File:Barua - Sustainability Assessment Framework for Energising Development projects.pdf

English: Sustainability of activities initiated and implemented through international aid is increasingly considered a prerequisite implementing donor organisations. Project sustainability is defined as a situation in which the institutions and mechanisms supported by the project are maintained and continue to deliver an appropriate level of

benefits during an extensive time period after the withdrawal of donor assistance. The availability of conceptual frameworks and practical tools for the assessment of project sustainability in the domain of energy in developing countries is lacking. This project aims to develop such a framework with the purpose of assessing the sustainability of activities related to the Dutch-German partnership Energising Development (EnDev) founded in 2004. EnDev aims to grant access to sustainable and affordable energy to 5 million people in the developing world. As of December 2011, 23 project activities were implemented in 20 developing countries.

The Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at VU University Amsterdam proposed a methodological framework allowing to assess the sustainability of projects implemented under the EnDev programme. Through the assessment of four sustainability dimensions, the “Sustainability Assessment Framework for EnDev project

activities” (SAF) helps organisations to identify the areas where a project is likely to be sustainable and where it can be further strengthened. The first version of the SAF was applied on a trial mode during the first half of 2011 in two EnDev intervention Countries: Senegal and Mozambique.1 Based on the lessons learned during the field testing of the framework, an improved version of the tool has been developed incorporating the insights gained during the sustainability assessment experiences.