Regional : Improving Gender-Inclusive Access to Clean and Renewable Energy in Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Energy / Energy sector development and institutional reform

Bhutan: Developing Sustainable and Gender Responsive Renewable Energy Operational Systems in Remote Rural Communities

(a) Impact of existing gender and renewable energy interventions assessed;

(b) Community-based, sustainable and gender-responsive operational models developmed;

(c) Women's livelihood opportunities enhanced.

Nepal: Small Hydro-systems to Widen Energy Access and Enhance Energy-based Livelihoods of Women and Vulnerable Groups

(a) Women and vulnerable groups to household electrification widened

(b) Women's access to ICT and energy technologies increased

(c) Poor women trained as electricians and technicians

(d) Community-based, sustainable, operational model developed.

SRI: Improving Rural Women's Access to Clean and Renewable Energy

(a) Enhanced energy-based livelihood for women

(b) Increased access to energy for women

(c) Opportunities for Gender and Renewable Energy assessed

Bhutan:

All Activities have been completed.

Last review mission was fielded in Thimphu in November 2017.

Nepal:

All activities have been completed.

Last review mission was fielded in November 2017.

Sri Lanka:

All activities were completed.

Last review mission was fielded in November 2017.

The project has involved 38.83 person-months of individual international consultant services; and engaged 165.60 person-months of individual national NGO consultants (for the three participating DMCs), through international NGO (ETC Foundation).

The project further engaged the consultant services of an international NGO (Humanist Institute for Co-Operation with Developing Countries, HIVOS) for 13.65 person-months to continue to support in the implementation of the remaining and additional training activities for Nepal.

The project has engaged 12.53 person-months of individual national consultants (11.53 person-months for a project implementation coordinator, and 1.0 person-month for a pre-press specialist).

Regional dissemination workshop, merged with the SARD sub-regional conference, _Going Beyond the Meter: Inclusive Energy Solutions in South Asia_ was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India in April 2016. The achievement of the Grant has been shared with the participants, through a video on maximizing women's visibility in the energy sector, sessions on improving gender inclusive access to clean and renewable energy and promoting women's livelihood; and brochures including goals and results of the Grant.

In the three countries, project locations have been selected, baseline surveys completed, gender action plans for Component B activities were finalized, community mobilization, capacity building and related follow-up activities were completed. Country-specific direct interventions are not completed and further additional activities are requested.

Nepal envisages additional contracts with eight electricity user cooperatives (EUCs), and plans to conduct trainings for strengthening end-user capabilities and energy-based livelihood training programs will be conducted with the support of HIVOS.

Bhutan is also exploring additional training opportunities for women village technicians in remote rural communities in the operation and maintenance of off-grid solar home systems, and the maintenance of the grid system under a village technicians' training program by Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC) have been undertaken.

Component C: Gender mainstreamed Project Performance and Monitoring System (PPMS)

With the support of HIVOS, end-line survey in Nepal is to be completed and national level final workshop is to be conducted. Supplemental end-line surveys may be needed for Bhutan and Sri Lanka subject to the nature and scale of the further activities.

To complete the remaining and support the ongoing and planned activities to improve women's access to clean and renewable energy, the Grant has been extended until 30 June 2017. An international NGO is being recruited to support the implementation of the remaining and additional activities under the scope of the Grant.