India: Karnataka Multi-sectoral Nutrition Pilot (P149811/TF017877)
Implementation Support Mission: July 23-25, 2015
AIDE MEMOIRE
I.Introduction
A World Bank team[1]undertook an implementation support mission from July 23-25, 2015. The mission team held discussions with various officers of the project team of KSRLPS led by Mr. Sanjeev Kumar, Principal Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Government of Karnataka,Mr. D.V. Swamy, Mission Director, Karnataka State Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (KSRLPS), Ms. Veena S. Rao, Advisor, Karnataka Comprehensive Nutrition Mission (KCNM).World Bank team would like extend sincere appreciation to KSRLPS and KCNM for the warm hospitality extended to the Bank team. The aide memoire summarizes the agreements during the mission and the debriefing meetings held on July 25,2015.
II.Mission Objective
To review implementation progress and provide technical guidance to the project team on technical, procurement and financial management issues to support implementation. Discussion focused on the following key areas:
a)Update on implementation progress: what was planned and what has been achieved
b)Agreements on plans for the next six months, including action plans for the contracted NGO
c)Pending procurements and updated procurement plans
d)Clarification on IUFR submission and formats
e)Guidelines on complying with the Integrated Environmental and Social Assessment and Management Plan
f) Update by the Bank team on the status of the impact evaluation study
- Overview of the project
The Project Development Objective (PDO)is to increase utilization of nutrition-improving services by children under-three years of age, adolescent girls and pregnant and nursing women from poor households in the target areas.
Key Project Data
Key Project Information / Performance RatingGrant Effectiveness Date / 15/07/2014 / Project Development Objective / U
Grant Closing Date / 31/07/2017 / Implementation Progress / U
Original Grant Amount (JSDF) / US$ 4.55 million / Procurement / U
Amount Disbursed (June 30, 2015) / US$ 0.103 million / Financial Management / MU
- Current Implementation Status
Progress towards Project Development Objective (PDO): Progress towards the PDO and intermediary results indicators has been negligible due to significant procurement delays that hasprevented roll out of the pilot.The main hurdle was the competitive procurement of an NGO(Karnataka Health Promotion Trust) to implement the pilot in 2 blocks in Karnataka(Chincholi Block in Gulbarga District and Deodurga block, Raichur District). This hurdle has now been overcome with the final contract being signed on May 15, 2015.
Pilot Implementation: The NGO(KHPT)procured to implement the pilot in 2 Blocks has initiated preparatory activities.It has recruited teams at the blockand sub-block level. The teams include a program manager, capacity building specialist, a data entry operatorand 10 cluster supervisors for each block.
Draft concept note has been developed by the NGO and shared with KSRLPS and KCNM outlining the process it will adopt in selecting village nutrition volunteers (VNVs), the parameters which will be used to select pilot beneficiaries and the methodology that will implemented in undertaking a baseline survey. Draft health and nutrition cards have also been developed in consultation with KSRLPS and KCNMto facilitate beneficiary data collection during the baseline survey.
Monitoring and Program Management: KSRLPS has competitively recruited 2technical consultants – 1 program management consultant and 1 financial assistant -to support the management and monitoring of the pilot. It has however been unable to engage a procurement specialist, despite advertising for the position. The critical procurement of the NGO for pilot implementation has been completed. The NGO has submitted its inception report and has received its first installment of payment. An initial orientation of the NGO by KCNM, followed by induction workshops for key NGO staff and Supervisors has been completed (July 6 and 9, 2015), which has enabled them to develop concept notes and outline clear actions for the next six months. An inception workshop with ZillaParishad members and Block level officials, orienting them on the upcoming pilot, has also been held in March, 2015.
Two key procurements, (i) for a communication agency to develop an effective communication strategy and material to facilitate improvements in nutrition, health care, sanitation and hygiene knowledge and behaviors of households; (ii) for a consultant/firm to support concurrent monitoring of the pilot, are currently in process. While the procurement of the communication agency is near completion at the RFP evaluation stage, the procurement of the concurrent monitoring agency is recommended to be re-initiated due to concerns about clarity in the terms of reference.
The finalization of technical specifications for machinery to set up the Energy Dense Foods (EDF) production units is also underway. A technical committee for this specific purpose has been constituted and held its first meeting on July 14, 2015. KCNM is also exploring financial and technical support from GAIN (an international organization with expertise in this area) to finance the procurement of the machinery.In this event, the funds currently earmarked for this purpose will be reallocated to other components of the pilot.
Impact Evaluation Study (IE): A rigorous impact evaluation study has been planned to help create an evidence base to inform future implementation of similar initiatives. The IE study is supported by JSDF and executed through BETF. The mission informed the project team on the latest update on the IE study, including: (i) a team consisting of both local and international researches has been put in place to develop the evaluation design; (ii) the study received ethical clearance; (iii) control areas have been identified (namely: Lingasuru in Raichur, and Jewargi in Gulbarga); (iv) survey firm has been recruited to collect data for the baseline research.
- Key Issues:
While the team is pleased to note the procurement of the implementation NGO has been completed after prolonged delays due todiligent efforts by the KSRLPS and KCNM teams, the procurement capacity of the project team is an area of concern. Delays in procurement were primarily due to both the high value of the contract which required multiple approvals and the limited knowledge of procurement processes in the team which led to several rounds of revisions for putting together the necessarydocumentation for procurement.
Moving forward, it is critical for the team to finalize the parameters for selection of beneficiaries under the pilot. The original pilot design recommended that the households below the poverty line be considered for inclusion in the pilot and this principle should remain paramount. KSRLPS and KCNM could consider data and inclusion criterion from the recent Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) to decide on the key parameters coupled with information on under-nutrition status from the ICDS MIS data or based on a household survey by the NGO. Care should be taken to minimize duplication of effort and if relevant household data already exists through existing datasets (SECC and ICDS MIS), these should be used as a basis for identifying beneficiaries by the NGO. The final validation of beneficiaries could be done by the Panchayats.
Such a process would enable the NGO to undertake a more targeted baseline survey for beneficiary listing and collecting baseline data on beneficiaries (based on the health and nutrition card). Only households which fit the parameters as per the SECC and ICDS MIS data would need to be visited and their information validated for inclusion in the pilot.
- Social and Environment Safeguards
The mission provided a comprehensive review on the Project’s Integrated Environment and Social Assessment and Management Plan (IESAMP). The key message in regard to the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is to ensure that adequate standards of safety, health and hygiene are strictly followed throughout the supply chain of the Energy Dense Food (EDF). The discussion on the Social Management Plan (SMP) stressed on the need to adequately address the tribal and vulnerable groups in the design, planning and implementation of the interventions. The mission suggested that buildings in APMC yards may not very suitable for production of EDF from health and hygiene point of view.
- Financial Management
The mission reviewed the financial management arrangements, progress made and the recent developments and key issues are as follow: (i) as on July 23, 2015 an amount of USD 550,000 million (12.09 % including advance) has been disbursed against an approved cost of USD 4.55 Million. The client has submitted December 2014 and March 2015 quarters IUFR for a total of US$16,036.35 and outstanding advance as of July 23, 2015 is US$533,963.65 after adjusting IUFR amount of US$16,036.35; (ii) the project has submitted IUFR till March 2015 and advised to submit June 2015 IUFR before due date i.e August 15, 2015; (iii) as advised during April 2015 mission, the project has started maintaining separate books in Tally accounting software system. However, the project has not yet transferred the KMNP expenditure (Appx. INR.7.3 lakhs) from NLRM books, the project has been advised to take immediate action to transferring the expenditure; (iv) the project has adequate systems and processes along with experienced FM staff on this project; (v) the mission was informed that the audit firm recruitment has been finalized and will undertake audit from August 2015 onwards, the report will be submitted before end of due date September 31, 2015.
- Procurement
During the mission, detailed discussions to clarify issues on procurement were held with the project officials. Discussion focused on the following areas: (i) at present, procurement is behind schedule in comparison to the initial procurement plan and that’s likely to adversely impact the disbursement under the project, the project agreed to share an updated procurement plan with the Bank by August 03, 2015; (ii) the mission has reminded KSRLPS that the contract award notice for hiring the NGO needs to be published in the project website; (iii) the mission was informed that technical proposal for the media strategy contract is under evaluation, and contract is expected to be signed by August 20, 2015; (iv) the mission conveyed the need for close follow up and monitoring on procurement by the project authorities as well as the need to strengthen procurement capacity.
- Agreed Actions
Agreed Actions / Timeframe / By Whom
- Finalization of parameters for selection of beneficiaries
- Complete procurement of Communication Agency (Signing of contract)
- Identify point person for procurement from among the existing procurement specialists under KSRLPS (under the WB livelihoods mission)
- Appoint a consultant for monitoring and evaluation and social and environment safeguards
- Complete procurement of concurrent monitoring agency
- Establish EDF units
- Complete recruitment of Village Nutrition Volunteers
- Complete baseline survey:
- Village Profile
- Identification of target beneficiaries
- Complete entries in Nutrition and Health cards
- Initiate mobilization and behavior change communication activities
- Share the updated procurement plan
- Transfer project related expenditure from NLRM books to KMNP books.
- Submission of June 2015 Quarter IUFR
- FY14-15 audit report
- Designate a safeguard focal point (not below the rank of a SPM) to be responsible for ensuring that the IESA (EMP and SMPs) is complied with at all times during implementation of the project.
- Prepare a standard operating procedure based on the guidance provided in the EMP in regard to EDF formulation and production process, and share draft copy with the Bank forapproval.
Annex 1
List of Participants: Implementation Support Mission (July 23-25, 2015)
S. No. / Name / DesignationGovernment of Karnataka, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
Mr. Sanjeev Kumar / Principal Secretary
Ms. Veena S. Rao / Advisor, Karnataka Comprehensive Nutrition Mission (KCNM)
Mr. D.V. Swamy / Mission Director, Karnataka State Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (KSRLPS)
Mr. N. R. Adarsh Kumar / Chief Operating Officer, KSRLPS
Mr. M. Sudarshan / State Program Manager - Livelihood
Mr. B Ganesh Moolya / Technical Assistant, KCNM
Mr. Ramesh R.M. / Project Management Consultant, KCNM
Ms. Shailaja. H / Finance Assistant, KCNM
The World Bank
Ms. Abeyah A. Al-Omair / Task Team Leader and Health Specialist
Ms. Mohini Kak / Public Health Nutrition Specialist
Mr. Atin Kumar Rastogi / Procurement Specialist
Mr. Anantha Krishna Karur / Financial Management Specialist
Mr. S. C. Rajshekar / Social and Environment Consultant
Dr. Arnab Mukherji / Principal Investigator, Impact Evaluation (Consultant)
Karnataka Health Promotion Trust
Mr. Ramchandra Rao / Team Leader
Mr. K.H. Girish / Advocacy Officer
Mr. Ajay Gayakwad / M&E Specialist
[1]The team consisted of Abeyah A. Al-Omair (Task Team Leader and Health Specialist), Mohini Kak (Public Health Nutrition Specialist, Atin Kumar Rastogi (Procurement Specialist), Anantha Krishna Karur (Financial Management Specialist), S. C. Rajshekar (Social and Environment Consultant), Arnab Mukherji (Impact Evaluation Consultant) and Ajay Ram Dass (Program Assistant).