Benin Economic Governance for Service Delivery Program for Results

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The IPF component will finance studies, advisory services, training, and the development and integration of information systems. Specific Technical Assistance (TA) support in the form of specialized and high-level technical expertise will focus on the drafting of the new civil service regulations and overall implementation of performance-based management, studies to support the restructuring and institutional re-organization of the customs administration, quality control of training modules, performance evaluation, PFM good practices, manual and dissemination, GovTech solutions (e-payment, e-tax, e-procurement), harmonization of methodologies in statistics production, training of statistics agents, change management and communications strategies, third Party Verification Agency combined with TA to the Court of Accounts on Verification of the PforR, Financial Audit of IPF component, support the PforR M&E system to track implementation progress and coordination, and set up ICT-based Grievance Redress Mechanism, and beneficiary satisfaction.The proposed Program and Technical Assistance contribute to achieving World Bank priorities in Benin as reflected in the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for FY19-23, which identifies improved capacity for governance as a cross-cutting theme for all focus areas. Moreover, the proposed Program is aligned with the CPF objective under “Focus Area 1: Structural Transformation for Strengthened Competitiveness and Productivity”, in particular, “Objective 3: Improving governance in the management of public finances”. Dimensions of this Governance objective covered directly by the proposed Program include: (i) improving PFM; (ii) strengthening fiduciary control systems; (iii) strengthening statistical capacity; and (iv) citizen participation for improved accountability. Beyond directly supporting specific objectives under Focus Area 1, the Program also supports objectives under Focus Area 2 (Objective 6: Improving social protection systems) and Focus Area 3 (Objective 7: Building resilience at the community level) through its overarching focus on improved governance capacity in those areas.The proposed PforR is also aligned with the Africa West Region’s Governance Priority, which addresses the International Development Association (IDA) priorities of jobs and economic transformation and IDA’s special themes of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV). Critical to this theme is building the state’s legitimacy and capacity, inclusive institutions, and renewing the social contract between citizens and the state.The Ministry of Finance will implement the TA. The ministries and agencies benefiting from the technical assistance are based in Benin's capital city, Cotonou. The IPF component is not expected to include activities that require public works that may require land acquisition or economic or physical displacement of individuals.