Colombia - Higher Education Financing Reform Project

Report No. 23524 Report No: I074138 <--Please check for duplicates! Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet (Initial) Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 12/21/2001 Section I - Basic Information A. Basic Project Data Country: COLOMBIA Project ID: P074138 Project: CO: Higher Education Financing Reform Task Team Leader: Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen Appraisal Date: May 1, 2002 IBRD Amount ($m): 150.00 Bank Approval: November 21, 2002 IDA Amount ($m): Managing Unit: LCSHE Sector: ER - System Reform & Capacity Building; EY - Other Education Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan (SIL) Status: Lending I.A.2. Project Objectives: The project purpose is to improve human capital formation in Colombia by increasing the access to, and the equity, quality, relevance, and efficiency of, higher education. Improved human capital formation is expected in the long run, to contribute to economic growth and poverty alleviation - through human capital accumulation and technological progress - and have positive spillovers for civil society. At the end of the project, higher education coverage will have increased, as a proportion of the relevant age group, due to reforms in the current student credit structure. Access to education for students from poor and middle income backgrounds will be expanded through a targeted student aid program consisting of grants and loans. Quality of the education provided will have increased, thanks to a well articulated accreditation system and improved monitoring and evaluation mechanisms allowing students to make a more informed choice among offered programs. Relevance of received education will increase by prioritizing students in quality programs in fields of high relevance. Furthermore, science and technology capacity will be enhanced through a reform and enlargement of the graduation program that concurrently will permit an improvement in the qualifications of future faculty members. I.A.3. Project Description: Components: A. Student Aid Program B. Governance and Institutional Consolidation 1. Accreditation mechanism 2. Monitoring & Evaluation system 3. Relevance of higher education 4. Coordination and Stakeholder Participation C. Millennium Science Initiative 1. Reform of graduate programs 2. Competitive research grant program D. Project Implementation  I.A.4. Project Location: (Geographic location, information about the key environmental and social characteristics of the area and population likely to be affected, and proximity to any protected areas, or sites or critical natural habitats, or any other culturally or socially sensitive areas.) B. Check Environmental Classification: C (Not Required) Comments: C. Safeguard Policies Triggered Policy Applicability Environmental Assessment (OP/BP/GP 4.01) No Forestry (OP/GP 4.36) No Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) No Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) No Pest Management (OP 4.09) No Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) No Indigenous Peoples (OD 4.20) No Cultural Property (OP 4.11) No Projects in Disputed Territories (OP/BP/GP 7.60)* No Projects in International Waterways (OP/BP/GP 7.50) No *By supporting the proposed project, the Bank does not intend to prejudice the final determination of the parties' claims on the disputed areas Section II - Key Safeguard Issues and Their Management D. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues. Please fill in all relevant questions. If information is not available, describe steps to be taken to obtain necessary data. II.D.la. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts. II.D.lb. Describe any potential cumulative impacts due to application of more than one safeguard policy or due to multiple project component. II.D.lc Describe any potential long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area. II.D.2. In light of 1, describe the proposed treatment of alternatives (if required) II.D.3. Describe arrangement for the borrower to address safeguard issues Primary beneficiaries and other affected groups: Policy makers were consulted regarding the broad design of the reform initiative during several missions to Colombia. Other key stakeholders II.D.4. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. -2-  Through establishment of two networks to: (i) education-private sector cooperation; and (ii) internationalization. E. Safeguards Classification. Category is determined by the highest impact in any policy. Or on basis of cumulative impacts from multiple safeguards. Whenever an individual safeguard policy is triggered the provisions of that policy apply. I S1. - Significant, cumulative and/or irreversible impacts; or significant technical and institutional risks in management of one or more safeguard areas I S2. - One or more safeguard policies are triggered, but effects are limited in their impact and are technically and institutionally manageable [XI S3. - No safeguard issues I SF. - Financial intermediary projects, social development funds, community driven development or similar projects which require a safeguard framework or programmatic approach to address safeguard issues. F. Disclosure Requirements Environmental Assessment/Analysis/Management Plan: Expected Actual Date of receipt by the Bank Date of "in-country" disclosure Date of submission to InfoShop Date of distributing the Exec. Summary of the EA to the ED (For category A projects) Resettlement Action Plan/Framework: Expected Actual Date of receipt by the Bank Date of "in-country" disclosure Date of submission to InfoShop Indigenous Peoples Development Plan/Framework: Expected Actual Date of receipt by the Bank Date of "in-country" disclosure Date of submission to InfoShop Pest Management Plan: Expected Actual Date of receipt by the Bank Date of "in-country" disclosure Date of submission to InfoShop Dam Safety Management Plan: Expected Actual Date of receipt by the Bank Date of "in-country" disclosure Date of submission to InfoShop If in-country disclosure of any of the above documents is not expected, please explain why. Signed and submitted by Name Date Task Team Leader: Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen 01/18/02 Project Safeguards Specialists 1: Project Safeguards Specialists 2: Project Safeguards Specialists 3: Approved by: Name Date Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Juan D. Quintero 01/18/02 Sector Manager/Director: William Experton 1/24/02 For a list of World Bank news releases on projects and reports, click here - 3 -