Improved Municipal Service Delivery
The aim of the Municipal Services and Social Resilience Project (MSSRP) is to support Jordanian municipalities affected by the influx of Syrian refugees in delivering services and employment opportunities for Jordanians and Syrians. The project has improved municipal services for over 2.8 million direct beneficiaries, of which 20% are Syrian refugees and 47% are female. The project has also created over 27,400 working days of temporary employment and the number is expected to surpass 110,000 person days at project closing. The MSSRP builds on the Emergency Services and Social Resilience Project which was launched in 2014 with the aim to support municipalities that were affected by the Syrian Refugee Influx in restoring the level and quality of municipal services to the pre-crisis mode. Together with MSSRP, the total funding of grants has reached 28 Jordanian municipalities with a cumulative envelope exceeding US$102 million through multi-donor support.
Support to Smart and Resilient City Agenda
The World Bank Group has launched a joint WB-IFC initiative to build on Amman’s ambitious smart city and climate action plans to develop a Greater Amman Municipality (GAM)-WBG partnership and a “Smart and Green Amman Platform.” This cross-sector approach will focus on: (a) improving city planning, land-use, and governance systems to meet GAM’s smart city objectives; (b) managing and investing in GAM’s assets and infrastructure in a sustainable and resilient manner, including in Solid Waste Management; and (c) achieving financial sustainability and creditworthiness, amongst other priorities specified in the request.
The World Bank is also conducting the Regional “Vibrant Cities: How Can Cities Support Jobs and Economic Growth” Advisory Services and Analytics and “Jordan Sustainable Cities” ASA with sub-activities focused on GAM.
Jordan Sustainable Cities ASA: The objective of this on-going study is to conduct analytics and review of strategic priority areas in Greater Amman, focused on integrated spatial development, green infrastructure and buildings, and smart municipal governance and finance; and provide policy recommendations towards the city's ambition of near-zero carbon emission by 2050 and sustainable, resilient, vibrant and smart city transformation. The review is intended to support and build on other planned and ongoing activities undertaken by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM)
Vibrant Cities ASA: This is a global and regional Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) study that draws on current economic research and analysis. “Vibrant Cities” are urban centers that offer firms and households high expectations for financial returns on investment, for a sustainable and resilient future, and for dynamic and inclusive growth. The report seeks to uncover how tomorrow’s vibrant cities can be: (a) resilient and low carbon—planned with a view to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, reducing vulnerability to climate-related hazards, and rebounding from disasters and pandemics; (b) inclusive—meeting basic needs for all residents, while enabling all to aspire realistically to a better life through investment in skills and through equitable access to job opportunities; and (c) productive— driving economic growth, creating jobs, boosting incomes, and financing critical social and infrastructure investments.
Social Protection
Jordan Emergency Cash Transfer COVID-19 Response Project seeks to provide emergency cash support to poor and vulnerable households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project supported 366,000 poor and vulnerable households by June 2022, of which 10% are female‑headed households. In addition, over 120,000 households have received cash transfers through the Takaful Cash Transfer Program. The project supports the Government’s efforts to bring several cash transfer programs together under the Unified Cash Transfer program that aims to reach 120,000 households in 2022. The project finances the Istidama program that aims to provide wage subsidies to 110,000 formal workers in firms most affected by the pandemic.
The project also supports Jordan’s social protection system reforms, which have been strengthened during the pandemic and are becoming a model in the region and globally in digitization, information management systems and social registry. The project also provides links to economic opportunities and empowerment.
Education
The Education Reform Support Program-for-Results aims to expand access to early childhood education, and to improve student assessment, teaching and learning conditions for Jordanian and Syrian children. The project has supported expanded access to early childhood education (ECE) for 32,000 children, as well as formulation and adoption of a new teacher professional standards and evaluation framework, as well as associated teacher training. It is currently supporting piloting of a new ECE quality assurance system, and definition of new student assessment and blended learning strategies.
The Support to Private Sector Employment and Skills project supports the Government’s National Employment Program (NEP), which aims to increase employment amongst youth (age 18-40 years). The NEP was launched in April 2022 and combines wage subsidies for new hires in private firms with training stipends for these new hires to ensure the acquisition of lasting employable skills. As of mid-September 2022, close to 37,000 job opportunities were published on the NEP digital platform Sajjil, over 25,000 jobseekers had registered, and over 4,600 new employees were hired.
Health
The Emergency Health Project is a results-based project that aims to maintain and deliver healthcare services at the Ministry of Health’s primary and secondary healthcare facilities. It also aims to improve the coverage and quality of primary health care services by strengthening the health system in priority areas, such as people‑centered service delivery. Uninsured and poor Jordanians and registered Syrian refugees will benefit from the health services provided at over 700 Ministry of Health hospitals and health centers across the country. Over a recent 12 month period (July 2020– June 2021), the project supported the Ministry of Health to deliver over 4.9 million primary and secondary health care services at the health facilities. More than half of the services were provided to female beneficiaries, including pregnant women, mothers, and girls.
The COVID‑19 Emergency Response Project aims to prevent, detect and respond to the COVID‑19 pandemic and to strengthen Jordan’s national health system for public health preparedness. The project has provided life‑saving medical equipment for intensive care and COVID‑19 clinical management at four COVID‑19 designated health facilities, including three field hospitals in Amman, Irbid and Ma’an. In addition, the project has supported the Ministry of Health to purchase COVID‑19 vaccines to vaccinate eligible residents in Jordan. The project supports Jordan’s inclusive and effective COVID‑19 vaccination campaign which targets all eligible residents, including Syrian refugees.
- Equitable Growth and Finance
Economic Opportunities, Jobs and Inclusive Financing
The Economic Opportunities for Jordanians and Syrian Refugees Program for Results and its additional financing have supported Syrian refugees’ access to the Jordanian labor market through progressive and flexible work permit policies. It also supports Syrian refugees’ access to digital finance, entrepreneurship, and social protection. The program has adopted a “whole of the community approach” to the refugee crisis by supporting refugees and their host economy. The program supports investment climate and investment promotion reforms as well the competitiveness of agricultural exports. The program also has a strong gender focus through its support of childcare licensing and social norms communication campaigns.
The Innovative Startups Fund Project has invested US$35.5 million in 11 funds. ISSF’s investment mobilized US$71.5 million from private sector sources. ISSF has made US$107 million available through funds for start‑up investments in Jordan. Additionally, ISSF directly invested US$2.7 million in 11 companies through direct equity co‑investments. ISSF’s investments in these 11 companies mobilized an additional US$9.14 million from the private sector. Finally, ISSF invested US$1.32 million in nine companies through the Innovative Futures, post‑COVID‑19 note. Of the investments made by the ISSF directly and indirectly, 24% are women‑led and 53% are youth‑led.
The Jordan Youth, Technology and Jobs Project (YTJ), which aims to improve digitally‑enabled income opportunities, has created 2,672 jobs or income opportunities by project activities to date. Twenty companies are engaged in the “talents” program to create 1,324 jobs; 21 companies are engaged in the “market expansion” program to create 661 jobs; and 6 civil society organizations in the “Gig” program have created 687 income opportunities. It is important to note that the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MODEE) launched, in August 2021, an ICT employment initiative, Hafez, which created 1,964 jobs in private firms and 1,000 temporary jobs to support digital identity initiative this calendar year. MODEE leveraged the Hafez initiative to support job creation for entry-level youth in the ICT sector. The Hafez program was implemented within the wider framework of YTJ project, which relies on demand-supply dynamics to catalyze job creation in digital firms.[1]
Reforms and Climate Resilient Investments
The Jordan Inclusive, Transparent and Climate Responsive Investments Program for Results is supporting the implementation of elements of the Reform Matrix by promoting public and private investment, including climate responsive investments, and strengthening accountability through evidence-based policy making, and improvements to service standards and statistical performance. It also supports sectors that have been impacted by the COVID‑19 pandemic, such as tourism. The program supports the Government of Jordan to maintain its climate stewardship in the region with mainstreaming the climate considerations in all relevant decision-making processes and investments through identification of climate responsive measures and development of policy and governance frameworks for supporting accessing climate finance including international carbon markets. It also establishes support systems to track and monitor mitigation actions and climate finance flows, and build capacities of relevant stakeholders to mobilize climate finance for meeting the country Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments.
The Strengthening Reform Management in Jordan Project aims to strengthen the coordination and delivery of policy reforms in Jordan, with a focus on the five‑year reform agenda, called the Reform matrix. It finances a Reform Secretariat and contributes to finance a Public Investment Unit at the Ministry of Planning, the PPP unit, and e-procurement reforms. Most funds are routed through a Reform Support Fund whose resources are allocated to reform implementing agencies. To date, the project has achieved most PDO level indicators and even overachieved some of them as in the case of the number of reforms coordinated by the Reform Secretariat including those directly benefitting women. The project has been granted additional resources and is being restructured to align with the updated Reform Matrix and the Economic Modernization Vision.
[1] The World Bank team is discussing with the PMU the possible inclusion of Hafez initiative results (verified jobs) into the YTJ project results framework, since the initiative was implemented under the wider framework of supply-demand
Last Updated: Jan 09, 2023