- Evaluation Plan:
- 2015-2022, Afghanistan
- Evaluation Type:
- Mid Term Project
- Planned End Date:
- 03/2021
- Completion Date:
- 03/2021
- Status:
- Completed
- Management Response:
- Yes
- Evaluation Budget(US $):
- 50,000
Mid-term Evaluation of the project "Afghanistan Sustainble Energy for Rural Development (ASERD)"
| Document | Type | Language | Size | Status | Downloads |
|---|
| Title | Mid-term Evaluation of the project "Afghanistan Sustainble Energy for Rural Development (ASERD)" | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Project Number: | 00088841 | |||||||||
| Evaluation Plan: | 2015-2022, Afghanistan | |||||||||
| Evaluation Type: | Mid Term Project | |||||||||
| Status: | Completed | |||||||||
| Completion Date: | 03/2021 | |||||||||
| Planned End Date: | 03/2021 | |||||||||
| Management Response: | Yes | |||||||||
| Focus Area: |
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| Corporate Outcome and Output (UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021) |
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| SDG Goal |
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| SDG Target |
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| Evaluation Budget(US $): | 50,000 | |||||||||
| Source of Funding: | Project resources | |||||||||
| Evaluation Expenditure(US $): | 50,000 | |||||||||
| Joint Programme: | No | |||||||||
| Joint Evaluation: | No | |||||||||
| Evaluation Team members: |
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| GEF Evaluation: | No | |||||||||
| Key Stakeholders: | Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development (MRRD) | |||||||||
| Countries: | AFGHANISTAN |
| Lessons | |
|---|---|
| Findings |
| Recommendations | |
|---|---|
| 1 | There is a huge potential for the ASERD model to be extended as there is a clear demand of this model and stakeholders have high expectations from the project’s potential. This could be a unique and important opportunity for UNDP to strengthen and possibly institutionalise this model. |
| 2 | The ASERD stakeholders demanded strongly on the need of expanding rural energy activities, this would require a multi donor approach. To complete the remaining four planned projects and design new one UNDP and MRRD need to approach the donor and other donors interested in rural electrification. |
| 3 | The off-grid beneficiaries have expressed their interest in utilizing the daytime electricity in operating small and medium scale enterprises. UNDP could connect the ASERD beneficiaries to LITACA or CBARD-AIM project beneficiaries and promote to take their ideas on setting up new businesses, which have good market potentials in and outside Afghanistan. This would serve as a good cross-exchange among different UNDP projects. |
| 4 | Since its start, the project has continued to suffer from delays due to the slow pace of several administrative and bureaucratic processes. For instance, introducing the engineering procurement construction model took longer than expected due to the novelty of this type of contract in Afghanistan. This likelihood should have been taken into consideration in the initial project planning as it was known then that a new procurement modality was likely to require a considerable amount of time for approval and lead to the need for a no-cost extension to achieve the set targets. |
| 5 | The proportion of women who attended capacity-building exercises or training was far less than the proportion of men that did so. It is recommended that this issue be addressed in the future |
| 6 | For future projects, the project design team should put aside adequate time for recruitment, reaching out to stakeholders and assessing the policy and implementation environment. |
1. Recommendation:
There is a huge potential for the ASERD model to be extended as there is a clear demand of this model and stakeholders have high expectations from the project’s potential. This could be a unique and important opportunity for UNDP to strengthen and possibly institutionalise this model.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/11/14]
The recommendation is noted, and is consistent with the project’s plans to initiate some of them. Project model will be shared with all energy stakeholders in the country in the Inter-ministerial Commission on Energy (ICE) to be able to extend this model in different parts of the country.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series of workshops and meetings will be conducted to extend the mode design with energy stakeholders (private sector and renewable energy union) for implementation in different parts of the country.
[Added: 2021/11/14] |
Project Manager and Reporting and Chief Technical advisor | 2021/05 | Completed | This is completed |
2. Recommendation:
The ASERD stakeholders demanded strongly on the need of expanding rural energy activities, this would require a multi donor approach. To complete the remaining four planned projects and design new one UNDP and MRRD need to approach the donor and other donors interested in rural electrification.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/11/14]
The recommendation is well noted. Many proposals developed and shared with donors for fund mobilization like Japan, Korea, EU and Qatar.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coordination meeting with donors and proposal submissions to donors.
Written proposals submitted to donors for fund mobilization.
[Added: 2021/11/14] |
UNDP Programme Analyst | 2021/06 | Completed | This is completed |
3. Recommendation:
The off-grid beneficiaries have expressed their interest in utilizing the daytime electricity in operating small and medium scale enterprises. UNDP could connect the ASERD beneficiaries to LITACA or CBARD-AIM project beneficiaries and promote to take their ideas on setting up new businesses, which have good market potentials in and outside Afghanistan. This would serve as a good cross-exchange among different UNDP projects.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/11/14]
The recommendation is noted. A detailed implementation plan for connecting beneficiaries of ASERD to LITACA and CBARD AIM will be developed and monitored.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detailed implementation Plan developed with concrete action of connecting with other project beneficiaries.
[Added: 2021/11/14] |
Project Manager and UNDP Programme Analyst | 2021/05 | Completed | This action is completed |
4. Recommendation:
Since its start, the project has continued to suffer from delays due to the slow pace of several administrative and bureaucratic processes. For instance, introducing the engineering procurement construction model took longer than expected due to the novelty of this type of contract in Afghanistan. This likelihood should have been taken into consideration in the initial project planning as it was known then that a new procurement modality was likely to require a considerable amount of time for approval and lead to the need for a no-cost extension to achieve the set targets.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/11/14]
The recommendation is noted. A proper procurement plan is developed, and approval of design and construction procurement approval to be obtained.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement plan is developed, and approval of design and construction procurement approval to be obtained
[Added: 2021/11/14] |
Project Manager and UNDP Programme Analyst | 2021/05 | Completed | This action is completed |
5. Recommendation:
The proportion of women who attended capacity-building exercises or training was far less than the proportion of men that did so. It is recommended that this issue be addressed in the future
Management Response: [Added: 2021/11/14]
Recommendation is noted. The project manager and capacity building officer will follow the recommendation.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The project manager and capacity building officer will address the recommendation by making extra effort in including more female participation in the workshop
[Added: 2021/11/14] |
Project Managers and Capacity building officer | 2021/05 | Completed | This action is completed |
6. Recommendation:
For future projects, the project design team should put aside adequate time for recruitment, reaching out to stakeholders and assessing the policy and implementation environment.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/11/14]
Recommendation is noted and will be considered in the future projects.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Programme officer and unit head will be will consider in future projects design stages.
[Added: 2021/11/14] |
Programme Analyst and unit head | 2021/05 | Completed | This action is completed |