information should be provided using simple language, illustrations, and translations to make documents easy to understand.9 3. The Sri Lanka SEP says that materials will be disseminated in local languages (Sinahala and Tamil). Accessible formats for persons with disabilities should include Braille, large prints, text captioning, signed videos, online materials, and multiple forms of communication.10 C. Consultations and Feedback Mechanisms 1. Special accomodations for meaningful consultations Four SEPs (the Philippines, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Sri Lanka) provide at least some information about the special needs certain marginalized groups might require during stakeholder engagement. The Philippines’ notes that an updated SEP will have specific provisions for engaging with IPs and stakeholders in Bansamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).11 Guatemala’s SEP says that there is “need for interpreters for Indigenous languages, and sign language as necessary, in order to ensure patients and their families understand key messages.”12 El Salvador’s SEP says that indigenous peoples might need special lines of communication to ensure they are engaged.13 Sri Lanka’s provides a fairly detailed “proposed strategy to incorporate the views of vulnerable groups:” • “Women: ensure that community engagement teams are gender-balanced and promote women’s leadership within these, design online and in-person surveys and other engagement activities so that women in unpaid care work can participate; consider provisions for childcare, transport, and safety for any inperson community engagement activities. • Pregnant women: develop education materials for pregnant women on basic hygiene practices, infection precautions, and how and where to seek care based on their questions and 9 Gordillo-Tobar, “SEP - El Salvador COVID-19 Project,” 5-7. 10 Kak, “SEP - Sri Lanka COVID-19 Project,” 11. 11 Demombynes, “SEP - Philippines COVID-19 Project,” 7. 12 Cavagnero, “SEP - Guatemala COVID-19 Project,” 7. 13 Gordillo-Tobar, “SEP - El Salvador COVID-19 Project,” 7. BANK INFORMATION CENTER | MAR 2021 concerns. • Elderly and people with existing medical conditions: develop information on specific needs and explain why they are at more risk & what measures to take to care for them; tailor messages and make them actionable for particular living conditions (including assisted living facilities), and health status; target family members, health care providers and caregivers. • People with disabilities: provide information in accessible formats, like braille, large print; offer multiple forms of communication, such as text captioning or signed videos, text captioning for hearing impaired, online materials for people who use assistive technology. • Children: design information and communication materials in a child-friendly manner & provide parents with skills to handle their own anxieties and help manage those in their children.”14 2. Clear timelines and personnel for consultations and feedback Generally, most SEPs do not provide any sort of clear timeline for when consultations with certain groups or on specific topics will take place beyond who and what will be consulted on during the preparation and implementation phases of the project. Guatemala’s SEP says that “a series of phone interviews will be carried out with representatives from the different stakeholders” 30 days subsequent to effectiveness.15 Cambodia’s SEP claimed that consultation meetings were expected to occur in March or April 2020, but no updated SEP has been disclosed to confirm those occurred.16 Every project describes at least some plans for how it will conduct consultations, specifically that telecommunications of some sort will be used in light of COVID-19 restrictions that may make in-person meetings impossible or difficult. Four SEPs, those of Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso, and Cambodia, indicate that they were able to conduct some consultations during the preparation of the SEP, but due to COVID-19 restrictions and the emergency nature of the projects, they did not meet with any members of civil society and only met with different government officials and health sector experts.17 None of them provide any specific feedback that came from these consultations. The 14 Kak, “SEP - Sri Lanka COVID-19 Project,” 13. 15 Cavagnero, “SEP - Guatemala COVID-19 Project,” 6. 16 Hyder, “SEP - Cambodia COVID-19 Project,” 4. 17 Cavagnero, “SEP - Guatemala COVID-19 Project,” 6; Kak, “SEP - Sri Lanka COVID-19 Project,” 6; Besarabic Bennett, “SEP- Burkina Faso COVID-19 Project,”10; Hyder, “SEP - Cambodia COVID-19 Project,” 4. 38