Middle East and North Africa Multi Donor Trust Fund ...pubdocs.worldbank.org/pubdocs/publicdoc/2015/8/... · Multi-Donor Trust Fund: Fourth Program Council Meeting Tunis, June 11,

Middle East and North Africa Multi-Donor Trust Fund:

Fourth Program Council Meeting Tunis, June 11, 2014

Materials for Meeting (not including presentations)

Table of Contents

1. Agenda for Program Council Meeting

2. List of PCM Participants

3. Summary Portfolio Table

4. Overview of Activity Objectives and Results Achieved to date

5. Two-Page Activity Summaries (for those Activities approved since last PCM)

6. Donor-approved Results Framework for MENA MDTF

7. MENA MDTF Budget Information

Annex:

Minutes from PCM in Rabat, June 2013

Appendix:

Operating Principles, June, 2014

Detailed Outputs Table

AGENDA: MENA MDTF Fourth Program Council Meeting Wednesday, 11 June, 2013, World Bank Office, Tunis

8 – 8:30 Welcome and introductions, with light breakfast Lead: Gerard Byam, Director

Strategy and Operations, MNA, World Bank

8:30 – 9 Bus ride to site visit

9 – 10:30 Off-Site visit: Enhancing Microfinance Amongst Women and Youth in MENA

Overview of MDTF-supported recipient-executed activity

Brief observation of training-in-progress

Lead: Dr. Soukeina Bouraoui, Director, and Slim Hedhli, Project Manager, Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR)

10:30 -11 Bus ride back to World Bank

11-12:45 On-Site visit: Communications for Policy Reform in Tunisia

Overview of MDTF-supported recipient-executed activity

Participation in a “live” Global Productions-moderated discussion (with thought leaders, civil society representatives, media, etc)

Lead: Youssef Gaigi, Co-founder/ Operations Manager of Global Productions, and Antonio Nucifora, Lead Economist, World Bank

13-14h Lunch

14:15-16:45 Activity presentations and discussion/Q&A Gender Learning and Operational Initiative

(Yemen, Morocco)

Sharing Know-how and How-to in Subsidy Reform Implementation (Egypt, regional)

Knowledge and Learning for Social Safety Nets and Active Labor Markets Programs (regional)

Promoting Social Entrepreneurship (Morocco, Jordan)

Yemen Decentralization and Local Governance Initiative (TBC)

Coffee /Tea provided

Chair: Gerard Byam Task team leaders (World Bank): Nina Bhatt, Lead Social

Development Specialist

Diego Angel Urdinola, Senior Economist

Gustavo Demarco, Lead Economist

Bala Parameswaran, Lead Social Development Specialist (TBC)

17h – 18:30 MENA MDTF Administrative Business Portfolio performance

Future Calls for Proposals

Budget, future funding, duration

Any other business

Program Council members, led by Gerard Byam

18:30 Conclusions/Next Steps Lead: Gerard Byam

20h Dinner at Dar El Jeld (bus departs 19.15)

LIST OF PROGRAM COUNCIL ATTENDEES DENMARK

Mr. Jørgen G. Jensen Senior Advisor, MENA Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

[email protected] FINLAND

Ms. Tiina Kajakoski Desk Officer Ministry of Foreign Affairs [email protected] Mr. Antti Loikas Adviser Ministry of Foreign Affairs [email protected] Ms. Emilia Autio Counsellor Finnish Embassy, Tunis NORWAY

Ms. Trine Rønning Mathisen Senior Adviser Section for Middle East and North Africa Ministry of Foreign Affairs [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOM

Mr. Martin Leach Deputy Head – MENA Department DFID [email protected] Mr. Kevin Lau Economic Advisor DFID [email protected] Mr. Patrick Merienne Development Representative British Embassy – Morocco [email protected] WORLD BANK

Mr. Gerard Byam Director, Strategy and Operations – MNA [email protected]

Ms. Yogita Mumssen Program Manager – MENA MDTF [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]









Portfolio Summary Table (as of 2 June, 2014) and

Summary of Activity Objectives and Results

1. Supporting Economic Governance Transition in Morocco and Tunisia

Objectives: The Economic Governance Programs being undertaken in Morocco and Tunisia aim to

support reforms in the respective countries by reinforcing new opportunities that have arisen in the

context of the Arab Spring. The MDTF has provided $480,000 of strategic technical assistance to help

support and inform processes in both countries and facilitate knowledge-sharing from other countries.

For example, over 150 people have been trained through MDTF funded activities, a quarter of which

were women. The activity is complemented by technical and financial resources from other partners,

including the European Union and recipient-executed resources from the MENA Transition Fund.

Progress to date: In Tunisia, policy advice and comments have been provided to the PM's office to

upgrade the access-to-information decree-law into a full-fledged organic law, including an enforcement

mechanism. The draft law has been subject to broad consultations and is ready for adoption. Three

training-of-trainers session have been provided, including the central government, state-owned

enterprises and local governments. Also, an Open Budget Platform is being developed. A BETA version

was shared with the Ministry of Finance, and based on their comments and identified data gaps, the

platform is being further developed. The Ministry has also produced a Citizen Budget to make financial

information more accessible to the broader population. An MDTF-supported 500-person national

conference on the access to information took place in June 2013, which was opened by the Head of

Government, presidents of both chambers of parliament, and the UK ambassador. This was followed by

a tailored seminar on fiscal transparency. Tunisia joined the Open Government Partnership in 2014.

In Morocco, a detailed assessment on Morocco’s draft access-to-information law has been shared with

authorities. The Bank concluded a number of high quality dialogue and knowledge sharing events, such

as a national conference on access to information held in June 2013, with the Head of Government,

Head of Parliament and 500 participants. The law is pending transmission to parliament. With the help

of the MDTF, the Bank also provided technical assistance to implement a new budgeting approach to a

first wave of four ministries in 2014 (Finance, Education, Agriculture and Water & Forestry). Thanks to

additional/supplemental funding provided by the MDTF given demand from the client and the activity’s

strong track record, the team has been able to support a second wave of four ministries to restructure

their budgets and prepare their performance plans for the 2015 budget (ongoing): Ministry of

Vocational Training, Justice, Foreign Affairs and Health. A revised organic budget law has been prepared

and submitted to parliament for adoption.

2. Knowledge & Learning for SSNs and ALMPs in MENA

Objectives: Providing social safety nets (SSN) to the poor and vulnerable during times of crisis as well as

protecting individuals who are unemployed or hold informal/poor quality jobs through active labor

market programs (ALMPs) are both critical policy actions that governments are striving to implement. A

promising channel to address some of the challenges is through the sharing of lessons and experiences

from other countries. The MENA MDTF provided $442,000 in technical assistance support to: pilot two

communities of practitioners (COPs), one in the Maghreb (Morocco and Tunisia) that focuses on ALMPs,

and one in Jordan, Iraq, Yemen and the Palestinian Territories that focuses on SSNs; disseminate

knowledge in order to share practices and lessons learned for COP members and other interested

audiences; generate knowledge and documentation; and, manage and support the COPs to facilitate

initial activities. The MDTF-funded activity is coordinated closely with others.

Progress to date:

A launch workshop for the MENA CoP on Employment and Social Safety Nets took place in

January, 2013 in Istanbul. The event was attended by 18 Director Generals of employment and

social protection agencies from seven participating MENA countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon,

Jordan, Iraq, Palestinian Territories, and Yemen).

To-date, more than 250 different government officials (of which 30% were women) from over

33 different government agencies and institutions in the region have benefited from knowledge

activities conducted by the community, including: a launching workshop, six virtual workshops,

two study tours (one of employment and one on SSNs), and two regional training courses (one

on employment and one on SSNs).

Practitioners have been exposed to several learning and knowledge sharing tools, such as to

blogs, bi-weekly news letters (the community’s feature of the month), and several

knowledge/how-to bulletins.

The team is working to find funding solutions that will enhance the COP’s sustainability. Given

the demand demonstrated and the results so far, there is confidence the platform will be self-

sustaining, as has been the case in other regions.

3. Yemen Decentralization and Local Governance Initiative

Objectives: The Yemen Decentralization and Local Governance Initiative has aimed to help create

efficient and transparent intergovernmental structures and strengthen local service delivery

mechanisms. Specifically, this MENA MDTF-funded activity focused on policy and analytical support

through high caliber experts to assist the government in view of the National Dialogue; capacity building

for key government and civil society counterparts in decentralization; targeted institution-building

support to central entities; raising awareness among key stakeholders on decentralization and local

governance; and, program monitoring by a joint Bank-Government team including third parties, i.e. local

think tanks, NGOs. The MDTF provided $432,000, which was complemented by a Government-executed

initiative for strengthening local governance institutions and systems in two provinces, and the ongoing

Bank-funded Labor-intensive Public Works Project, which provides infrastructure for access to basic

public services whilst creating short-term employment.

Progress to date:

Organized a high profile event under the auspices of the Prime Minister two-days before the

start of the National Dialogue process (March 2013) bringing together some of the most

authoritative experts and practitioners from around the world (including South Africa, India,

Bangladesh and US) to highlight some of the general issues relating to federalism,

decentralization and resource sharing. This event was extremely well received by the

participants setting the tone for Bank’s support during the rest of the National Dialogue.

Throughout the process several working groups within the National Dialogue repeatedly

requested similar expertise from the Bank to inform their discussions.

Established an innovative media campaign ‘Sahemye (Contribute) initiative’ with a dedicated

Facebook page, website and a series of newsletters on issues of decentralization local

governance. This initiative aimed to reach beyond the delegates of the National Dialogue

Conference to engage a broader segment of the public. The Sahem Facebook page has already

attracted over 10,000 followers and the workshops, roundtables, and media events have seen

active and enthusiastic participation by members of the public from a cross-section of Yemeni

society.

Sustained TA support to three working groups (in particular, working groups on State Structure,

Governance and Sustainable Development) throughout the National Dialogue process in the

form of expert speakers, policy notes and presentations.

The first South-South exchanges - planned for March/April 2013 - were cancelled due to

government request. The funds were used for other urgent activities including additional TA

and media outreach. As part of extra activities, a major communications effort was launched.

Funds from the additional financing were used for a South-South exchange tour to India for 8

high-level Yemeni public personalities to gain insights on federalism issues.

A MENA MDTF Results Story has been developed by the team and is available on request and on

the MENA MDTF webpage.

4. MENA Early Stage Innovation Technical Assistance

Objectives: Youth unemployment in MENA is reaching 25%, and in many MENA countries,

unemployment rates among young women are now close to 50%. Studies show that young and growing

businesses generate 50% to 80% of new jobs. Innovative, growth-oriented start-ups play a critical role in

job creation. MENA has a strong entrepreneurial and investment culture, and sizable pockets of high net

worth individuals who could serve as angel investors. Nevertheless, there is a gap in building a pipeline

of growth-oriented entrepreneurs - especially women. Therefore, the MDTF provided $175,000 to

support the development of the Early Stage Innovation Facility (ESIF), being spearheaded by infoDev, a

trust-funded global innovation and entrepreneurship program in the World Bank Group (which is

supported by each of the MDTF donors). Based on early discussions, it is anticipated that ESIF-MENA will

consist of a (largely donor-funded) $50 million investment fund and a $20 million TA component.

Progress to date:

Stakeholder workshops were led by infoDev in June 2013 to propose specific TA activities

addressing challenges to SME growth (specifically high-growth early stage ventures). With the

help of the MDTF, a draft TA facility design and governance framework was developed. infoDev

has finalized TA activities for Tunisia, Morocco, and Jordan (February-April 2014).

A methodology for identifying gaps in access (financial literacy, market, business development

support, etc.) was designed.

2 workshops in Tunisia and Morocco (April/May 2014) and 2 focus group discussions in Jordan

and Egypt (May 2014) were held to identify specific challenges facing these entrepreneurs in

financing, TA, training and others..

Initial due diligence on the Goldman Sachs 10K women initiative (currently partnered with IFC)

has been undertaken in order to design an all-women entrepreneurship program which would

identify, train, mentor, finance, market and promote female entrepreneurs focused on high-

growth early stage firms.

5. Gender Learning and Operational Initiative – Yemen and Morocco

Objectives: The Arab Spring has opened up new opportunities for women – but also risks. As new legal

and institutional platforms are created, there is a need for timely action-oriented assistance to support

stakeholders on gender issues. The rules – including new constitutions – that will be created will have

significant consequences for women and gender relations. In Yemen, this MDTF activity has supported

the authorities’ goals of integrating gender during the transition leading up to the National Dialogue. In

Morocco, the grant has helped ensure increased inclusion of women in the National Human

Development Initiative (INDH2) so that women can play a larger role in community and provincial

decision making processes, have access to sub-project benefits, and increase their income generating

activities. Altogether, this activity has received $360,000 from the MENA MDTF.

Progress to date:

As part of its strategic response to the Arab Spring, the World Bank convened a one day global

meeting on May 6, 2013 on the National Dialogue, constitution-making, state-building and

gender in Yemen. The event provided a platform that brought together high-level delegates and

practitioners from Yemen, Afghanistan, Libya, and South Africa to share experiences and lessons

learned on how to promote inclusion in the context of transition and reform.

The World Bank partnered with Soul for Development, a local CSO in Yemen (led by women) to

conduct consultations in remote and rural areas of Al Jowf and Ma'arb in order to help raise the

voices of the marginalized during the National Dialogue. The consultations were carried out by

local NGO leaders and youth who were trained during the process. Men and women were

interviewed through a combination of one-on-one interviews and focus groups.

A sample survey, a toolkit on integrating gender in INDH projects, and a feasibility analysis for a

Technical Assistance Facility to improve and increase women’s income generation activities all

were cancelled due to shift in client demand. The money for those activities was allocated for

the Morocco - Indonesia South to South Exchange. A dissemination of the MDTF activities in the

West Bank & Gaza CMU is now being planned as part of the reallocation of funding.

There were a number of additional activities implemented at the request of clients, including a

Faith-Based Leadership Diploma Program for Women focusing on advocacy/lobbying and other

dimensions of leadership skills, training thirty-six female participants from a variety of political

parties, government and civil sectors. As part of this, participants carried out community

activities requiring them to reach out to other citizens and present the training program. This

provided a bottom-up, grassroots approach to project outreach and dissemination while

building local skills in the area of communications. Additionally, a series of Quick Notes (Arabic

and English) and other forms of communication media are being deployed for awareness raising

and related activities.

A MENA MDTF Results Story has been developed by the team and will be available on request

and on the MENA MDTF webpage.

6. Connecting Voices of MENA

Objectives: The social, political and economic upheaval that has taken place in MENA presents a unique

window of opportunity to engage differently with countries in the region. Connecting Voices in MENA

(CV MENA) launched a process that took MENA financial management professionals on a journey to

build their capacity, stay connected, learn from one another, and more importantly, provide the tools

and solutions to implement reforms. This activity received $282,000 from the MENA MDTF.

Progress to date: CV MENA has promoted intra-regional cooperation and stimulated interest in

improving corporate financial reporting, government accounting, and built capacity of supreme audit

institutions through a major annual knowledge-sharing platform (‘The Exchange’). CV MENA has also

helped establish a community of practice (‘Ma’arefah’) as a forum for ongoing dialogue and as a

platform for peer-to-peer and expert knowledge exchange, created ‘The Solutions Lab’ which is a

quarterly dialogue series, and provided intensive training on International Financial Reporting Standards

for SMEs -- in Arabic for the first time ever as well as on International Public Sector Accounting

Standards in partnership with the International Federation of Accountants. Over 280 people (of which

19% women), have been trained, and 105 business representatives have been provided with support

directly through MENA MDTF.

Specific activities included: a survey where 70 CSOs and media where surveyed about their knowledge

of and work with supreme audit institutions; roundtable discussions with CSOs, media representatives

and university academics to give them voice with supply-side actors; a solutions paper to guide regional

collaboration between accounting institutions, CSOs and media; and the launch of the Connecting

Voices of MENA webpage, with the potential to reach large numbers of users. By May 2014 there will be

8 Maarefah-based events. In addition, MDTF seed funding was able to leverage support from other

sources, which financed several “boot camps” for training, surveys, and Exchange Conferences.

7. MNA Life in Transition Survey

Objectives: In the context of the Arab spring and its aftermath, concerns about inequality have been

expressed in popular debate. But when measured, the region as a whole does not display high income

and consumption inequality. This disconnect suggests that the disquietude expressed may stem rather

from the lack of fair and equal access to opportunities. The Life in Transition Survey (LITS), a product of

the EBRD in the former Soviet Union which is now being extended into the MENA region, aims to

quantify gaps in employment opportunity through measures that would facilitate better understanding

and monitoring of factors leading to such inequality in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. This activity

has received $220,000 from the MENA MDTF and is carried out in coordination with the European Bank

for Reconstruction and Development.

Progress to date: A pre-pilot has been conducted in urban and rural areas of Morocco in April 2013 with

EBRD. A pre-test of the questionnaire was also conducted in Egypt in April 2013. This has allowed

highlighting how illiteracy, in particular among women, affects the formulation of questions and survey

implementation. The survey questionnaire and instructions were modified to reflect this. The project is

in the process of receiving final permissions to undertake the final survey.

8. Sharing Know-How and How To in Subsidy Reform Implementation in MENA

Objectives: Subsidies, particularly for fuel, represent a substantial fiscal drain on the economies of

several countries in MENA. Countries in the region have recognized the costliness and inefficiency of

their subsidy systems and are currently considering reform options. These reforms however pose

formidable social and political challenges. Through this MENA MDTF-funded activity, the Bank is

supporting reform efforts by providing strategic advisory services and facilitating knowledge sharing.

The key elements of this activity include creating a platform for several MENA countries to learn from

each other, as well as South-South exchange with countries outside the region that have seen through

successful subsidy reforms. This activity has received $350,000 from the MENA MDTF.

Progress to date: After lengthy initial delays in mid-2013, the activity is underway. Completed activities

so far include: a technical brief on the set-up of a Unified Registry in Egypt and a Workshop entitled "A

Unified Database in Service of Egyptian Families" (January 2014 with attendance of 5 ministers and 60

government officials); a Virtual Convening on "Developing more Efficient Social Assistance Systems to

Mitigate the Impact of Fuel Price Increases"; an expert mission to Cairo in October 2013 on Social Safety

Net reform to improve targeting as part of subsidy reform; and, one- week bilateral meetings and

learning sessions for the new Minister of Social Solidarity in March 2014 including sessions on the use of

SSN to mitigate effects of subsidy reform. About 83 people have been trained directly through MDTF so

far, of which 30% were women.

9. Enhancing Governance through Public Procurement Reform in Yemen

Objectives: Amidst Yemen’s current volatile and fluid landscape, the transition government is taking

steps to stabilize the country. Through the Mutual Accountability Framework has committed to

improving the delivery of public services in a transparent and accountable manner to help unlock the

billions of dollars in aid pledged by the donor community. Whilst efficient and transparent public

procurement is critical to reinstituting government credibility, capacity constraints remain a significant

challenge. This recipient-executed MDTF activity which received $332,640 from the MENA MDTF aims to

improve Yemen’s national procurement practices by enforcing the use of the new standard bidding

documents and the obligation of all public sector entities to advertise bidding opportunities and bid

evaluation results in order to enhance better management of public recourses; achieve greater

government accountability; increase private sector participation in bidding opportunities; and promote

civil society’s role in ‘social auditing’ during the bidding processes, and at contract execution.

Progress to date: There were major delays as the High Tendering Board only recently received the grant

funds in their account, as opening a new account and transferring in funds is a very difficult and lengthy

process in Yemen. In addition, the technical committee in the HTB was reshuffled and the PIU Manager

and the Financial Management Officer were replaced by staff unfamiliar with the processes. But activity

preparation has now started. The main contract, 85% of the grant amount financed under the MDTF to

build the capacity of the supervisory engineers of Ministry of Public Works and COCA auditors, was

signed in Feb 2014. The consultant is preparing the training materials and the training program is

expected to start in June and be completed by October, 2014.

10. Enhancing Microfinance amongst Women and Youth in MENA

Objectives: Microfinance is one critical element to help low-income households manage consumption,

alleviate risks, invest productively, and respond to financial shocks. Financial inclusion remains

particularly low for women and youth: only 1% of youth and 13% of women have an account at a formal

financial institution (versus 23% of men, which is also low). This MENA MDTF recipient-executed activity

which received $708,000 is focusing on improving the financial literacy of youth and women. Although

the core focus is in Tunisia, select financial literacy activities are also being piloted elsewhere.

Progress to date: A Financial Literacy Program, which has been implemented by an NGO, the Center of

Arab Woman for Training and Research (CAWTAR), has potential for significant scale up across the

region. Further, the activity has seen the development of CAWTAR as a support institution promoting

financial inclusion in Tunisia through financial literacy trainings. Technical Assistance has also been

provided to micro-finance institutions through the development of a network of financial literacy

trainers which provide important capacity building to microfinance and other financial institutions

within the MENA region. It is envisioned a financial literacy community of practice will be setup during

the September 2014 workshop which will provide a formal structure for the delivery of future financial

literacy TA activities. So far, 461 people have been trained, of which 70% were women. It is expected

the project will meet all output targets in the results framework with regards to financial literacy

training.

11. Communication for Policy Reforms in Tunisia

Objectives: Post-revolution Tunisia presents a historic window of opportunity to enact policy reforms –

most of which touch upon sensitive socioeconomic aspects of life. Communicating the issues

surrounding the reform themes more effectively will fill a critical gap in building awareness and

consensus. Through a series of innovative and appropriate communication tools, this recipient-executed

activity which received $733,000 from the MENA MDTF aims to foster greater awareness and

understanding of key structural challenges facing the Tunisian economy and their importance to broader

development goals. The activity aims to actively engaging Tunisian citizens in dialogue and debate on

key issues, building consensus around the best ways to enact change and reform. The activity also ao,s

to help make complex economic topics accessible to a broad audience through compelling, informative

content disseminated across multiple platforms.

Progress to date: There have been several delays in finalizing arrangements for the project and getting

started, but it is now under way. The recipient has hired the production company. A marketing firm has

been hired and is in the final stages of designing the visual identity, and has produced a draft marketing

strategy and marketing plan. An Advisory Council of representatives from an array of stakeholders have

accepted to participate. Production of the first pilot TV show has started, and will be ready in June.

12. Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in MENA

Objectives: “Social entrepreneurship” is a new breed of entrepreneurship that promotes the creation of

high quality and high-productivity jobs aimed at solving social problems, responding to market failures

with transformative and financially sustainable innovations. The agenda is also about improving social

service delivery to the poor in areas such as health, education, employment services and social

protection. This activity has received $350.000 from the MENA MDTF, and aims to promote the social

entrepreneurship agenda in the region, specifically in Morocco and Jordan. The activity will focus on:

raising awareness about social entrepreneurship among relevant actors; identifying and coaching

potential social entrepreneurs in Morocco and linking the best ideas to potential private investors; and

introducing counterparts to international best practices for social entrepreneurship promotion.

Progress to date: The activity began in November, 2013, with a learning visit to Jordan mainly by from

Morocco, in order to learn about regional best practices for the promotion of social enterprise. This was

followed by another learning visit to the UK to learn about international best practices for the

promotion of social enterprise (regulation, access to finance, and training/incubation), conducted in

February, 2014, in collaboration with the British Council. Following this, the First Social Enterprise Forum

was held in Casablanca in March, co- hosted by the British Council and the World Bank. The

beneficiaries of all three events included government officials, NGOs, and potential entrepreneurs. An

analytical blog as well as a media campaign, both to promote awareness about social entrepreneurship

in Morocco, are well underway.

13. Service Delivery and Government Reform in Egypt

Objectives: Political economy literature and evidence from around the world indicate that the space for

meaningful institutional and policy change is largest during the first 12 to 18 months after a major

political shift. To take advantage of such windows of opportunity while they are still open, this activity

which received $285,000 from the MDTF seeks to support reform-minded champions in the Egyptian

government, in particular as they relate to service delivery.

Progress to date: The activity was meant to provide technical assistance for the first stages of

implementation of an Access to Information (ATI) law. The law was not adopted, so the activity was

amended to build civil society, private sector and media awareness and capacity to advocate for an ATI

law in line with international practice. Completed outputs include: an international conference on media

role in and benefits from ATI; the creation of a Steering Committee (the Egyptian Initiative for the Right

To Information) of High Level public figures to promote ATI with private sector and civil society to “make

the case” to government for a good ATI law; the production of a Policy Note of Minimum Standards for

an ATI law; a note comparing existing ATI draft laws; and, a policy Note on ATI uses and benefits for

private sector. In addition, several policy notes for the creation of public service charters for select

administrative and health services have been drafted. Rapid Results Initiatives, a management

technique that introduces highly choreographed 100-day projects to development programs, have been

launched, both in health care and administration services. 174 people have been trained so far, of which

68% were women.

14. Governance and Accountability in Moroccan HMIS

Objectives: Inspired by the new constitution and under support from the King, Morocco held a National

Conference on Health in July 2013, where there was broad recognition that the health management

information system (“HMIS”) is vital to the success of improving quality of and access to health services.

At present, national statistics are published with a 2-year delay, so reliable and complete data are not

regularly available to policy makers and there is no feedback to facilities or citizens. This leads to lack of

transparency in the sector, with little recourse for citizens to address – and government to fully

recognize— issues of access, quality, and system responsiveness. The World Bank is a partner to the

Ministry of Health as it embarks on a set of ambitious reforms and is developing a “Performance for

Results (P4R)” lending operation to address the cross-cutting-issue of HMIS. The objective of the

proposed program is to foster good governance and accountability of the Moroccan health system

through the development of a nationally integrated, transparent and accessible HMIS with the ultimate

aim of improving quality of and access to health services in Morocco, particularly for women, the poor

and rural populations. The activity has received $365,000 from the MENA MDTF.

Progress to date: Most of the activities are still in the planning stage. So far, the MENA MDTF has

supported the development of a 10-year HMIS staging plan, which has also been budgeted. A

consensus-building consultation to define next steps in HMIS reform has been held and a second one is

planned for September 2014.

15. Service Delivery in Jordan’s Health and Education Sectors

Objectives: In response to the popular demands fuelled by the Arab Spring, King Abdullah II of Jordan

has initiated some political reforms focusing on enhancing public participation and citizen engagement

in decision making, strengthening the role of civil society institutions and strengthening some

governance measures. Meanwhile, the Syrian refugee crisis has had an impact on Jordan’s service

delivery performance, with an estimated 1 million Syrian refugees in the country at the end of 2013.

Syrian refugees now constitute 16% of the total population, putting health and education service

delivery under intense pressure. Through this MENA MDTF-funded activity which received $448,000, the

World Bank aims to help improve service delivery by increasing knowledge on governance factors

affecting quality of public service delivery in the health and education sectors in Jordan. The Bank will

collaborate closely with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and partner with national

stakeholders, such as state institutions, CSOs, and private firms.

Progress to date: The project was awarded on 29 January, 2014, and active from March. Most activities

are still in the planning stage. Two case studies highlighting local success stories on governance and the

link to quality of service delivery in health and education are expected to be completed in early June.

Two-Page Activity Summaries – for those Activities approved since last PCM

As found on the World Bank’s MENA Home Page

The Middle East and North Africa Multi-donor Trust Fund ("MENA MDTF"), a World Bank administered technical assistance

facility, provides catalytic support to countries in the region that are currently undergoing historic transition and reform.

Middle East and North Africa MDTF

Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in Morocco and Jordan Overview

Enterprises in the MENA region are often characterized by their small size and low levels

of productivity, wages and employment growth. Most entrepreneurship programs in the

region provide training and start-up capital to low-skilled

individuals, but have seen limited effectiveness: many

such enterprises are either short-lived, or those that survive

generally have low levels of productivity and

employment growth. Emerging private-led initiatives

have proven to be very promising. These initiaitves focus

on providing technical assistance, incubation services

and financing to new (high-skilled) entrepreneurs with

innovative ideas. A handful of successful ideas have

rapidly become medium and large enterprises.

Unfortunately, private-led initiatives in the region have so

far rarely supported more “social” objectives.

“Social entrepreneurship” is a new breed of entrepreneurship that promotes the

creation of high quality and high-productivity jobs and is aimed at solving social

problems. It responds to market failures with transformative and financially sustainable

innovations. In addition to promoting enterprises, the agenda is about improving social

service delivery to the poor in areas such as health, education, employment services

and social protection. An example of a successful social enterprise is the Grameen

Bank in Bangladesh.

Through this MENA MDTF-funded activity, the Bank will promote the social

entrepreneurship agenda in the region, specifically in Morocco and Jordan. The activity

will focus on:

Raising awareness about social entrepreneurship among relevant actors;

Identifying and coaching potential social entrepreneurs in Morocco and linking

the best ideas to potential private investors; and

Exposing counterparts to international best practices for social entrepreneurship

promotion.

Objective

Increase awareness and

build capacity among

targeted high-skilled

youth to identify and

develop social

enterprises.



The activity has received $350.000 from the MENA MDTF.

Deliverables

Deliverables will include:

Workshops to raise awareness about the benefits of promoting social

entrepreneurship among private investors/philanthropist in Morocco and Jordan;

A call for proposals to identify innovative social entrepreneurship ideas launched

in partnership with Jordanian and Moroccan universities and incubators;

Provision of training and coaching services to a selected group of innovative

and potentially sustainable social entrepreneurship ideas;

A study tour to Jordan with a selected group of Moroccan social entrepreneurs

to expose them to successful social enterprises;

Workshops to present a selected group of social entrepreneurship ideas to

private investors and philanthropists in Morocco and Jordan.

Beneficiaries and Expected Results

The intended beneficiaries of this program include high skilled unemployed youth,

public and private national agencies in regionally, most particularly in Morocco and

Jordan, National Employment Agencies, and the donor community. The expected

outcome is promoting entrepreneurship among high-skilled individuals. In the long run,

this program aims to increase the quality of life of the most vulnerable population

through improved social services while creating employment for high-skilled youth.



Middle East and North Africa Multi-Donor Trust Fund

Service Delivery and Governance Reform in Egypt

Overview

Political economy literature and evidence from around the world

indicate that the space for meaningful institutional and policy

change is largest during the first 12 to 18 months after a major

political shift. To take advantage of such windows of opportunity

while they are still open, this activity seeks to support reform-

minded champions in the Egyptian government, and lock in while

there is still time a number of transformational legal, institutional

and policy reforms related to governance and accountability, in

particular as they relate to service delivery.

Specifically, the activity will:

Support selected service delivery initiatives in healthcare and administrative

services;

Build capacity for more effective government through a Rapid Results Approach

and Open Budget work; and

Support the design and implementation of new governance legislation,

including access to information and public consultation mechanisms.

The Service Delivery and Governance Reform in Egypt activity has received $285,000

from the MENA MDTF.

Deliverables

The specific deliverables for this activity will include for example:

The development of guidelines for public consultations used by the government;

The establishment of public service charters;

Objective

Support

governance

reforms which aim

to improve public

service delivery.



The creation and implementation of an action plan for piloting and scaling up

improvements in administrative and health related service delivery;

Advice and support so that existing budget information is made available per

sector instead of per budget category in a more visual and user friendly format;

Support to CSOs who will be able to actively monitor government budget data;

and,

Advice for drafting an access to information law in line with international

practice.


Better laws and policies that are implemented more efficiently and more systematically

would benefit the citizens and communities of Egypt, the activity’s ultimate

beneficiaries.

The direct beneficiaries of the technical support provided are envisaged to be

technical mid-level government officials in the Ministries of Justice, Finance,

Administrative Development and Health. They would benefit from the experience of

peers and practitioners from countries that have designed and implemented similar

reforms, as well as the knowledge accumulated by international consultants

specializing in specific governance areas such as access to information.



Middle East and North Africa MDTF Governance & Accountability in the Moroccan Health

System

Overview

The Arab Spring and the ongoing social and

political transitions in the MENA region have led

to significant political changes in Morocco,

including a new Constitution in 2011 which

focused on good governance, service delivery,

improving inequity and, for the first time,

explicitly stated that health care is a right of the

Moroccan people. Inspired by the new

constitution and under support from the King,

Morocco held a National Conference on Health

in July 2013 (the first since 1959) to build

consensus on the diagnosis of problems in the

health sector and a set of planned reforms. There was broad recognition that the

health management information system (“HMIS”) is vital to the success of improving

quality of and access to health services, addressing inequalities, engendering voice

and inclusion, and improving transparency and governance.

At present, Morocco has a fragmented and siloed HMIS with disparate and redundant

data collection, creating a significant reporting burden at the level of service delivery

and with little central data integration. National statistics are published with a 2-year

delay, so reliable and complete data are not regularly available to policy makers and

there is no feedback to facilities or citizens. This leads to lack of transparency in the

sector, with little recourse for citizens to address –and government to fully recognize—

issues of access, quality, and system responsiveness.

The World Bank is a partner to the Ministry of Health as it embarks on a set of ambitious

reforms and is developing a “Peformance for Results (P4R)” lending operation to

address the cross-cutting-issue of HMIS. The objective of the proposed program, of

which the MENA MDTF-funded activity is a catalytic part, is to foster good governance

Objective

Support the Government of

Morocco with governance

and accountability reforms in

the health sector to help

promote delivery of equitable

and quality services.



and accountability of the Moroccan health system through the development of a

nationally integrated, transparent and accessible HMIS with the ultimate aim of

improving quality of and access to health services in Morocco, particularly for women,

the poor, and rural populations.

Specifically, the MENA MDTF will support:

Governance Capacity Building;

Design of a detailed governance structure for health information, including

devising consistent definitions, standards, and patient confidentiality and privacy

regulations;

The implementation of a service delivery indicator (SDI) survey, including a

module on information management; and,

Consensus building alongside the sector reforms, including on sector strategies

and plans, monitoring and evaluation, quality awareness/education, and redress

mechanisms.


Deliverables


Morocco Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Strategy;

Health sector MIS Mater Plan;

Training;

Consultations; and,

A detailed survey (preparatory activities, data collection and analysis, etc.).


The intended beneficiaries of this activity include: policy makers; managers; service

providers; payers for health services; users of health services, and, the population of

Morocco, with a focus on women, the poor, and rural populations.




Service Delivery in Jordan’s Health and Education Sectors

Overview

In response to the popular demands fuelled by the

Arab Spring, King Abdullah II of Jordan has initiated

some political reforms focusing on enhancing public

participation and citizen engagement in decision

making, strengthening the role of civil society

institutions and strengthening some governance

measures.

Meanwhile, the Syrian refugee crisis has had an

impact on Jordan’s service delivery performance,

with an estimated 1 million Syrian refugees in the

country at the end of 2013. Syrian refugees now

constitute 16 percent of the total population, putting

health and education service delivery under intense

pressure.

Through this MENA MDTF-funded activity, the World Bank will aim at improving service

delivery by increasing knowledge on governance factors affecting quality of public

service delivery in the health and education sectors in Jordan. The Bank will collaborate

closely with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and partner with

national stakeholders, such as state institutions, CSOs, and private firms.

Specifically, the activity will:

Assess service delivery in the health and education sectors utilizing instruments

such as the service delivery indicator survey, the local governance survey, case

studies, and citizen satisfaction surveys, implementing these instruments in

selected governorates along the ongoing Health Financing Review and the

Education Public Expenditure Review; and,

Objective

Assess the quality of health

and education services and

better understand how local

governance in those sectors

can be supported to help

improve the quality of

service delivery



Consult stakeholders and communicate findings to build consensus on priority

actions. Consultations will be inclusive and encourage participation from groups

that represent women, marginalized youth, and refugees.


Deliverables


Implementation of social service provision assessments through surveys and

workshops to promote learning about measuring and promoting service delivery

performance and its determinants in health and education sectors;

Two case studies for health and education followed by reporting and

dissemination of results, for example through workshops, where interventions will

be discussed and good local practices will be presented.


The intended beneficiaries of this program include Jordanian policy-makers, civil society

organizations, and all citizens who use education or health services but in particular

marginalized groups.




Parliamentary Strengthening in Tunisia and Morocco

Overview

The events of the MENA region since the beginning of

2011 reinforce the central role of parliaments in

strengthening voice and participation and promoting

inclusive and accountable governance.

Parliamentarians are an important link between the

electorate and the executive government and play a

key role in voicing the concerns of the people they

represent. Engaging citizens in the decision-making

process is therefore essential to good governance, and

a cornerstone of parliamentary procedure. Some MENA

countries have started to introduce reforms in regards to parliamentary oversight.

In Tunisia, the role and powers of the parliament have been pivotal in the discussions on

the shape of post-revolution Tunisia. The National Constituent Assembly (NCA) was

established on October 23, 2011, to realize the ambitions of the Jasmine Revolution by

putting in place a new constitution for greater transparency and inclusiveness and

playing the role of an interim Parliament.

In Morocco, the 2011 Constitution introduced the following reforms: the prime minister is

now appointed from the party that wins parliamentary elections; parliament has been

given authority over the cabinet; parliament is also granted more oversight of civil rights

and electoral issues. But there is more work to be done: a draft law on access to

information has not yet been adopted by the Cabinet and its successful

implementation will depend in large part on political will for genuine open and inclusive

governance. A draft law on petitions and legislative motions are also being developed

and may take the form of parliamentary procedure, thus necessitating capacity

building of parliament to respond to these new rights.

New open government reforms in Tunisia and Morocco will require an active

involvement of Parliament in the review and approval process of these and other laws

as well as in carrying out enhanced oversight functions. Hence, this Bank-executed

activity aims to:

Objective

Strengthen parliament in

the areas of budget

oversight and public

engagement in Tunisia

and Morocco.



strengthen the capacity of parliamentary staff and targeted parliamentarians

with regards to public engagement mechanisms in parliamentary work; and

enhance the capacity of parliamentary staff and targeted parliamentarians in

budget analysis to improve oversight responsibilities.

This proposal has received $360,000 from the MENA MDTF.

Deliverables

The specific deliverables of this activity will include:

Two capacity reviews (one for Morocco and one for Tunisia);

Four training sessions to be conducted in both countries in the areas of public

engagement and budget oversight;

A knowledge-exchange series (videoconference and/or face to face) which will

help connect regional parliamentary staff and targeted MPs with the

international parliamentary community to learn from international experience in

these domains; and

One study tour for local experts from Morocco and Tunisia to benefit from hands-

on site visit to an international parliament, learn from their experience and

strengthen cross-country knowledge exchange networks.


The primary intended beneficiaries of this activity are parliamentary staff, including

through direct support to the work of parliamentary committees. Other beneficiaries

are civil society representatives who will participate in seminars and knowledge-

exchange sessions to maximize multi-stakeholder dialogue and to help establish strong

lines of communication and collaboration on these important reform areas. The

expected outcomes include:

Effective engagement through a better understanding of various methods and

tools that can be utilized;

Enhanced legislative oversight functions particularly on budget formulation and

implementation; and

Increased awareness among parliamentary staff on how other countries have

undergone similar reforms as well as why public engagement and transparency

is an important tool to improve parliamentary capacity.




Technical Assistance to Yemen for Post National Dialogue Transition

Overview

After months of historic deliberations amongst the

various factions in Yemen, the National Dialogue

Conference concluded on January 25, 2014. The

flagship process within Yemen’s ongoing transition

made significant progress on a daunting range of

governance, structural, and social contract

challenges. Agreement was reached on a series of

guiding principles aimed at guaranteeing rights and

freedoms, reducing the centralization of power,

eliminating corruption, empowering women and

youth, amongst others. The task at hand is to now

translate these broad outcomes into governing

laws. For this purpose, the Government of National

Reconciliation (GNR) has nominated a

Constitutional Drafting Committee (CDC), comprising 17 members, to begin drafting

the Constitution. However, due to the limited coordination between the National

Dialogue process, the government and key ministries, and donors supporting the

transition plan, the CDC will require extensive support to accomplish this task.

At the request of the President of Yemen, the Bank will lead an effort to bring a group of

key multilateral donors together to support Yemen's post-National Dialogue transition in

a synchronized and sustained manner. This activity will take a holistic view of Yemen’s

urgent needs as critical components of the country’s state-building process to help key

stakeholders reinforce legitimacy of government institutions. Specifically, this Bank-

executed activity aims to:

Provide short-term operational assistance to support the development and

implementation of a transition support plan; and

Strengthen the capacity of the CDC in the overall process of state restructuring,

decentralization and local governance.

This activity has received US$450,000 from the MENA MDTF.

Objective

Provide the Government

with capacity building and

coordination support as it

develops a comprehensive

plan to undertake post-

National Dialogue transition

in a synchronized and

sustained manner.



Deliverables

The specific deliverables of this activity will include:

Establishing a joint CDC-GNR-WB team to develop and implement the transition

support plan;

Coordinating and framing broader and more long term transition priorities and

programs with the government and key donors via a joint donor mission;

Conducting a workshop/roundtable/public event to increase awareness on

state restructuring, key laws on topics related to fiscal federalism, civil service

restructuring, natural resource management, and local governance;

Organizing an event to prepare selected service delivery sectors and their

related institutions for the transition;

Preparing and disseminating two high quality policy notes/presentations on

selected topics related to fiscal federalism, civil service restructuring, natural

resource management, and local governance to support state restructuring,

decentralization and local governance;

Developing and disseminating at least two high quality policy

notes/presentations on selected service delivery sectors;

Organizing at least two South-South exchanges for CDC and both transition and

sector ministries; and

Carrying out a diagnostic survey of at least four Local Councils to understand

their systems, resources, capacities and accountability links in order to feed into

a transition plan for local governments.


This initiative is expected to benefit the country at large. More specifically however,

direct beneficiaries include the office of the President, the members of the CDC,

relevant government ministries and civil society stakeholders. The expected outcomes

include:

Better coordination of CDC, GNR and donors activities related to the transition;

Increased awareness of CDC members on specific aspects of state restructuring,

decentralization and local governance; and,

Enhanced ability of two key transition ministries in managing the transition

process

Donor-approved Results Framework for MENA MDTF1

1 Only Ouput data has been updated for June, 2014. Outcome data, which is taken from the World Bank’s MENA

Regional Results Framework, will be available later in the year.

Indicators 2-Jun Source

2014

(Outcomes July 2013)

Doing different things:

Cumulative number of person days of

employment

(Tier II)

4,903,853

(2011)

14,231,21729,917,327

(2014)

World Bank reporting against MENA

Regional Results Frameworks

Total number of beneficiaries across Bank

projects:

Of which labour market programmes

Of which safety net programmes

(Tier II)

N/A

12,830

3,597,157

(2011)

27,800,000

137,494

4,501,410

41,800,000

233,846

7,755,484

(2014)


Regional Results Frameworks

Number of countries with WB supported

programs on Open Government OR PFM reform

(Tier II)

2 (2011) 13Monitored

(2014)


Regional Results Framework (noting the

combination of two different indicators:

Open Gov + PE/FM activities)

Doing different things/doing things differently:

Cumulative number of pieces of technical and

analytical work that informed strategy/policy

and stimulated public debate on (but not

limited to): gender inclusion, governance,

energy and consumption subsidy reform, social

protection, youth inclusion, job creation, labour

markets (Tier II)

40 (2011) 39 64 (2014)


Regional Results Frameworks (although

does not exactly equal total of individual

figures to avoid double counting)

Percentage of projects linked to MDTF with

gender informed design NA 60% 75%

MDTF Progress Reports and Activity

Descriptions

Cumulative number of high quality analytical

products produced with resources from MDTF

(policy notes, survey work, evaluations, reports)

that demonstrate the good use of analysis with

clear recommendations, with potential policy

implications, targeted at policymakers or for

project preparation

0 36 20

MDTF progress reports with random

sample quality assured by DFID

advisers

Cumulative number of high quality technical

assistance activities (project design, capacity

building, guidelines) carried out through MDTF

that provide clear and practical

recommendations for practical and policy

implementation, with positive client feedback

0 18 20



advisers

Cumulative number of high quality dialogue and

knowledge and knowledge sharing events (S-S

exchange, conferences, focus

group/Community of Practice general meetings,

etc.) leading to clear policy conclusions in focus

areas, using resources from the MDTF

0 43 22



advisers

Cumulative number of people trained directly

through MDTF (and % of which women) e.g.

through targeted workshops, training-oriented

S-S exchange, certification programs, innovative

learning programs, etc

0 1438 (49%) 500 (35%) MDTF progress Reports

Cumulative number of businesses provided

with support directly through MDTF0 105 300 MDTF progress Reports

Cumulative number of results stories produced

which demonstrate the catalytic effect of the

MDTF (particularly on women and youth)

0 1 6 MDTF progress Reports

MENA MDTF Aggregate Results Framework

OUTPUTS

Strengthened project

preparation, technical

assistance, seed funding,

policy analysis, dialogue and

knowledge sharing through

World Bank MENA Trust

Fund

80%

Direct support provided to

beneficiaries through World

Bank MENA Trust Fund 20%

Results Chain Baseline

2012

Target

2015

OUTCOME

World Bank MENA Portfolio focused

on promoting economic and social

inclusion and is developed in ways

that responds effectively to needs

MENA MDTF Financial Information

A. Contribution

B. Financial Summary

Note:

Fees: 2% of all contributions, taken off the top, to defray the costs of the central units (EG, etc). Managing unit

costs will be recovered on the basis of actual costs incurred, amount not exceeding 5% to cover the costs of

program management (coordination and secretariat functions) and trust fund administration.

US$

(+)Contribution Paid-In 10,888,857

(+)Other Receipts -

(+)Investment Income 48,947

(-) Admin Fee - 2% 217,777

(-) Admin Fee - 5% 544,386

Total Funding Available 10,175,641

(-)Disbursements 3,097,856

Undisbursed Fund balance 7,077,784

(-) Grants Awarded Undisbursed 4,166,296

Balance available for allocation 2,911,488

List of Awarded Grants (as of June 2, 2014)

Activity Name Execution TF# Code TTL

MDTF

Approved

Closing

Date

Awarded

as of June

2, 2014

Disbursed

as of June

2, 2014

Committed

as of June

2, 2014

Available

Balancea b c a-b-c

Bank TF012902 P131928 Seiderer 7/11/2012 5/15/2014 480,000 385,045 43,508 51,447

Bank TF013278 P133487 Urdinola 8/31/2012 6/30/2014 442,000 413,485 7,438 21,076

Bank TF013308 P133650 Balakrishna 9/1/2012 5/15/2014 432,000 393,568 27,575 10,856

Bank TF013395 P143215 Al Rowais 9/13/2012 5/12/2014 175,000 119,342 39,402 16,256

Bank TF013446 P143072 Bhatt 9/17/2012 6/30/2014 359,620 327,918 16,914 14,788

Bank TF013890 P144382 Vargas 12/11/2012 3/31/2014 282,120 282,099 - 21

Bank TF014120 P133765 Viswanathan 12/10/2012 11/30/2013 211,773 211,773 - -

Bank TF014282 P144960 Demarco 1/25/2013 2/28/2015 350,000 122,386 67,929 159,685

Recipient TF014501 P144607 Abdulaziz 1/2/2013 6/11/2015 302,400 60,000 242,400 -

SPNYEM Enhancing Governance thru Public Procurement

Reform Bank TF015168 P144607 Abdulaziz 12/1/2014 30,240 13,800 - 16,440

Recipient TF015010 P144655 Abdel Aziz 12/27/2012 12/31/2014 600,000 117,000 483,000 -

SPNEnhancing Microfinance amongst Women and Youth in

MENA Bank TF015317 P144655 Abdel Aziz 12/31/2014 108,000 31,806 - 76,194

Recipient TF015167 P144917 Nucifora 1/22/2013 2/28/2015 600,000 250,000 350,000 -

SPN Communication for Policy Reforms in Tunisia Bank TF015423 P144917 Nucifora 2/28/2015 133,000 18,715 39,060 75,225

Bank TF015739 P130087 Urdinola 9/18/2013 9/30/2014 350,000 86,379 58 263,564

Bank TF015970 P146535 Al-Dahdah 10/23/2013 10/31/2014 285,000 137,200 57,505 90,295

Bank TF016295 P148409 Ozaltin 10/14/2013 6/30/2015 365,000 12,505 - 352,495

Bank TF016826 P149808 Rabie 1/29/2014 2/28/2015 448,000 114,837 96,238 236,925

Bank TFXXXXX PXXXX Bteddini 5/12/2014 360,000 - - 360,000

Bank TFXXXXX PXXXX Balakrishna 5/21/2014 450,000 - - 450,000

Bank TFXXXXX PXXXX Arshad (4/3/2014) 500,000 - - 500,000

TOTAL 7,264,153 3,097,856 1,471,028 2,695,268

Program Mgmt and TF Administration - 5% Bank TF014972 Mumssen 2/28/2016 460,681 107,400 - 353,281

Supporting Economic Governance Transition in TN and MA

Knowledge & Learning for Social Safety Nets and Active Labor

Market Programs in MENA

YEM Decentralization and Local Governance Initiative

MENA Early Stage Innovation Technical Assistance

Gender Learning and Operational Initiative - YEM and MA

MNA Connecting Voices of MENA

MNA Life in Transition Survey

Sharing Know-How/How To in Subsidy Reform Implementation

Yem Enhancing Governance thru Public Procurement Reform

Enhancing Microfinance amongst Women and Youth in MENA

Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in MENA

Communication for Policy Reforms in Tunisia

Service Delivery and Governance Reforms in Egypt

GAC in MA Health Management Information System

Service Delivery in Jordan's Health and Education

Parliamentary Strengthening in TN and MA

SIRI: Syria Damage and Needs Assessment

Transition Support in Yemen

ANNEX

Minutes from PCM in Rabat, June 2013

Minutes: MENA MDTF Third Program Council Meeting, Rabat, June 10-11, 2012

The MENA MDTF’s Third Program Council Meeting (PCM) was held in Rabat, Morocco, on

June 10 and 11. The meeting was chaired by Gerard Byam, Director, Strategy and Operations,

MNA, World Bank. Presentations were also made by Yogita Mumssen, MDTF Program

Manager (Day 1), and three World Bank sector/team managers (Day 2). All donors contributing

to the MDTF (Denmark, Finland, Norway and the UK) were represented. A summary of the

PCM is provided below and a list of attendees is provided in the annex.

Introduction

Chair, Gerard Byam, Director, Strategy and Operations, MNA, World Bank, kicked off the PCM

by welcoming the participants and initiating a tour de table. He presented the latest

developments in the region, the impact of these developments on the Bank’s work, and the role

of/and strategic priorities for the MDTF. Gerard focused on the four drivers of the regional

strategy (governance, inclusion, jobs and growth) that are geared toward enhancing shared

prosperity in the region, as well as the cross-cutting themes of gender, private sector and

regional integration. He gave examples of how the Bank is “doing things different things and

doing things differently,” including from the MENA MDTF, demonstrating the trust fund’s

alignment with the regional strategy.

The donors found the overview generally helpful and interesting. They all stressed the

importance of donor coordination in planning and implementation of the MDTF projects. Finland

stressed that subsidies should be a big issue of focus, as well as working with the IMF and other

institutions (e.g. with the AfDB, EU and EBRD). Denmark posed the question of validity of

original data – for example whether one can say with certainty how countries such as Tunisia

grew in the pre-Arab Spring period, given that data was not always readily available or

transparent. Donors also asked about “doing things rapidly” to be able to catch the opportunity.

DFID expressed that the overview did not cover the pressing issue of the Syrian crisis and the

refugees: there are shifting political dynamics, and how is the Bank positioning itself with new

coalitions? The MDTF team took note of all comments. With regards to the crisis in Syria,

Gerard explained that in addition to the grant funding (through the State and Peace Building

Fund) to support host communities in Jordan and Lebanon, the Bank is working closely with the

Government of Jordan, at its request, to support host communities on essential items related to

health, cooking fuel, and foods. Yogita explained that for the MDTF’s Third Call for Proposals, a

special request had been put out to teams interested in funding activities in Jordan.

Activities Funded: Overview

Yogita presented an overview of MENA MDTF activities, focusing on the second-call given that

presentations during Day 2 would describe most first-call projects (see attachments). Activities

described included: Tunisia Communication for Reform; Financial Management Reform:

Connecting Voices; Yemen Procurement Reform; Microfinance for Women and Youth; Life in

Transition Survey (with EBRD); and, subsidy reform in energy in Egypt.

The donors were impressed with the selection of projects, and felt they demonstrated a good

mix of sectors and countries, including more recently Egypt (in the Second Call). There was a

general agreement that the MDTF was funding transformational activities which are helping

clients and the Bank do different things and do things differently. Norway specifically

commented on a good selection of activities with a regional focus, as well as a North African

focus, and stated that in the next Call(s), it would be good to see another strong focus on Egypt.

DFID noted its appreciation of the activities, as well as its interest in seeing more work in Jordan

and Egypt. Martin also asked whether there was a real link to IDA and IBRD activities. The

MDTF team responded in the affirmative.

Finland noted that the EBRD is working on micro finance for women and youth and

implementing a demand side survey, including involvement with Women's World Banking, a

local association. Denmark noted that it was particularly fond of the new (recipient-executed)

TN communications activity, and felt that increasing awareness of the public of reform issues

was the most critical. Denmark noted some frustration with regards to meeting Bank staff in the

field, and would appreciate more cooperation. The MDTF promised follow-up.

Operation and Administration of the MDTF

The Program Council discussed a set of operational and administrative issues, some of which

require (mostly minor) changes to the MDTF Operations Manual. A revised (red-lined) manual

would be sent to donors after circulation of the minutes.

MDTF team focus: Yogita will relocate to Brussels at end June, bringing her closer to the

donors of the MDTF, as well as of course the clients and country-based teams. As activities

move forward, the MDTF team will focus more on results analysis and communication. A part-

time consultant is being considered to help with communications and related publications. The

team demonstrated where MDTF information could be found on the intranet. Suggestions were

made by donors to enhance/add to the links on the main web page.

Results framework for the MDTF: Martin Leach discussed DFID’s requirements for an MDTF-

specific results framework. There would be outputs specific to the MDTF, but for outcomes

(drawn from the Regional Results Framework), it is clear the MDTF is a contributor, not a full

deliverer. Martin proposed that results against the framework could be made explicit in the

MDTF Annual report. The other donors, Norway, Finland, and Denmark, all agreed that the

results framework for the MDTF was acceptable, and related results should be included in the

MDTF Annual Report. The MDTF team agreed to include progress on the MDTF results

framework indicators into the Annual Report.

Annual report: Given the size of the MDTF, the Annual Report would be simple, informative,

and electronic. In order to wait for the Regional Results Framework information, the Annual

Report would be ready in October/early November. Donors agreed to both.

Recipient versus Bank-executed Activities: The MDTF team explained that there was limited

incentive for Bank teams and their clients to initiate recipient-executed activities for relatively

small amounts of TA. (Other funding sources might award well over US$1-2 million per

recipient-executed activity.) World Bank procedures on small grants endorsed by the Board,

even though “simplified”, can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming – in some cases taking

well over 6 months from award by the MDTF to grant signing. Further, many clients still have

relatively weak capacity, especially in the areas the MDTF aims to focus (e.g. governance,

inclusion, gender). The purpose of the MDTF TA is exactly to help build that capacity, so teams

express that Bank execution is more appropriate.

The MDTF team proposed that task teams be provided some funding to help take teams to

actual grant signing. This would amount to about $8,500 (about 10 business days of GF-level

time) of funding for each recipient-executed project. The donors agreed to this proposal for

recipient-executed project preparation time.

The MDTF team also proposed that the goal for the MDTF be adjusted to a more realistic 75%

Bank-executed / 25% recipient-executed portfolio by the end of the program rather than the

current goal of about 50% / 50%2. This would be consistent with the breakdown of the existing

portfolio, and the MDTF team did not see a larger proportion of recipient executed activities

being put forward. (Project preparation cost sharing discussed above is likely a minimum

necessary condition to help maintain the existing ratio.) Donors’ views were mixed. Some

donors agreed and felt the flexibility of Bank executed, given that the MDTF’s aim is to catch the

window of opportunity that exists now, is critical. Other donors would like to wait and see. It

was agreed that the MDTF team would revert to the donors after the Third Call to assess the

situation (demand, client readiness, funding amount, etc) and put forward proposals for Bank

versus recipient execution based on the facts on the ground. This would first be attempted

virtually, and if required, a VC would be arranged.

New Procedures for Additional Financing of Existing Activities: The MDTF team proposed that

when MDTF activities deliver outputs on time with disbursements in line with expectations, and

client demand is strong, then the MDTF could provide additional financing for that activity, if the

task team requests this in writing. The additional financing should not amount to more than

20% of the original grant. A revised budget, outputs, outcomes and timeline would need to be

provided. The Additional Financing request, if considered eligible by MENA MDTF

management, would be circulated to the Technical Review Committee on a time-limited no

objection basis. The donors were fine with the proposal for Additional Financing.

Other: Donors agreed to extensions of activity close dates based on reasonable requests and

extenuating circumstances on the ground. Also, the Deauville Partnership’s “MENA Transition

Fund” should be added to the donor funded activities on Page 9 of the Operations Manual.

Budget: The Program Council reviewed the budget tables. The donors asked whether new

funding was required. Gerard made very explicit that the Bank/MDTF team was not soliciting

any new funding at this time: funding levels are sufficient to carry the MDTF through the next 2-

3 Calls for Proposals, and therefore no requests for additional funding would be made until

toward the end of the calendar year. The donors described their respective funding situations,

and it was agreed that all would touch base well before the end of the calendar year.

2 At the Second Program Council Meeting in London, October, 2012, donors already had agreed that the 50%/50%

target could be relaxed if required, and that the MDTF would ultimately need to be flexible to meet its broader support objectives.

Next steps and AOB Fourth Call for Proposals: Donors agreed that the Fourth Call for Proposals should be based on lessons and experience so far. They mentioned certain areas of preference (jobs, youth, gender, bottom 40%) but agreed to respond to demand based on the general MDTF objectives. The importance of additionality was also stressed. Donor reviews: DFID will conduct an annual review. This first one will likely be a desk exercise to take place around October. Denmark will have a review of the Arab Partnership program in 1.5 years. Norway would only have a review if its contribution to the MDTF is substantially large to warrant one. Finland is required to have a review, and if possible, would like to do this jointly with other donors. Mid-term reviews: Again, Norway will do a mid-term review depending on its total contribution to the MDTF. DFID does not need an external mid-term review. Finland normally does, but might be fine not to do a large external review if others are fine. Next PCM: The next and Fourth PCM will be in early June 2014 in the region. At the PCM, we will discuss a possible mid-term review and how to move forward. Day 2: Presentations on Four MENA MDTF-funded Activities

During the morning of the June 11, 2013, we had presentations on MDTF-funded activities from

the Bank’s MENA team. Presentations will be circulated to the PCM.

1. “Social Safety Nets and Advanced Labor Market Programs : Knowledge Exchange/ Community of Practice in MENA”, Yasser El Gamal, Sector Manager, Social Protection;

2. “Supporting the Economic Governance Transition in Tunisia and Morocco” Mme Soumia Benkhaldoun, Government of Morocco, and Fabian Seiderer, Senior Public Sector Management Specialist; and,

3. “Morocco and Yemen Gender Mainstreaming” and “Yemen Local Governance and Decentralization” Franck Bousquet, Sector Manager, Social Development and Urban.

Closing/Summary The Chair closed the two-day PCM. On the format of the PCM, donors liked the balance between “housekeeping” and project presentations, and appreciated the frankness of what is going well and not. Suggestions for the agenda of the next PCM included the possibility of a deeper discussion on one issue, such as subsidy reform or the challenges of governance, with invitations extended to a think tank or NGOs. The possibility of a field visit was also discussed. Gerard concluded on decision points made on Day 1:

Additional financing procedures approved.

Possibility of activity closing date extentions approved.

Recipient execution: 10 business days preparation time approved ; on portfolio mix, if a binding constraint, will come back via a virtual discussion or VC.

Next PCM : one year away, in June, in the region (one topic: mid-term review).

Fourth call: generally open topics, based on demand and lessons learned.

ANNEX: List of Attendees DENMARK Mr. Reda Bajoudi, Danish Embassy – Morocco Mr. Jørgen G. Jensen, Danish Embassy – Egypt FINLAND Ms. Tiina Kajakoski, Desk Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Antti Loikas, Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms. Marianne Leppänen, Finnish Embassy– Morocco

MOROCCO Mme Soumia Benkhaldoun, Chef du Cabinet, Ministry of Parliamentary Relations and Civil Society NORWAY Mr. Tom Eriksen, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms. Siv Kaspersen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms. Kjersti Tromsdal, Norwegian Embassy – Morocco UNITED KINGDOM Mr. Martin Leach, Deputy Head – MENA Department, DFID Ms. Anne Aichroth, British Embassy – Morocco WORLD BANK Mr. Gerard Byam, Director, Strategy and Operations, MNA Region Ms. Yogita Mumssen, Program Manager, MENA MDTF Mr. Franck Bousquet, Sector Manager, Social Development and Urban, MNA Region Mr. Yasser El Gammal, Sector Manager, Social Protection, MNA Region Mr. Fabian Seiderer, Senior Public Sector Management Specialist, MNA Region

Documents

Middle East and North Africa Multi Donor Trust Fund ...pubdocs.worldbank.org/pubdocs/publicdoc/2015/8/... · Multi-Donor Trust Fund: Fourth Program Council Meeting Tunis, June 11,