The Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) was approved by the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors on 4 August 2016 and applies to Investment Project Financing (IPF) initiated on or after 1 October 2018. It comprises ten Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs). In preparing and implementing projects in Viet Nam, the two documents that most directly shape a PMU's work are the ESCP and the SEP.
Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP)
- The Borrower prepares the ESCP, with assistance from the Bank, setting out the measures and actions needed for the project to meet the ESSs, with a completion date for each action (ESS1, paras 15, 36, 37).
- The ESCP is agreed with the Bank and forms part of the legal agreement. The draft ESCP is disclosed as early as possible and before project appraisal (ESS1, para 36).
- Any change to the ESCP requires Bank approval, and the updated ESCP is disclosed (ESS1, para 44).
- The Borrower reports on implementation as set out in the ESCP, no less than annually; corrective actions are incorporated into an amended ESCP (ESS1, paras 47, 48).
Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP)
- A draft SEP is disclosed as early as possible and before project appraisal, so that stakeholders can comment (ESS10, para 13).
- Consultation must be meaningful, a two-way process continuing throughout the project life cycle (ESS10, paras 21, 22).
- The Borrower proposes and implements a grievance mechanism proportionate to project risks and impacts, accessible and inclusive (ESS10, paras 26, 27).
Points for PMUs
The ESCP is not only a preparation document but a legal commitment: actions that fall behind ESCP deadlines are a matter of compliance with the legal agreement. ESCP deadlines should therefore be realistic and linked to the actual procurement, land acquisition and construction schedules, with adequate environmental and social staff in the PMU. The SEP and grievance mechanism should be designed to work with citizen reception and complaint procedures under Vietnamese law, so that affected people do not face two parallel channels.