Background
The goal of the Africa Minigrids Program is to improve access to electricity by increasing financial viability and promoting greater commercial investment in renewable energy minigrids. The AMP focuses on cost reductions, both in hardware costs and soft costs and financing costs, as well as innovative business models for minigrids. Lower costs will make minigrids more financially viable, commercial capital flows will increase, and end users will benefit from lower tariffs and an expanded range of services.
The program consists of two main elements: The regional child project, which aims to support countries in scaling up commercial investment in renewable energy mini-grids, serves as a knowledge, advocacy, and coordination platform for the Africa Mini-grids Program. This is achieved through a range of knowledge tools, technical and operational expertise and support, communities of practice, and the promotion of innovative digital approaches to reducing mini-grid costs. Initially, 21 national child projects with a common architecture consisting of four components: (i) policy and regulation, (ii) business model innovation with the private sector, (iii) innovative financing for mini-grid expansion, and (iv) digitalization, knowledge management, and M&E.
Tasks
Arepo is responsible for conducting the mid-term reviews (MTRs) of the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP). As the prime contractor, Arepo, together with its consortium partner FOKABS, manages the entire process for up to 21 national MTRs and one regional MTR, including planning, document review, field visits, stakeholder interviews, data analysis, synthesis, and reporting. The evaluation process follows UNDP guidelines. Arepo’s team consists of international and national experts who work together to conduct a gender-responsive, participatory, and evidence-based evaluation. MTRs have already been completed for Malawi, Eswatini, Nigeria, Somalia, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, The Comoros, and Ethiopia.