Strengthening Instituations:

Increasing the ability of partner institutions to foster enterprise development in-country is a core element of AREED. This activity focuses on:

• integrating AREED-type functions into the organizational structure of partner NGOs;

• exploring additional sources of funds for seed and second-stage capital investment post-AREED; and

• supporting some targeted government agencies to refine policies related to rural energy and clean energy enterprises enterprise development.

During 2002, AREED NGO partner the Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment (KITE) developed its long term enterprise development strategy for Ghana. The strategy is directed at institutionalization of the approach, including efforts to mainstream cleaner energy enterprises into national energy policy. To this end, KITE will now work to engage the relevant national ministries in specific technology areas, such as LPG distribution. A similar strategy had been developed previously in Mali and will also shortly be prepared in Zambia.

Government Activities

Efforts to strengthen the institutional dimensions of AREED continued with on-going dialogue between AREED partners and key government organizations in each country. In addition, an outreach and identification workshop and seminar on concession design, implementation and management were held in Zambia and Mali respectively. Both events were sponsored through the AREED Institutional Action Programme (AIAP) initiated in late 2000 with the support of the French Government. The workshop in Zambia produced an "institutional partnership initiative" through which AREED partners and the nine participating organizations discussed potential public-private partnerships for rural energy services delivery. The seminar in Mali yielded recommendations which are currently being factored into the design and management of an energy service concession structure in ways supportive of AREED pipeline development in Mali.