Announcement of Four Million Dollars Credit for Rural Education and Training in Dahomey on June 23, 1975

:),,.,· 1'.I.01•.,, /;' • INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (~) 1818 H STREET. N.W .. WASHINGTON D. C. 20433 TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE 3-6360 IDA NEWS RELEASE NO. 75/45 June 23, 1975 $4 MILLION CREDIT FOR RURAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN DAHOMEY The International Development Association (IDA), an affiliate of the World Bank, today announced the approval of a credit of $4 million for a rural education and training project in Dahomey. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is expected to provide $780,000 to help finance the project. Parallel to its classical, formal education system, Dahomey has set up, over the years, a non-formal training system as well. Its most important element has been the rural youth training program started in 1967. The program encourages the establishment of voluntary youth clubs at the village level. These clubs train illiterate young adolescents of both sexes in functional literacy and numeracy, improve agricultural techniques and better nutrition, health and hygiene habits. The accent is on ulearning • by doing" and the program's aim is to prepare the clubs' participants to become productive members of the rural communities. The project being financed by the IDA credit will assist in improving the rural youth training program by establishing, at the national and regional levels, an effective administrative structure. The project also includes the construction of a center in Cotonou to upgrade skills and provision of instructional material, equipment and tech- nical assistance and preinvestment studies for a follow-up training/education project. The project is scheduled to be completed in 1980 at a total estimated cost of $5.2 million net of taxes and duties. The IDA credit will cover about 72% of the cost of the project. The Government of Dahomey and UNDP will provide the balance. Detailed preinvestment studies for the project were financed by UNDP with IDA as Executing Agency. The IDA credit to Dahomey is for 50 years, including a 10-year grace period. It is interest-free, except for a service charge of 3/4 of 1% to meet IDA's adminis- trative costs. • Note: Money figures are expressed in US dollar equivalents • 0  T E CHNI CAL DAT A PROJECT: COUNTRY: TOTAL COST: Rural Education and Training Dahomey $5.2 million • IDA FINANCING: $4 ntilli.on, star:dard IDA ter.ms OTHER FINANCING: Government of DahoTiey .Rnd UNDP IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: Director of Vocational Train.i.ng, Ministry o-f Civil Service and Labor, Cotonou, Dahmne:s ;;for tb::! skills upgrading center. Directeur General de liAction Rurale, Ministry of Rund. Development, Cotonou, Dahomey, for rural youth training. PROJECT I?ESCRIPTION: The project consists of (i) :i.mproving the effec- tiveness of the ongoing rural youth training program by establishing, at the national and regional levels, an effective administrative structure; (ii) construction of a skills upgrading center in Cotonou and provision of • instructional materials, equipment and technical assistance to it; and (iii) preinvestmenU studies for a f ollow--up training/ education project. PROCUREMENT: The civil works contract for the skills upgrading center ($600,000) will be awarded through inter- national competitive bidding (ICB) in accordance with Bank Group guidelines. Bona fide domestic civil works contractors will receive a 7-1/2% preference 1.n bid evaluation. Be- cause of their small size and geographic dispersion, civil works contracts associated with the project's rural youth training component ($800,000) will be awarded on the basis of locally advertised competitive bidding in accordance with local procedures acceptable to the Association. Contracts for furniture and e.quipment ($800,000) will be let in pack- ages of at least $20,000 and awarded following ICB. Local manufacturers of furniture and equipment may be allowed a preferential margin equivalent to either 15% of the c.i.f. price of competing imports or to thE total of applicable customs duties and import taxes, which- ever is lower. CONSULTANTS: Consultants are to carry out a 40 man-month study preparing, if justified, a follow-up project~ Moreover, fifteen man-years of technical assistance will be provided under this credit for the project's rural youth training component. Finally, UNDP will finance 15 man- years of technical assistance for the skills upgradi.ng center. ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 0 1980 •