Background
SWN was awarded the Evaluation Study of Technical Assistance (TA) 6526 by the Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal (CRT/N). This study focuses primarily on the eight provinces of the Madhesh Pradesh, with some activity around the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara of Kaski district and Bharatpur area in Chitwan. TA 6526’s external evaluation assesses the three intervention areas in terms of relevance, effectiveness and sustainability for its aims to attain:
- Increased capacity of women, poor and the marginalized to use electricity efficiently and productively.
- Strengthened capacity of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to implement approved strategy, operational guidelines, and manuals of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI).
Objective of the Assignment
- Evaluate relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of TA 6526.
- Capture strategies and achievements, document good practices, lessons learned, and challenges faced to draw strategic recommendations for future similar projects.
- Assess overall success and long-term impact of the interventions.
- Understand the appropriateness/relevance of implemented strategies at community, and institutional level.
- Categorize data collection and research according to the following interventions that TA 6526 is divided into:
- Capacity building and institutionalization of GESI in NEA.
- Skill building and energy-based livelihoods in Madhesh Pradesh including entrepreneurship and job creation.
- Community level awareness creation on GESI issues, energy-based livelihoods; supporting NEA in last mile electrification and electric cooking.
Key Activities and Service Provided by SWN
Under this project, SWN was undertaking these activities:
- Utilize purposive sampling, and chain referral sampling for participant selection.
- Orient core team members on DQC and DQA protocols.
- Plan the data collection methods with the core team members – who are also field researchers/enumerators for this project.
- Conduct Key Informant Interviews (KII), In-person interviews, and Focus Group Discussions (FGD).
- Design intricate evaluation framework for different categories of stakeholders and beneficiaries, such as: Local Focal Partners, Local Government, NEA officials, community champions, entrepreneurs, Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) recipients.
- Ensure ethical considerations and human rights standards, protect participant’s privacy.
- Monitor fieldwork, track meetings, and overall activity of field research and report writing.
Outputs
Comprehensive understanding of the relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of TA 6526’s interventions. Recognition of the long-term impacts created by TA 6526 and determination of whether it has contributed to the strengthened capacity of NEA in terms of integrating GESI strategies, and whether it has increased the capacity of women, the poor, and the marginalized in efficient and productive electricity usage.
