Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA)

Document of The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No: ICR00005973 IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION AND RESULTS REPORT GRANTS H7410-HT, D2100-HT, and TF011396 ON AN IDA GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF SDR 25.1 MILLION (US$40 MILLION EQUIVALENT) AND A GRANT FROM THE GLOBAL AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM (GAFSP) IN THE AMOUNT OF US$10 MILLION AND AN IDA GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF SDR 25.6 MILLION (US$ 35 MILLION EQUIVALENT) FROM CRISIS RESPONSE WINDOW RESOURCES TO THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI FOR THE RELAUNCHING AGRICULTURE: STRENGTHENING AGRICULTURE PUBLIC SERVICES II PROJECT (GAFSP - IDA) November 22, 2022 Agriculture and Food Global Practice Latin America And Caribbean Region Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (Exchange Rate Effective at Project Closing on March 31, 2022) Currency Unit = Haitian Gourdes (HTG) HTG 106.13 = US$1 US$1.38 = SDR 1 FISCAL YEAR October 1 - September 30 Regional Vice President: Carlos Felipe Jaramillo Country Director: Lilia Burunciuc Country Manager: Laurent Msellati Regional Director: Anna Wellenstein Practice Manager: Diego Arias Carballo Task Team Leader(s): Soulemane Fofana ICR Main Contributor: McDonald Benjamin ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ACCPAC A Complete and Comprehensive Program for Accounting Control (accounting software) AF Additional Financing BAC Agriculture Communal Office ( Bureau Agricole Communale ) CDC (United States) Center for Disease Control CERC Contingency Emergency Response Component CNSA National Food Security Commission (Commission Nationale de Sécurité Alimentaire) CPF Country Partnership Framework CRW Crisis Response Window CW Civil Works CS Consulting Services DDA Departmental Agriculture Directorate ( Direction D é partamentale d'Agriculture ) DFPEA Department of Training and Promotion of Agricultural Entrepreneurship ( Direction Formation et Promotion de l’Entreprenariat Agricole ) DI Department of Innovation ( Direction de l’Innovation ) DIME Development Impact Evaluation DPV/PS Department of Plant Protection ( Direction de la Protection V é g é tale ) DSA Animal Health Department ( Direction de Sant é Animale ) DSE Directorate of Monitoring and Evaluation ( Direction de Suivi et Évaluation ) EFA Economic and Financial Analysis EIRR Economic Internal Rate of Return EMAVA Agricultural Middle School of the Artibonite Valley ( Ecole Moyenne d’Agriculture de la Vallée de l’Artibonite ) ERC Emergency Response Contingency ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan EX - ACT Ex - Ante Carbon Balance Tool FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FAO - CP Food and Agriculture Organization - World Bank Cooperative Program FFS Farmer Field Schools FM Financial Management FSS Farmer Subsidy Scheme FY Fiscal Year GAFSP Global Agriculture and Food Security Program GDP Gross Domestic Product GHG Greenhouse Gas GO Goods GoH Government of Haiti GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism Ha Hectares HTG Haitian Gourdes ICR Implementation Completion and Results Report IDA International Development Association IDB Inter - American Development Bank IFR Interim Financial Report IMF International Monetary Fund IRR Internal Rate of Return ISDS Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet ISN Interim Strategy Note ISO International Organization for Standardization ISR Implementation Status and Results Report KPI Key Performance Indicator LAC Latin America and the Caribbean Region m Million M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MARNDR Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development ( Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Ressources Naturelles et du Développement Rural ) MG Matching Grant MS Moderately Satisfactory MSF Market Support Facility MTR Mid - Term Review M U Moderately Unsatisfactory NCS Non - Consulting Services NGO Non - Governmental Organization NPV Net Present Value OCC Opportunity Cost of Capital OP Operating Costs OPS Private Service Providers ( Opérateurs Prestataires de Services ) OP/BP Operational Policy / Bank Procedure PAD Project Appraisal Document PARSA Emergency Resilient Agriculture for Food Security Project PDNA Post - Disaster Needs Assessment PDVA National Agriculture Extension Strategy ( Plan Directeur de Vulgarisation Agricole ) PDO Project Development Objective PIU Project Implementation Unit PNIA National Agricultural Investment Plan ( Plan National d'Investissement Agricole ) PRECONIA Avian and Human Influenza Project PRODEP Community Driven Development Project RESEPAG II Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project RF Results Framework RPF Resettlement Policy Framework RAP Resettlement Action Plan RPO Rural Producers Organization S Satisfacto ry SDR Special Drawing Rights SMS Short Message Service SPO Service Providing Operator SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary Services STEP Systematic Tracking and Exchange in Procurement TA Technical Assistance tCO 2 e Tons of carbon dioxide equivalent TF Trust Fund TOC Theory of Change TR Training TTL Task Team Leader U Unsatisfactory UPMP Unified Procurement Unit ( Unit é de Passation des March é s Publics ) UPS Sanitary Protection Unit ( Unit é de Protection Sanitaire ) US$ United States dollar WB World Bank WBG World Bank Group The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) i TABLE OF CONTENTS DATA SHEET ............................................................................................................................................. II I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES ......................................................................... 1 A. CONTEXT AT APPRAISAL ......................................................................................................................... 1 B. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................. 5 II. OUTCOME ........................................................................................................................................ 8 A. RELEVANCE OF PDOs ............................................................................................................................... 8 B. ACHIEVEMENT OF PDO (EFFICACY) ......................................................................................................... 9 C. EFFICIENCY ............................................................................................................................................. 12 D. JUSTIFICATION OF OVERALL OUTCOME RATING ................................................................................. 13 E. OTHER OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS ........................................................................................................ 14 III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME ................................................... 15 A. KEY FACTORS DURING PREPARATION .................................................................................................. 15 B. KEY FACTORS DURING IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................... 16 IV. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME...................... 18 A. QUALITY OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) ......................................................................... 18 B. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND FIDUCIARY COMPLIANCE ................................................................. 19 C. BANK PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................................ 20 D. RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME ...................................................................................................... 22 V. LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................... 23 ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS .............................................................................. 25 ANNEX 2. BANK LENDING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT/SUPERVISION ............................................. 40 ANNEX 3. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT AND BY SOURCE OF FINANCING.............................................. 45 ANNEX 4. EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................. 46 ANNEX 5. RECIPIENT, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS .......................... 55 ANNEX 6. SUMMARY OF THE RECIPIENT'S COMPLETION REPORT ............................................................. 56 ANNEX 7. A MATRIX OF RESTRUCTURING CHANGES DURING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION........................ 62 ANNEX 8. EVOLUTION OF THE RESULTS FRAMEWORK WITH PROJECT RESTRUCTURINGS .......................... 73 ANNEX 9. SUPPLEMENTARY FIGURES, TABLES AND BOXES ...................................................................... 81 ANNEX 10. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS.................................................................................................... 86 The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) ii DATA SHEET BASIC INFORMATION Product Information Project ID Project Name P126744 Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) Country Financing Instrument Haiti Investment Project Financing Original EA Category Revised EA Category Partial Assessment (B) Partial Assessment (B) Organizations Borrower Implementing Agency Republic of Haiti Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO The PDOs are to strengthen the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development's (MARNDR) capacity to defineandimplement the National Agriculture Extension Strategy, to increase access of small farmers to agriculture extension servicesandtraining on animal and plant health in priority regions, and to provide financial assistance in the case of an agriculturesectoremergency. Revised PDO The new proposed PDO is: to (a) reinforce the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development to provide or facilitate access to services in the agricultural sector; (b) increase market access to small producers and food security in Selected Areas; (c) improve livelihood in areas affected by Hurricane Matthew and (d) enable the Government to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible emergency. The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) iii FINANCING Original Amount (US$) Revised Amount (US$) Actual Disbursed (US$) World Bank Financing IDA-H7410 40,000,000 40,000,000 35,293,623 TF-11396 10,000,000 8,998,848 8,998,848 IDA-D2100 35,000,000 35,000,000 34,359,103 Total 85,000,000 83,998,848 78,651,574 Non-World Bank Financing 0 0 0 Borrower/Recipient 0 0 0 Total 0 0 0 Total Project Cost 85,000,000 83,998,848 78,651,574 KEY DATES FIN_TABLE_DAT Approval Effectiveness MTR Review Original Closing Actual Closing 01 - Dec - 2011 03 - Apr - 2012 26 - Jan - 2015 30 - Nov - 2016 31 - Mar - 2022 The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) iv RESTRUCTURING AND/OR ADDITIONAL FINANCING Date(s) Amount Disbursed (US$M) Key Revisions 02 - Jul - 2015 12.82 Change in Project Development Objectives Change in Results Framework Change in Components and Cost Change in Loan Closing Date(s) Reallocation between Disbursement Categories Change in Financial Management Change in Procurement Change in Implementation Schedule Other Change(s) 14 - Jun - 2017 22.43 Additional Financing Change in Project Development Objectives Change in Results Framework Change in Components and Cost Reallocation between Disbursement Categories Change in Disbursements Arrangements Change in Safeguard Policies Triggered Change in Legal Covenants Change in Procurement Change in Implementation Schedule Other Change(s) 02 - Jun - 2019 43.38 Change in Results Framework Change in Loan Closing Date(s) Reallocation between Disbursement Categories Other Change(s) 21 - Dec - 2021 77.04 Change in Loan Closing Date(s) Change in Implementation Schedule KEY RATINGS Outcome Bank Performance M&E Quality Satisfactory Satisfactory Substantial The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) v RATINGS OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE IN ISRs No. Date ISR Archived DO Rating IP Rating Actual Disbursements (US$M) 01 25-Dec-2011 Satisfactory Satisfactory 0 02 29-Jun-2012 Satisfactory Satisfactory 0 03 16-Jan-2013 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 5.00 04 26-Oct-2013 Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory 6.04 05 16-May-2014 Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory 7.16 06 19-Nov-2014 Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory 8.42 07 12-Jun-2015 Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory 11.82 08 11-Dec-2015 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 14.95 09 17-Jun-2016 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 16.53 10 21-Dec-2016 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 18.67 11 18-Jun-2017 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 22.43 12 24-Dec-2017 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 26.08 13 17-Jun-2018 Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory 36.94 14 14-Dec-2018 Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory 39.68 15 08-Apr-2019 Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 43.38 16 28-Jun-2019 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 43.38 17 23-Dec-2019 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 53.65 18 28-Jun-2020 Satisfactory Satisfactory 62.19 19 11-Dec-2020 Satisfactory Satisfactory 69.60 20 19-Jun-2021 Satisfactory Satisfactory 75.78 The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) vi 21 21-Dec-2021 Satisfactory Satisfactory 77.04 22 08-Apr-2022 Satisfactory Satisfactory 80.14 SECTORS AND THEMES Sectors Major Sector/Sector (%) Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry 100 Agricultural Extension, Research, and Other Support Activities 89 Fisheries 2 Public Administration - Agriculture, Fishing & Forestry 7 Livestock 2 Themes Major Theme/ Theme (Level 2)/ Theme (Level 3) (%) Finance 3 Finance for Development 3 Agriculture Finance 3 Human Development and Gender 15 Gender 5 Nutrition and Food Security 10 Nutrition 5 Food Security 5 Urban and Rural Development 83 Rural Development 83 Rural Markets 3 Rural Infrastructure and service delivery 80 The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) vii ADM STAFF Role At Approval At ICR Regional Vice President: Pamela Cox Carlos Felipe Jaramillo Country Director: Alexandre V. Abrantes Lilia Burunciuc Director: Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez Anna Wellenstein Practice Manager: Ethel Sennhauser Diego Arias Carballo Task Team Leader(s): Diego Arias Carballo Ziva Razafintsalama, Soulemane Fofana ICR Contributing Author: McDonald P. Benjamin The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) Page 1 of 88 I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES A. CONTEXT AT APPRAISAL 1. At the time of appraisal, Haiti was the poorest country in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, with 78 percent of the population living on less than US$2 per day . In rural areas, 88 percent of individuals lived below the poverty line, and as basic services were practically nonexistent, multidimensional poverty was widespread. Moreover, the devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck southern Haiti on January 12, 2010, had resulted in the death of around 220,000 people and destroyed the equivalent of 120 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). It was compounded the same year by Hurricane Thomas and by a cholera outbreak that struck over 820,000 Haitians, as well as by soaring food prices, so that Haiti's most vulnerable families spent 80 percent of their budgets on food. 2. Agriculture played a dominant role in the economy, contributing 25 percent of GDP and accounting for around 50 percent of employment in Haiti, (66 percent in rural areas, rising to 75 percent among low-income households). However, farmers lacked access to proper technologies and capacity building to increase production and productivity. The vast majority of Haitian farmers did not use improved planting materials, simply planting seeds saved from the previous crops in degraded soil without pest controls or inputs other than hand tools. Chronic under-investment in the rural economy (notably in infrastructure, public services and programs) and ineffective natural resource management had steadily depleted the rural productive base, leading to a high dependence on imports of grains to feed the Haitian population. Moreover, with small, fragmented average farm holdings (of less than 2 hectares), and high risks of shocks, farm households had to diversify incomes via non-agricultural sources and migrant remittances (cf. Annex 9, Box 1). 3. Following the 2010 earthquake, the Government of Haiti (GoH) developed a National Agriculture Investment Plan (PNIA) for the period 2011-2016. 1 The plan drew on existing National Agriculture Policy and the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) 2 prepared after the earthquake, and was aligned with the existing Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. 3 The PNIA set out three key components that focused on: (i) rural infrastructure; (ii) production and productivity of subsectors; and (iii) agriculture public services and institutional support. It emphasized priority regions selected according to: (i) post-earthquake migration patterns into rural areas; (ii) the location and competitiveness of agricultural supply chains; and (iii) priority watersheds. It also identified important financing gaps to be closed. 4 4. In this context, there was a strong rationale for Bank engagement to strengthen GoH's support for Haitian farmers, building on earlier engagements in the agricultural sector and coordinating closely with donor partners . The challenge for GoH to improve agricultural productivity, food supplies, food security and health and nutrition (all objectives under the PNIA), especially in the post-earthquake context, without technical and financial support to strengthen its agricultural public services for farmers would have been enormous. Thus, US$10 million in grant financing was received from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to strengthen institutional capacity to provide agricultural public services. IDA grant financing of US$40 million equivalent was added to provide and administer direct support to farmers, for a total of US$50 million equivalent in financing for the "Relaunching 1 Haiti - Plan National D'Investissement Agricole, May 2010. Available at: http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/hai146377.pdf 2 Haiti Earthquake PDNA: Assessment of Damage, losses, general and sectoral needs. March 2010. Available at: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/355571468251125062/pdf/701020ESW0P1190R0Haiti0PDNA020100EN.pdf 3 IMF Country Report No. 08/115, available at: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2008/cr08115.pdf 4 Cf. Table 1 of the Project Appraisal Document (PAD) for RESEPAG II (P126744), Report No: 64574-HT, October 31, 2011. The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) Page 2 of 88 Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project" (RESEPAG II, P126744) . In designing RESEPAG II , which was targeted towards small and medium producers in regions specified in the PNIA, the Bank built on the US$5 million first-stage IDA grant for Strengthening of Agricultural Public Services Project (RESEPAG I). 5 RESEPAG I focused on core institutional strengthening of managerial and agriculture policy formulation capacity, and it piloted enhanced local support via farmer and service provider registries, research and extension services, and incentive payments to farmers to adopt improved technologies. RESEPAG I also established the approach that was adopted and reinforced by RESEPAG II to place project coordination firmly under the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR), and the same coordinating unit in MARNDR implemented both projects (see Section II.E on Institutional Strengthening and Annex 9 Box 2). The Bank also built on emerging lessons from RESEPAG I, notably the devastating earthquake of January 2010, by including an emergency response component that had not been envisaged under RESEPAG I, so as to be able to respond quickly and flexibly under RESEPAG II in the fragile context of Haiti. Moreover, the Bank drew on its experiences with the Avian Influenza Control and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project - PRECONIA (US$1.557 million equivalent IDA Grant) 6 executed under the oversight of MARNDR, notably with regard to animal health preparedness and prevention activities, and the Bank- funded Community Driven Development (PRODEP) project (US$38 million equivalent IDA Grant) 7 executed under the oversight of the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, which included a community sub-project funds scheme that informed the design of the Market Support Facility (MSF) under RESEPAG II. The Bank also coordinated its support under RESEPAG II closely with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which was also supporting GoH's PNIA via a new planned US$40 million Small Farmer Agriculture Technology Transfer Project that would provide "smart subsidies" for the adoption of improved technologies to farmers in northern Haiti, building on and expanding the application of the farmer subsidy methodology piloted under RESEPAG I. 5. The Bank's support under RESEPAG II was designed to align closely with the World Bank Group's (WBG) Interim Strategy Note (ISN) for 2012 , 8 which was presented to the Board on the same day as RESEPAG II, and especially with its pillars for reducing Haiti's vulnerability and increasing its resilience to shocks, building human capital, and revitalizing the economy, by: (i) building capacity at the sector level to respond to future crisis and emergencies; (ii) improving education at the vocational level in the agriculture sector; and (iii) improving the growth and competitiveness of Haitian agriculture and its role in the economy. 6. At the time of the Additional Financing (AF) for RESEPAG II, approved in June 2017, the context was again dire, due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew, the most severe hurricane to strike Haiti in more than 50 years . The Category IV hurricane struck Haiti on October 4, 2016, caused losses and damages equivalent to 32 percent of GDP, resulted in the deaths of 500 people, and left almost 1.4 million people in need of life-saving assistance. The impact of Hurricane Matthew on the agricultural sector was estimated at US$603 million. In response, the Board approved an AF grant of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) 25.6 million (US$35 million equivalent) from Crisis Response Window (CRW) resources for RESEPAG II, whose scope was expanded significantly 9 to relaunch and promote animal husbandry and invest in more resilient water management infrastructure, while scaling up subsidies in southern Haiti to relaunch agricultural production. RESEPAG II had been restructured in July 2015, following a Mid-Term Review (MTR) in January 2015, and was progressing moderately satisfactorily when Hurricane Matthew struck southern Haiti. The original project rationale remained valid at the time of the AF, although the AF increased the emphasis on climate 5 Cf. the PAD for RESEPAG I (P113623), Report No. 48775-HT, dated June 1, 2009. RESEPAG I was approved in June 2009, became effective in October 2009 and closed on August 31, 2014. It was, therefore, implemented conterminously with RESEPAG II. 6 Cf. the Project Paper for PRECONIA (P111667), Report No. 44348-HT, dated June 24, 2008. 7 Cf. the Project Appraisal Document for PRODEP (P093640), Report No. 32634-HT, dated July 6, 2005. 8 Cf. Report No. 65112-HT, dated November 1, 2011. 9 Cf. page 1 of the RESEPAG II Project Paper, Report No. PAD2331, dated June 1, 2017. The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) Page 3 of 88 resilience and on support for agricultural recovery in disaster - affected areas. 10 The AF was fully aligned with the WBG's 2015-2019 Country Partnership Framework (CPF), 11 contributing to the strategic objectives of promoting inclusive growth (via enhanced income opportunities) and resilience (via strengthened climate resilience), and the cross-cutting objective of strengthening governance (via improved capacity for delivering basic agricultural services). Theory of Change (Results Chain) 7. RESEPAG II was approved before presentation of a Theory of Change in the PAD became mandatory, and consequently, the PAD did not contain a diagrammatic representation. Figure 1 presents the Theory of Change implicit in the project description and results framework in the PAD, and notes key changes to the Project over time, which are discussed further in Section I.B, below (See Annex 9 for the final Results Framework (RF) after restructuring). In the fragile context of Haiti, RESEPAG II was fundamentally about enhancing institutional capacity to provide public agricultural services in a context of fragility and vulnerability, requiring flexibility and possible emergency responses. 12 Figure 1: Theory of Change Framework Implicit in the Description and Results Framework at Approval Project Development Objectives (PDOs) 8. The PDO at appraisal was to: (a) strengthen MARNDR's capacity to define and implement the National Agriculture Extension Strategy; (b) increase access of small farmers to Agriculture Extension Services and training on animal and 10 Cf. ibid., page 6. 11 Report No. 98132-HT, discussed by the World Bank's Board of Directors on September 29, 2015. 12 Annex 5 of the PAD on Implementation Support notes that: "The strategy for Implementation Support (IS) has been developed based on the nature of the project and its risk profile. It will aim at making implementation support to the client more flexible and efficient... The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) Page 4 of 88 plant health in the Priority Regions; and (c) provide fi nancial assistance in the case of an Agriculture Sector Emergency. 13 Key Expected Outcomes and Outcome Indicators 9. The three Outcomes of the Project Development Objective, and their related indicators, as originally approved, were as follows: (1) "strengthen MARNDR's capacity to define and implement the National Agriculture Extension Strategy" was to be measured by the "Definition, adoption and implementation of a national extension strategy by the MARDNR and main stakeholders"; (2) "increase access of small farmers to Agriculture Extension Services and training on animal and plant health in the Priority Regions" was to be measured by the "Number of farmers that have access to improved agriculture information, technologies, inputs, material, and services". In addition, the project's third PDO indicator, namely the "Number of client days of extension services provided to farmers, community members, etc. (disaggregated by gender)" would serve to measure progress on both the first and second parts of the PDO. Finally, the third outcome of the PDO, namely to "provide financial assistance in the case of an Agriculture Sector Emergency" was contingent, and while examples of possible activities were cited, no outcome indicators were specified at Appraisal. Components 10. RESEPAG II was designed with the following four components and estimated costs at appraisal : 14  Component 1, Strengthening the role of MARNDR in providing agricultural support services (US$10 million, financed by GAFSP): This component was designed to enhance MARNDR's capacity to define and implement the National Agriculture Extension Strategy (PDVA) through, inter alia, the carrying out of institutional and organizational reforms within MARNDR at the national, departmental and local level. This included planning and coordination of agricultural extension and training services; develop agriculture sector information systems so as to increase the availability and quality of price and agro-climatic data; and to strengthen Sanitary and Phytosanitary Services (SPS) capacity.  Providing support for local agricultural extension and innovation services (US$36 million equivalent, financed by IDA): This component was to strengthen the local provision of, and access to, agricultural support and extension services through: (i) the establishment of a Market Support Facility (MSF) to be managed by MARNDR, in coordination with Tables de Concertation Agricole Departamentale , 15 to co-finance, on a matching-grant basis, investments and/or activities for productive purposes, including for the adoption of priority technologies; applied research; strengthening of producer organizations; improvements in post-harvest and agribusiness technology; and strengthening of MSF's institutional capacity.  Agriculture Risk and Emergency Response Contingent Reserve (US$1 million equivalent, financed by IDA): This component was to provide support upon occurrence of an Agriculture Sector Emergency through: (i) the carrying out of Emergency Recovery and Rehabilitation Subprojects and/or (ii) the implementation of a Farmers Subsidy Scheme for Eligible Farmers.  Project Administration and Coordination (US$3 million equivalent, financed by IDA): This component was to support MARNDR in its day-to-day management of the project through, inter alia, the provision of technical assistance, the acquisition of equipment and vehicles and the financing of operating costs. 13 Schedule 1 of the Financing Agreement for Grant H741-0-HT, dated January 11, 2012. 14 Cf. pages 7-9 of the PAD for RESEPAG II. For the revised and actual costs by component and source of financing, see Annex 3. 15 These are Department-level Roundtables for Consultations on Agriculture, chaired by MARNDR and comprising Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Farmer Organizations, and public and private organizations in Haiti's 10 Departments. The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) Page 5 of 88 11. The total project cost at Appraisal was US$ 50 million . This increased to US$ 79.4 million with the 2017 AF , while the Actual Cost of RESEPAG II at Project Closing was US$80.56 million (Cf. detailed cost tables in Annex 3). 16 B. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING IMPLEMENTATION Revised PDOs, Outcome Targets and PDO Indicators 12. With the formal restructuring of RESEPAG II on July 2, 2015, the PDO was broadened (beyond a focus on agricultural extension, to access to services and markets) as follows: The development objectives of the Project are to: (a) reinforce the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development to provide or facilitate access to services in the agricultural sector; (b) increase market access to small producers and food security in Selected Areas; and (c) provide financial assistance in the case of an Agriculture Sector Emergency. 13. When the AF was approved on June 14, 2017, the PDO was expanded from three to four expected outcomes, as follows: (a) reinforce the capacity of MARNDR to provide or facilitate access to services in the agricultural sector; (b) increase market access to small producers and food security in Selected Areas; (c) improve livelihood in areas affected by Hurricane Matthew; and (d) enable the Recipient to respond promptly and effectively to an Eligible Emergency. 17 14. RESEPAG II was restructured two more times, on June 2, 2019, and on December 21, 2021, without requiring Board approval. The changes made in the course of the 2015 formal (Level 1) restructuring and the 2017 AF and in the two Level 2 restructurings are summarized in Annex 9 Table A9.1 and detailed in Annexes 7 and 8. At Project Closing, the PDO comprised four expected outcomes with their respective revised PDO Indicators, as shown in Table 1 below. Table 1 : PDO Objectives, Indicators and Targets at Project Closing for RESEPAG II PDO Outcomes Associated PDO Indicators PDO Indicator Final Targets (a) reinforce the capacity of MARNDR to provide or facilitate access to services in the agricultural sector; PDO indicator 1: Key elements to strengthen the institutional capacity of MARNDR implemented: 80% (b) increase market access to small producers and food security in Selected Areas; PDO Indicator 2: Value of production generated by the farmer subsidy scheme program: US$24 million PDO Indicator 3: Increase in sales of the supported producer organizations: 50 percent PDO indicator 4: Direct project beneficiaries: Of which (4.1): Female beneficiaries: 60,000 40% (c) improve livelihood in areas affected by Hurricane Matthew; Of which (4.2): Households affected by Hurricane Matthew that received support from the Crisis Response Window: Of which (4.3): Beneficiaries in the Southern region: 28,000 50,500 (d) enable the Recipient to respond promptly and effectively to an Eligible Emergency. PDO Indicator 5: Time taken to disburse funds requested by the Government for an eligible emergency: 4 weeks 16 Although the AF was for US$35 million equivalent, the total cost projected in the 2017 AF increased by only US$29.4 million relative to the US$50 million equivalent at appraisal, due to strengthening of the US dollar versus the SDR between 2011-17. The US dollar then weakened again slightly against the SDR before Project Closing, which allowed for total project costs to rise in US dollar terms, with the final Actual Cost at Project Closing equivalent to US$80.56 million, with US$2.4 million undisbursed. 17 Schedule 1 of the Financing Agreement for Grant D2100-HT, dated June 29, 2017. The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) Page 6 of 88 Revised Components 15. At Project Closing, RESEPAG II had the same components as at appraisal, with revised/added sub-components:  Component 1 maintained three sub-components throughout the project for extension and training, agricultural information, and SPS support. In the 2015 Restructuring, the component was renamed "Agricultural Support Services" and was revised to reduce the number of MARNDR's Technical Directorates involved, while shifting the emphasis from the agricultural extension and information sub-components towards the SPS sub-component in response to changing needs (cf. Section III on Key Factors and Annex 7). The June 2019 Restructuring dropped a few SPS activities that could not be completed by December 2019 for procurement or security reasons (see Section II.B), while consolidating achievements in epidemiological surveillance and vaccinations.  Component 2 was renamed "Direct Support to Producers and Associations" in the 2015 Restructuring and was expanded significantly during implementation, with the addition of three sub-components to the original MSF support for matching grants and technical assistance (TA) for Rural Producer Organizations (RPOs). The first new sub-component was added in the 2015 Restructuring to support the expansion of the voucher-based Farmer Subsidy System (FSS), which subsidized the adoption of improved agricultural technologies by individual farmers (as piloted under RESEPAG I). The FSS was expanded further with the 2017 AF, especially in Southern Haiti after Hurricane Matthew, and included a new line of subsidies for agroforestry to enhance climate resilience. The AF also added two new sub-components under Component 2 for: (i) animal husbandry (to restock livestock following Hurricane Matthew) and (ii) irrigation rehabilitation and micro-catchment protection. This was done via contracts for works for more complex works and a cash-for-work program for small-scale, labor-intensive rehabilitation works, to improve local livelihoods.  While Component 3 was renamed "Emergency Response Contingency" in the 2019 Level 2 Restructuring and its allocation was adjusted over the course of project implementation, its purpose remained that of enabling GoH to respond effectively in the event of an eligible emergency.  The 2015 Restructuring greatly expanded the scope of Component 4 from "Project Administration and Coordination" to "Institutional Strengthening, Monitoring and Evaluation, Project Management and Studies", and an intermediate indicator, namely the "Number of agricultural producers registered in the MARNDR registry", was assigned to the component with the 2019 Level 2 Restructuring. Adjustments in project costs for the four components in light of the above revisions are shown in Annex 3. Other Changes 16. A number of other revisions were also made to RESEPAG II . These include d triggering Operational Policy/Bank Procedure (OP/BP) 4.12 with the 2017 AF; changes in disbursement estimates and reallocations between disbursement categories; adjusted financial management covenants to reflect the expanded activities; new procurement covenants in the 2015 Restructuring to reflect the centralization of all procurement for donor-financed projects with MARNDR in its new centralized procurement unit ( Unité de Passation de Marchés Publics , UPMP), and the application of the Project Procurement Strategy for Development (PPSD) and the application of the Systematic Tracking and Exchanges in Procurement (STEP) system with the 2017 AF; and changes in the implementation schedule associated with five extensions of the Project Closing Date, from November 30, 2016 to June 30, 2018, to December 31, 2019, to December 31, 2021, and finally to March 31, 2022, (although the GAFSP grant and the activities it financed under Component 1 were closed earlier, on December 31, 2019). The Board also approved a policy waiver with the 2017 AF to provide the SDR 25.6 million in CRW financing for the AF in the form of a grant, rather than on prevailing IDA terms for Haiti in Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17). Finally, changes were made to the Legal Covenants to reflect the other changes above. All the changes under the four Restructurings, together with the rationale for the changes, are detailed in Annex 7. The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) Page 7 of 88 Rationale for Changes and Their Implication on the Original Theory of Change 17. The 2015 Restructuring was undertaken to improve project performance , which had slipped to Moderately Unsatisfactory (MU). The Restructuring streamlined the number of agencies engaged in Component 1 and refocused the component in response to changing circumstances by realigning the PDO, the Results Framework, components and project funds while providing more time for the PDO to be achieved. In particular, by 2015, GoH had already adopted and was implementing the new National Agriculture Extension Strategy that was at the heart of the original PDO, while the emergence of pest infestations in 2012-13 underscored the need to redefine and broaden the capacity reinforcement for MARNDR under Component 1 from a focus on extension to refer instead to "provide or facilitate access to services in the agriculture sector". The pest infestations, especially white mealybug (cochineal), but also coffee rust and the threat of a cross-border fruit fly infestation that could affect Haiti's exports of mangos to the United States, had led to the triggering of the emergency component and required the reallocation of resources to the SPS sub- component. Sub-component 1.b of Component 1 (on agricultural information systems) was also refocused to drop the hydro-meteorological work (taken up in 2015 in a separate IDA-financed Strengthening Hydromet Services Project - P148259) while expanding the focus on market information, with support from Haiti's National Coordination for Food Security (CNSA). 18 In addition, Component 2 was expanded in response to a request from GoH to continue financing the FSS under RESEPAG II–following the closure of RESEPAG I in 2014–which led to the inclusion of a sub-component for FSS under Component 2. In light of the above, the results framework was completely revised and strengthened, with a revised PDO that not only broadened the public services objective supported by component 1 but that also increased ambition by emphasizing improved access to markets rather than just to training and extension via component 2 activities. Clearer Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were also introduced that were more closely linked to the (revised) project activities and the number of PDO indicators was increased from three to five (see Annex 8). The changes in objectives and activities drove the financial management changes, reallocations and adjustments in disbursement categories, and the issuance of an updated Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet (ISDS). The Bank also began to work closely with and strengthen capacity in MARNDR's new UPMP. The Closing Date was extended, and the disbursement estimates and implementation schedule were adjusted to allow for more time to achieve the PDO. 18. The 2017 AF and Board-approved Restructuring responded to the damage and losses produced by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 . The project was advancing Moderately Satisfactorily following the 2015 Mid-Term Review and Restructuring, when the PDO, results framework and components (including the addition of two new sub- components) were revised and expanded in June 2017 to reflect RESEPAG II's response to the hurricane. Funding was increased for Component 2 and for project management in light of the AF. A key rationale for revising the activities under Component 2 was to place increased emphasis on longer-term climate resilience (e.g., via the agro-forestry and other technologies supported by the FSS and via the micro-catchment protection), even while meeting immediate livelihood needs (notably via the use of a cash-for-work program and expanded subsidies). In light of the possibility that the new irrigation rehabilitation activities could result in involuntary resettlement, OP/BP 4.12 was triggered, while the preparation of the Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) was delayed in line with OP 10.00 (see Section IV.B below). The disbursement categories were rationalized to simplify disbursements, in line with emerging best practice, while disbursement amounts and the pace of disbursement were adjusted in line with the higher disbursements expected with the AF, and the PPSD and STEP system were applied in line with the Bank's updated procurement guidelines. The rationale for the adjusted implementation schedule and Closing Date extension was to accommodate the additional resources under the AF and to align the Closing Dates for the original GASFP and IDA funds and the AF's CRW funding. 18 The dropped hydro-meteorological work was taken up in 2015 in a separate IDA-financed Strengthening Hydromet Services Project (P148259) for US$5 million. Cf. https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P148259. The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) Page 8 of 88 19. The rationale for the 2019 Restructuring was to ensure full achievement of the PDO, especially the activities to restore the productive capacity lost because of Hurricane Matthew, and to improve the measurement of results in the Results Framework . The extension of the Closing Date by two years was to allow the irrigation infrastructure rehabilitation works to be procured (following delays) and undertaken protecting around 2,000 hectares (ha) of agricultural land. In addition, the measurement of three PDO indicators was adjusted to better capture the outcomes, while a fourth was adjusted downwards to improve realism based on both analytical and ground-level information. Several indicators were also adjusted for reasons described in Annex 7. 20. The rationale for the 2021 Restructuring was to extend the Closing Date by three more months to March 31, 2022, to allow for an orderly completion of the remaining project activities . 21. The refinements of the PDO and Results Framework as a result of the Restructurings greatly strengthened the (implicit) Theory of Change . The original PDO and two of the three original PDO indicators were focused on extension strategy and implementation, but in order to respond flexibly to changing circumstances (notably pest infestations and Hurricane Matthew) the Bank revised the PDO and RF to reflect the new priorities. Importantly, the quality of the indicators, in terms of their linkages and alignment from activities to results and to outcomes improved with the refinements made during the life of the project (e.g., by indicators directly related to the FSS and MSF support), as did clarity with regard to the best way to measure them (e.g., by recognizing that before/after comparisons were better measured by the value than by the quantity of production, due to the large number of beneficiaries who changed what they produced as a result of the incentives and TA they received). 22. Although RESEPAG II was restructured four times, including twice with Board-level approvals, one overall outcome rating for RESEPAG II is provided in Section II below, (rather than a split rating for the pre-post restructuring periods), due to the broadening of the scope and ambition of RESEPAG II over the life of the project. The increasing ambition and scope described above also applies to its geographic coverage, which was broadened from the Nord/Nord- Est and Sud Departments to include the Centre and Grand'Anse Departments as well (cf. Annex 9 Figure A9.2). II. OUTCOME A. RELEVANCE OF PDOs 23. The relevance of RESEPAG II throughout the life of the project is rated as High. RESEPAG II was closely aligned with, and indeed presented to the Board of Directors on the same day as, the Bank's Interim Strategy Note for Haiti, and was drawn up to support the 2011-16 PNIA that MARNDR had prepared with Bank and donor partner support (see Section I.A above). Similarly, the 2017 AF was aligned with the 2015-19 CPF and with the 2018 Performance and Learning Review (PLR) 19 –with their areas of focus on inclusive growth, investment in human capital, and resilience–and reflects agriculture and food security priorities identified in the most recent Strategic Country Diagnostic Update for Haiti. 20 RESEPAG II also aligned perfectly with the three key axes of GoH's 2016-2021 PNIA, adopted shortly before the AF was approved and in place over the final five years of the project, namely: (i) agricultural infrastructure, especially for water management; (ii) increasing production along value chains, and (iii) strengthening agricultural services and institutional capacity. 21 In the fragile context of Haiti, building institutional capacity was a core priority for RESEPAG II: its overarching objective to strengthen institutional capacity for providing agricultural public services directly addressed MARNDR's 19 Cf. the WBG's 2015-2019 Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Haiti, Report No. 98132-HT, discussed by the Board on September 29, 2015, and the Performance and Learning Review of the Country Partnership Strategy for the Republic of Haiti for the period FY16-19, Report No. 124812-HT, dated May 31, 2018, which extended the CPF by two years to 2021. 20 Haiti - Responding to recurrent crises and chronic fragility. Systematic Country Diagnostic Update. January 2022. 21 Haiti - Plan National d'Investissement Agricole (PNIA 2016-2021), dated November 2016 (cf. the strategic approach on p.17). The World Bank Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II Project (GAFSP - IDA) (P126744) Page 9 of 88 constrained abili ty to support farmers in accessing proper technologies and capacity building so as to increase production, productivity, livelihoods and resilience. RESEPAG II maintained its high relevance during implementation by responding flexibly to changing circumstances, notably via restructurings to address more resources in response to pest infestations and Hurricane Matthew, and by providing emergency responses in times of crisis: not only was the emergency component triggered three times (in the last case following the August 202