors: (i) challenges associated with the delivery and execution of school grants; (ii) the higher than anticipated costs of construction undertaken by AGETUR including both classrooms and ENIs; and (iii) initial delays in implementation of some key activities. 45

61 Annex 4. Grant Preparation and Implementation Support/Supervision Processes (a) Task Team members Names Title Unit Responsibility/ Specialty Lending/Grant Preparation Mathieu Brossard TTL Operations Yacinthe Gbayé Education Economist AFTED Education Kokou Amelewonou Consultant AFTED Education (Preparation of RESEN) Serge Theunynck Consultant AFTED Education, Community-based construction Jean-Claude Hameidat Consultant AFTED Education (preparation of the medium term expenditures framework for the sector) Alexandra Tran Consultant AFD/ AFTED Education (provide support for the design of the Community-based construction paper) Youmna Sfeir Consultant AFTED Education Rachidi Radji Country Manager AFTED Operations William Experton Lead Education Specialist AFTED Education Peter Materu Practice Manager AFTED Education Cherif Diallo Sr. Education Specialist AFTED Education Itchi Ayindo Sr. Procurement Specialist AFTPC Procurement Olav Christensen Senior PFM Specialist HDNED Education Africa Olojoba Lead Environmental Specialist AFTEN Environment Abdoul-Wahab Seyni Senior Social Development Specialist AFTCS Social Development Michael Drabble Sr. Operations Officer LCSHE Operations Alain Hinkati FM Specialist AFTFM Financial Management Supervision/ICR Yacinthe Gbayé TTL Education Pamela Mullet Education Specialist Education Laura McDonald ETC, Primary Author Operations Bernardo Vasconcellos Consultant, Primary Author Operations (b) Staff Time and Cost Staff Time and Cost (Bank Budget Only) Stage of Project Cycle USD (including travel and No. of staff weeks consultant costs) Lending , Total: , Supervision/ICR , Total: ,

62 Annex 5. Beneficiary Survey Results Not Applicable. 47

63 Annex 6. Stakeholder Workshop Report and Results Not Applicable. 48

64 Annex 7. Summary of Grantee's ICR and/or Comments on Draft ICR The following is a summary of the assessment of the Project taken from the Government s completion report. The full Government completion report has been archived in WBdocs. INTRODUCTION Togo has received a Global Partnership for Education funding (the former Education for All Fast Track Initiative or Fast Track Initiative) in the amount of $ 45 million, or about 22.5 billion FCFA for the implementation of the "Education and Institutional Strengthening Project" (PERI), executed under the supervision of the World Bank. The Education and Institutional Strengthening Project aims to mobilize resources to facilitate access to school, improve teaching quality and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Primary, Secondary Education and Literacy, as well as coordination and management of the entire education sector in Togo. PERI has been designed to be implemented over a period of three years ( ), with a view to support the implementation of the Sector Plan for Education, through the provision of means to increase the number of children having access to a full primary cycle. After almost four (4) years of implementation ( ), the government will learn the lessons and capitalize on successful experiences of PERI to improve the implementation of future projects. The PERI contributes to the achievement of PSE objectives aiming at quality universal education by To this end it supports the funding of certain activities included in the programs 1, "Basic Education" and 5 "Strengthening capacity "of the PES. More specifically, the PERI supports: - the increase in the access and retention in basic education (primary); - the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning at primary; - strengthening institutional capacity and community capacity in management and building school infrastructure. The achievement of these objectives at the end of three years implementation of the PERI is measured by the following performance indicators: - increase in the completion rate in primary school from 65% in 2009 to 74% in 2012; - reduction of the deficits in classrooms at primary school through the achievement of at least 80% of the number of classes planned (163 the first year, 285 the second and 367 the third) ; - increase in the ratio reading book/student from 1/2.1 in 2009 to 1/1.3 in 2012; - increased in the ratio math book/student from 1/2,1 in 2009 to 1/1.4 in 2012; 49

65 - a plan for strengthening the capacity of the MEPSA staff and skills transfer by the UCP-PERI along with an implementation schedule is approved by the MEPSA and at least 75% of the activities is executed and assessed during PSE joint reviews. Program development indicators increased overall satisfactorily. The retention rate has improved from 57.1% in 2010/11 to 58% in 2011/12 to 60.9% in 2012/13; the target for 2013/14 is 62%. This positive trend was also noted in the overall primary completion rate and in the girls, which reached 79% and 72.1% in 2012/13 for respective targets 81% and 73.5% for the end of the 2013/14 school year. Textbooks per pupil ratios in math and reading exceeded the targets set for the end of the project thanks to the good price negotiations for textbooks that helped acquire 2.9 million books against a forecast of 1.6 million: these ratios were 1.8 in 2012/13 manual for 1 student in math and 1.04 manual for 1 student in reading. The percentage of classrooms built by the COGEPs according to the standard plan of the school construction project is satisfactory: it is 122% and therefore higher than 80% predicted at 31 October The progress made in the program is due to that all actors involved in the management process have fully played the role assigned to them, including the availability and willingness of the Minister, the Secretary General of MEPS and various departments concerned. The relevance and coherence between the activities and objectives previously defined contributed significantly to the program's success as a whole. Main results obtained in each of the project components After three (3) years of implementation of the project activities, the results are generally satisfactory. The main results obtained in the various components are mentioned in the following paragraphs. COMPONENT 1: ACCESS AND RETENTION The target for the project was the construction of 815 classrooms with offices, storerooms and latrine blocks. About 75% of classrooms are conducted in rural areas through project management delegated to communities represented by the Public Schools Management Committees (COGEP) and 25% for construction and furnishing of the classes are conducted in urban areas through the project management delegated to an urban works management agency (AGETUR). The following table summarizes the achievements made in this component: Expected Results Results Achieved % Achievement Urban Signing of a delegated project Construction of % environments management agreement with classrooms AGETUR for the construction of 68 school buildings equipped with 3 Rural class related infrastructures Signing of a delegated project management agreement with COGEP for the construction of 611 classrooms equipped with offices, storerooms classrooms with storerooms, offices 122%

66 The 22% represents the supplement to the savings achieved on the component and especially at the component "Community approach". This allowed to propose a restructuring (reallocation) of resources raising the main goal of 815 classrooms to 999 classrooms (a gain of 182 additional classrooms) and also the quality enhancement (component 2). COMPONENT 2: QUALITY SUPPORT The execution point of the component is as follows: Sub component Student textbooks and teacher s guides. Acquisition and distribution to public primary schools (EPP) and local initiative schools (EDIL) of: 2,055,960 textbooks of mathematics and 790,268 reading textbooks distributed 28,442 teacher s guides in mathematics and 28,890 teacher s guides in reading distributed 11,154 reading panels (5,753 for CP1 and 5,401 for CP2). Currently, the manuals/pupil ratio for the account of the 2012/2013 school year is 1.78 in mathematics and 1.04 in reading while the indicators referred to for 2012 were: - rise in the ratio reading book/student from 1/2.1 (0.47) in 2009 to 1/1.3 (0.76) in 2012; - rise in the ratio math book/student from 1/2.1 (0.47) in 2009 to 1/1.4 (0.71) in 2012; These data reveal that textbooks per pupil ratios in math and reading exceeded the targets set for the end of the project. Sub Component Schools Grants School grants were provided to a large number of schools under the Project. During the first year, 3,500 schools benefitted from school grants for the school year. During the second and third years of the project, some challenges related to the effective delivery of school grants to COGEPs were encountered. In order to better understand these reported difficulties, the Government undertook a thorough audit. This audit demonstrated a number of challenges in distribution and execution of the resources allocated to this Project-supported activity. As a result of this audit, a number of concrete recommendations have been devised to address these issues many of these recommended actions are underway. As a result of the challenges encountered in this activity, the design of the follow-on operation (PERI 2) includes a more comprehensive and robust FM and M&E system to properly track these funds and to ensure that they reach the intended beneficiaries in a timely manner. 51

67 Sub Component Construction of Teacher Training Schools The management of the sub-component was part of the agreement signed with AGETUR. Three ENI were built, respectively in Niamtougou in the Kara region, Sotouboua in the Central region and Adéta in the Plateaux region. Construction works of these three ENI began on April 29, 2013 and receptions were made on time. ENI Niamtougou was received in April 2014 while ENIs of Sotouboua and Adéta were received in May COMPONENT 3 - CAPACITY BUILDING AND INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING Capacity building for both the management and supervision of the construction program of rural schools for the implementation of the education sector plan (PSE) has been achieved satisfactorily. Sub-component Community management support. Actions were primarily directed towards the successful management of the school construction program focusing on strengthening the capacities of COGEP. Indeed, the PERI has developed five training modules for the effective management of local development by communities through the implementation of constructions to ensure sustainable access to school facilities: Module 1: the Organization and Community Dynamics and Communication (ODC/Com), which aims to strengthen the capacities of COGEP in the development of operational bodies and a system of communication that will promote local governance around the school project; Module 2: The Process of Community Procurement and Transparency (PMC/T) to allow the COGEPs to support school construction through the good management of simplified contract awarding procedures; Module 3: the Financial Management (GF) to help the COGEPs adopt appropriate and simplified rules and procedures for the management of funds made available to them; Module 4: the Participatory Monitoring/Evaluation (SEP) to allow COGEP in the process of appropriation of school construction sub-projects to develop indicators for execution of their projects; Module 5: The Upkeep and Maintenance of School Infrastructure (EM) to allow the COGEPs to take advantage of appropriate tools for the preparation and execution of upkeep and maintenance plans for school infrastructure. 52

68 Table: Overview of the achievements of rural construction program Activities Results Expected Results Achieved Strengthening capacity in the management and supervision of schools building A national training device for Management Training at the grass roots level is set up and operational A plan to build MEPS capacity and transfer UCP skills along with a precise timing is approved and implemented 5 Management Training at the grass roots level modules (FGB) accompanied with guides illustrated and finalised 267 COGEP trained in the Management Training at the grass roots level (all COGEP are trained on the 5 modules). Development of seven (07) skills transfer plans to counterparts (officials) of the project. Over 90% of powers transferred to counterparts Establishment of a sustainable system for the evaluation of educational achievement An operational national mechanism (structural and methodological framework) for learning assessment is set up A survey on learning assessment in primary school is conducted through the national framework Signature of an order establishing an institutional mechanism for Learning assessment at MEPS Execution (through the national system) of the collection of the two (02) phases of the assessment conducted with a sample of 200 schools including more than 3,000 students of CP2; 3000 students of CM1; 400 teachers; 200 school directors and 148 members of COGEP. Data collection and processing Training of the mechanism members in the use of the STATA software Preparation of the evaluation report Report validation by the end October 2014 Conduct of survey on service delivery indicators is performed by the national device Conduct of survey on tracking of public expenditure on education by the national mechanism 53

69 Establishment of a sustainable system for the regular assessment of the adequacy between trainings in technical and vocational education (ETFP), higher education on the one hand and labor market on the other hand Support for the development of credible implementation plans for the development of preschool education and literacy Support for the development of implementation plans for health, nutrition and the fight against HIV / AIDS programs in school Statistics and Information Management Support for the implementation of the STP A sustainable system for the regular assessment of the adequacy between trainings in technical and vocational education (ETFP), higher education on the one hand and labor market on the other hand is set up at the STP level and is operational Implementation plans of development programs for early childhood and Literacy are prepared in accordance with the PSE strategies An implementation plan for health, nutrition and the fight against HIV / AIDS programs in school in accordance with the key strategies of the PSE and approved by the MEPS Establishment of a new data base at the DPEE Support to sectoral coordination Setting up of regular evaluation devices A survey on professional followup conducted for technical and vocational education and higher education in Lomé educational region. Data collection and processing Interim report prepared and presented at the third national review on education sector Final report available Development of competence and training frameworks for preschool education Finalization of the training module of parental education Strengthening the capacities of the executives on curricula of Literacy and preschool and primary education Improvement of the curricula of Literacy and preschool and primary education Development of the National Literacy Strategy Workshop for the analysis of literacy curricula Recruitment of a consultant Implementation underway A new statistical data base for the sector is available at the DPEE (Stat_Educ). Recruitment of 3 consultants to support the STP (specialist in learning evaluation, specialist in education economy and 54

70 Other supports to the sector management (Adequacy training/employment and Learning evaluation of at the MEPS) Strengthening capacity for the sector executives achieved specialist of adequacy between training and employment) Financing the training of 12 sector executives on sectoral policies and the management of education systems (PSGSE) for the academic year and 04 executives for the academic year. Financing the training of two (02) executives of MEPS in the establishment of monitoring and evaluation systems and information systems Financial management: The status of disbursements and program performance indicators is satisfactory. Role/Leadership of the Cabinet of the Minister in the implementation of the program Three ministers have successively provided leadership for the project. They are Ms Legzim-Balouki, Mr. Esso Solitoki and Mr Florent MAGANAWE who have succeeded at the head of the department. In the performance of their duties, these ministers worked for the monitoring and orientation of the UCP to ensure the use of best practices in the implementation of the project. Although the project has seen the leadership of three different ministers the success of the project has not been disrupted. Ministers were particularly available when it came to use their authority to accelerate the execution of certain activities. Lessons learned In the context of development of school infrastructure, the community approach has produced satisfactory results. It has achieved good quality infrastructure at low cost. The savings made on this aspect and that have allowed the phase 3 31 show a comparative advantage over the traditional approach to school construction. Finally, the community approach also happens to be a way of preparing local actors to strong adhesion conducive to adult education. In fact, Management Training at the grass roots level helps community members to realize the need to be literate. 31 This phase 3 will cover 60 new sites and thus increase the number of classrooms to be built from 815 to 996. The implementation of this additional phase will provide an opportunity to test the community approach in some suburban areas. 55

71 The support for the establishment of the Permanent Technical Secretariat (STP) helped consolidate the sectoral vision of education among different actors. The operationalization of STP has greatly contributed to the success of the PSE review process. In the implementation of future construction projects, it is necessary to ensure the availability of sites before the start of activities. Also, the full report on the transfer of skills between international experts and national counterparts is an achievement for the Department in terms of skills to focus on. Furthermore, the information sharing through weekly meetings allowed a good collaboration among the members of the UCP and a regular monitoring of the implementation at regional level. Program impact in the implementation of national educational policy in Togo The national educational policy is aiming at, among others, universal primary education of quality. At the junior secondary school, it is as much as possible to increase school coverage consistent with logistical means available. In other levels of education including technical education and higher education, the focus is on providing training in line with the labor market. The project has helped to lift some constraints to achieving this goal. The construction of 995 classrooms has improved access and retention. Further strengthening community capacity allowed the COGEP to appropriate the implementation modalities of the new strategy of MEPS in school construction. From the point of view of quality, the distribution of textbooks to students, teaching guides for teachers and grants for reading panels for preparatory classes (CP) have helped to improve the learning environment. Construction of the three ENI has strengthened the teacher training system. The institutional learning evaluation device established at the MEPS is a management tool that will allow regular monitoring of the education system. Institutional strengthening has improved the capacity of staff in the education sector in their different areas of intervention. The strengthening of the PTS led to the completion of several studies and projects such as the professional follow-up survey, learning assessments, youth vocational training pilot project; the development of policy documents namely: sector diagnosis (main RESEN, additional chapters ETFP and ESR) and school health policy. ANALYSIS OF THE ACTION OF THE WORLD BANK, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Appreciation of the action of the World Bank and the other TFP during the execution of the project The actions of the World Bank and the other TFP were generally satisfactory during the execution of the PERI project. The bank was attentive to the various constraints and difficulties which could possibly have been affecting the Project. In this context, a permanent exchange is established with 56

72 the officials in charge of the program at the Bank's level to find appropriate solutions to the various questions asked. This enabled the goals of the Project. Since the preparation of the project until its implementation, the technical and financial partners of the education sector in Togo had a strong involvement across the partnership framework. In consultation with the leader of the PTF-SE (Technical and Financial Partners involved in the Education Sector), the government held regular coordination meetings in the framework of monitoring the implementation of the Education Sector Plan in which the PERI is inscribed. As part of the implementation of the project, the bank suggested the adoption of the Community approach that has contributed greatly to accelerate the construction process of school infrastructure in rural areas. This device allowed relief of funds procedures provision at the grass-root community level. Indeed this approach has helped decentralize the procurement system and the expenditure chain. The bank has also accepted that the savings, from the procurement process based on the lowest bidder particularly on classrooms construction, are allocated for the construction of additional classrooms. The Procurement Plan (PPM) adopted and updated quarterly facilitated the implementation of several activities that led to more visibility on other sub-sectors of the Togolese education system including Technical Education and Vocational Training and Higher Education and Research. At project start, the unavailability of harmonized standard plans significantly affected the project implementation delays. This situation prompted a request for extension of the implementation period of six (6) months accepted by the bank. In addition to the daily activities under the supervision of the coordination unit, the project experienced a dozen of the World Bank supervision missions (at least one mission every six months). In 2013, administratively, was held the mid-term review (from 11 to 22 March) helped to make a status report on the implementation of the project activities and to carry out an in-depth analysis of the forecasts in the light of the elapsed time and the remaining time. These mid-term evaluations have identified weaknesses and propose corrective measures. The bank has conducted specific supervision missions of school construction program. Appreciation of government action during the execution of the program Government approval for adopting the community approach has been critical to the success of the project. This approach has contributed to the mobilization and active participation of the grassroots in the implementation of the various components of the project leading to the exceeding of the targets regarding school construction. This mobilization was made possible thanks to the decision of COGEP creation taken by the government at the request of the Bank. The government did not hesitate to take action against all unscrupulous agents whose actions some time or another were about to endanger the trust established with the donors. This rigor of the government was continuing throughout the project. 57

73 A strong involvement of the highest authorities of the Ministry in monitoring the projects helped improve the quality of the works and reduce turnaround times. The fee exemption decision strengthened the resources available to the project. It has contributed to increasing the number of classrooms built which went from 815 to 999. The government has initiated joint audits of the financial departments of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Economy and Finance to ensure the proper management of school grants and draw lessons for future projects. Following the learning assessment and the first results from the investigation SDI (Service Delivery indicator), it emerged that the professional qualification (initial) and teacher continuing training affect the quality of learning. The government has therefore decided to reorient the training of volunteer teachers towards the subjects taught. The government effectively involved civil society in the partnership framework to ensure ownership of the project by the national community. Monitoring of the program at the level of the Ministries of Education involved The Togolese Government is committed to strengthen and support its education system, favoring a consolidated approach for its various sub-sectors. The work done by the various Ministries of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Cooperation, Development and Spatial Planning and the other partners, allowed to develop the sector policy letter adopted by the cabinet on June 29, 2009 and to formulate an Education Sector Plan (PSE) tenable for The PSE control device includes at central level, the Sectoral Steering Committee (CSP), the Permanent Technical Secretariat (STP), departmental coordinating and monitoring committees (CMCS); at the decentralized level, regional coordinating and monitoring committees (CRCS), local education committees (CLE), the management committees (CG) of schools. The regular holding of the sectoral committee sessions have encouraged involvement of all educational stakeholders in monitoring the PERI. In addition to the sectoral committee sessions, the holding of various joint reviews of the education sector have been the project evaluation times. This framework should be strengthened to facilitate regular participation of all stakeholders in education. Indeed the momentum triggered by the PERI across the sector prompted the need to involve other donors into the achievement of the PSE objectives. Assessing the effectiveness and quality of relations between the government and the World Bank during project implementation For the implementation of the PSE, the Togolese Government has sought technical and financial assistance from its partners. Technical and financial partners involved in the education sector (PTF- SE) consist of multilateral donors and bilateral partners and the United Nations agencies. The Local Group of EFA partners mainly comprises UNICEF (the leader), the World Bank (supervisory entity 58

74 funding GPE), Islamic Development Bank, AFD, UNESCO, WFP, GIZ, Plan Togo, Aide et Action, Terre des Hommes, Bornefonden and Handicap International. Supervising entity of GPE funding, the World Bank is involved in this partnership framework. It is in this context that the PERI was prepared and executed. The good quality of relations between the World Bank and the Togolese government generally and the authorities in charge of sector particularly contributed strongly to create an enabling environment for the successful implementation of the project. Thus the authorities of the education sector have spared no effort to support the Bank's various missions and ensure the implementation of the various recommendations. Evaluating the performance of different institutions, consulting firms and consultants who participated in the execution (cost and profit) In general terms, the various actors involved in the project have properly fulfilled their missions. As for school construction, the objectives have been achieved overall in both urban and rural areas. The community approach has been more cost effective; the difference in unit construction cost of a classroom between this approach and the construction through the delegated project management is about 5 million. Although the building plan implemented in urban areas present a more expensive architecture (presence of a slab instead of a roof like in rural areas), this difference does not in itself explain most of this difference. In urban areas where implementation has been the approach of delegated project management, however, it should be noted the slow start of the work mentioned in several memoirs by the project supervision missions and the PME program assessment missions. Moreover urban construction activities were the subject of regular exhortations regarding monitoring the work. The skills transfer device has generally performed satisfactorily despite some imperfections related in particular to the lack of resources dedicated to counterparts compensation. However these shortcomings have not dented the commitment of several counterparts who have assumed the specialist function after the departure of the incumbents. The institutional learning assessment device also reached a satisfactory level. The National Evaluation Unit is functional and made three surveys including two learning assessments (SDI / PASEC). The Unit also benefited from several capacity building workshops for its members in the field of survey and the processing and analysis of survey data. The monitoring of the training and employment system has been set up, which enabled a follow-up survey on graduates, strengthen the capacity of ministries officials in charge of sampling education, development of data input masks and analysis of the labor market. This device has also conducted training and insertion of 80 young people in four promising businesses namely laundry, market gardening, butchery and fish processing. 59

75 Annex 8. Comments of Cofinanciers and Other Partners/Stakeholders Not Applicable. 60

76 Annex 9. List of Supporting Documents Aide-Memoires CF Program Document on a Proposed Grant from the EFA-FTI CF in the amount of US$45 million to the Republic of Togo for an Education and Institutional Strengthening Project (PERI). September 16, EFA FTI CF Grant Agreement (PERI) between the Republic of Togo and IDA. October 29, First Amendment to the Grant Agreement. June 24, Final Mission report. Implementations status of GMT Training and Institutional capacity building of COGEPS. MEPSA. March Implementation Status Reports (ISRs) Manuel simplifie de gestion des subventions aux ecoles prescolaires et primaires publiques du Togo. MEPSA. Version Provisoire. June Project Appraisal Document on a Proposed Grant from the GPE in the amount of US$27.8 million to the Republic of Togo for an Education and Institutional Strengthening Project (PERI 2). February Politique Nationale du Developpement de la Petite Enfance. Government of Togo and UNICEF. November Rapport de mise en œuvre. Gestion et coordination «fevrier 2011-October 2014»du Projet Education et Renforcement Institutionnel (PERI). October 31, Restructuring Paper on a Proposed Project Restructuring of an EFA-FTI Project CF Grant to the Republic of Togo. April 10, Technical Notes

77 Annex 10. Indicators under the Project PDO-Level Indicators for Component 1 (Access and Retention) Original (2010) Restructuring (April 2014) Project closing (October 2014) Indicator Original Baseline (2009/2010) Original targets Achievement as of 2014 restructuring Indicator Change Revised target for October 2014 closing date Achievement Comments 2010/ / / 2013 Primary Completion Rate (%) % (2013) Target exceeded. End target was modified under the 2014 restructuring to take into account revised population data. Primary Completion Rate (%), girls [indicated added under restructuring] 72.1 (2013) Added Target exceeded. 62

78 Direct Project Beneficiaries (and % Female) Primary Retention rate [indicated added under restructuring] (45%) (2013) 57.1 (2011) Added ,200 (48.4%) 66 (66.1% girls and 70% among boys) This indicator refers to students enrolled in schools constructed/extended, cumulative. The number is much larger if the individuals benefitting from school grants and/or textbooks are included. The targeted percentage of females was not specified in the PAD. Target exceeded. Schools constructed by the school-based communities according to the standardized school construction guidelines under the project (percentage) [indicated added under restructuring] 70% Added % This includes procurement procedures at the COGEP level and the quality of construction. During the preparation of the last IFR, out of 792 classrooms under construction, 792 were completed and signed off. 63

79 Intermediate-Level Indicators for Component 1 (Access and Retention) Original (2010) Restructuring (April 2014) Project closing (October 2014) Indicator Original Baseline (2009/2010) Original targets Achievement as of 2014 restructuring Indicator Change Revised target for October 2014 closing date Achievement Comments 2010/ / / 2013 Additional classrooms resulting from project intervention, % compared to planned numbers (Number of additional classrooms built or rehabilitated at the primary level as a result of project intervention) % of Resources managed by CMA and communities according to agreed procedures 80% of % 80% of % 80% of 367 (or 652) 80% 273 (39 urban and 234 rural) 100% End-target increased End-target modified % Target exceeded. Restructuring paper indicates that end-of-project target was 80% of 815 = 652; this is not mentioned however in the PAD Target achieved. Resources just transferred to CMA and communities in 2012 School building program overall satisfaction of actors and beneficiaries Evaluation instrument approved 70% 70% Survey not yet completed; it was postponed given delay in overall school building program 92% Target exceeded. 64

80 PDO-Level Indicators for Component 2 (Inputs for Quality) Original (2010) Restructuring (April 2014) Project closing (October 2014) Indicator Original Baseline (2009/2010) Original targets Achievement as of 2014 restructuring Indicator Change Revised target for October 2014 closing date Achievement Comments 2010/ / / 2013 Ratio Mathematics textbooks: students in primary 1:2.1 1:2.1 1:1.7 1: :1 (2013) No change 1:1 Target exceeded, although challenges observed in the delivery of textbooks. Ratio Reading textbooks: students in primary 1:2 1:2 1:1.7 1: :1 (2013) No change 1.2:1 Target exceeded, although challenges observed in the delivery of textbooks. 65

81 Intermediate-Level Indicators for Component 2 (Inputs for Quality) Original (2010) Restructuring (April 2014) Project closing (October 2014) Indicator Original Baseline (2009/2010) Original targets Achievement as of 2014 restructuring Indicator Change Revised target for October 2014 closing date Achievement Comments 2010/ / / 2013 Actual number of textbooks purchased and delivered to primary school, % compared to planned number Completion of new textbooks in math and reading Actual number of schools with grant delivered compared to the planned number 0 85% of 1.6 million 75% Draft 75% Final 75% 2.9 million textbooks vs. 1.6 million planned New curricula rewritten according to competency-based approach New textbooks in math and reading for the first grade of primary schools is ready to be introduced on a pilot basis Percentage of schools benefitting from school grants 181% Draft version of new textbooks in math and reading are available for the first grade of primary school 83% 181% Textbooks in math and reading have been finzlied; pilot is ongoing Undetermined Target exceeded. Target exceeded. It was not possible to complete the textbooks for primary grades because the implementation of new curricula was expected to be progressive. Note in restructuring paper based on lessons learnt from other countries the development of competencybased curricula and new textbooks has been limited to the first grade and will be implemented on a pilot basis in the 2014/2015 school year Level of achievement on this indicator cannot be determined given the challenges faced with delivery of school grants under the Project. Approximately US$700,000 which represents 12 percent of the total allocation for this activity, remained unspent. 66

82 Number of regional teacher training institutes built and equipped Target achieved PDO Level Indicators for Component 3 (Institutional Strengthening) Original (2010) Restructuring (April 2014) Project closing (October 2014) Indicator Original Baseline (2009/2010) Original targets Achievement as of 2014 restructuring Indicator Change Revised target for October 2014 closing date Achievement Comments 2010/ / / 2013 Time-bound capacity-building plan Plan approv ed 75% 75% 55% Indicator became intermediatelevel 90% Target achieved. Indicator became intermediate-level under Restructuring 67

83 Intermediate-Level Indicators for Component 3 (Institutional Strengthening) Original (2010) Restructuring (April 2014) Project closing (October 2014) Indicator Original Baseline (2009/2010) Original targets Achievement as of 2014 restructuring Indicator Change Revised target for October 2014 closing date Achievement Comments 2010/ / /2 013 Number of financing agreements signed between inspectorates and communities compared to planned number Number of communities have GMT training compared to planned number 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% As of the restructuring, of the 204 communities, 8 received all 5 modules, 124 have received 4 modules and 72 have received training in 3 modules (65%) End-target was increased Percentage of communities that have been trained on at least 4 out of the 5 modules % communities (100%) Target achieved. Only end target was increased under 2014 restructuring Target achieved. 68

84 Primary school teachers deployment consistency index (R2 of the number of teachers and students calculated on the basis of all public/edil schools) System for student learning assessment (0-4 scale) National survey has been completed 0.73 Yes: 3 Target exceeded. At the restructuring, the data for was presented (the most recent available at that time). Target achieved. Completion of ECD implementation plan Completion of Literacy Implementation Plan Completion of credible school health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS implementation plan Draft Draft Draft Final Final Final Implementation started Draft preschool policy note prepared Draft plan under finalization Preparatio n of plan underway Draft plan available and validated by Govt Final version of plan completed Final version of plan completed Target achieved. Target achieved. Target achieved. Time bound capacity building plan : % of activities completed Add as intermediate level (same target as mentioned above: 75%) 90% Target exceeded. A list of critical milestones was set up in the skills transfer plan. At the end of project, the government counterparts and experts reached an agreement on the percentage of skills transfer which had occurred. This percentage is an average for all the experts. 32 Likert scale from 0 to 4 as described in the PAD, p

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