Project name: Environmental and Social Systems Assessment for Program-for-Results: Improving Quality and Efficiency of Health Services in Croatia
Client: World Bank
Period: 10/2013 – 02/2014
Funding: World Bank
Location: Croatia
The objective of ESSA was to an do an upfront screening of key potential environmental and social risks and impacts of the Health Reform PforR as well as an assessment of the institutional/regulatory framework and organizational capacity and effectiveness of the relevant health sector institutions in Croatia to identify, avoid, minimize and mitigate any potential adverse environmental and social impacts and enhance any positive impacts while ensuring the participation of relevant stakeholders in the process. The ESSA included specific recommendation on how to mitigate all key risks and impacts and also how to address all identified gaps related to institutional/regulatory framework or organizational capacity. These recommendations were also articulated as Environmental and Social section of the Program Action Plan (PAP) for the PforR operation. For the needs of disclosure and public consultations the report would need to be prepared in Croatian and English languages
The assessment included reviews of the applicable legislation framework, review of the rules and procedures applicable to the Program to manage environmental and social risks and impacts; review of organizational authority and capacity to implement monitor/inspect and enforce; relevant inter-agency coordination arrangements; and effectiveness of environmental and social management in practice.
Work on the ESSA included three tasks: a) initial screening, b) preparation of ESSA report, c) stakeholder consultation. In line with the WB procedural requirements, the ESSA report included: (a) Program Description (which also included List of the key implementing agencies and partners involved in the Program; Description or assessment of the likely environmental and social risks; Description of the borrower’s past experience relevant for assessment of its capacity for PfR implementation); (b) Description of Applicable Environmental and Social Management Systems; (c) Program Capacity and Performance Assessment; (d) Suggested Areas of Improvements and Inputs to the Program Action Plan.
Services provided:
- Identification and assessment of major risk and opportunities associated with the Program
- Analysis of the relevant legal and policy framework;
- Analysis of the institutional capacities based on the existing reports describing previous performance and interviews with key staff
- Preparation of ESSA screening report
- Preparation of full ESSA report
- Stakeholder analysis, preparation and implementation of stakeholder consultation plan
