Capacity Development Programme – Renewable energy

Purpose and Use:
This Mid-Term Evaluation of AFR100 Phase I (Dec 2020–May 2023) was commissioned to inform dialogue between Sida, WRI, and AUDA-NEPAD. It assessed implementation progress, identified effective strategies and gaps, and supported Sida’s broader strategic decision-making on biodiversity and sustainable land use in Africa.

Conclusion:
The Sida intervention was relevant and helped move AFR100 from mobilisation to implementation. While outputs were delivered, limited time, weak focal point capacity, and insufficient domestic funding hindered outcome-level progress. Collaboration was stronger at the continental level but lacked structure and sustainability downstream. Monitoring and learning systems were underdeveloped, reducing effectiveness and uptake of results.

Recommendations:
Revise the Theory of Change to clarify the community-level pathway; improve collaboration through a long-term strategy; strengthen national platforms and focal point capacity; enhance data use and knowledge management; update the communication strategy; and integrate tools into national plans while developing partnerships for programme sustainability.

Beyond the Grid Fund Zambia was created to expand affordable renewable energy for energy poor people living outside the national electricity grid. This was to be achieved by incentivising private sector companies’ to invest in off-grid energy generation, distribution and service delivery, with the goal to reach more than one million Zambians living in peri-urban and rural areas.

Positives: We find that the BGFZ had an impressive impact and outreach, reaching more than one million people. Most of them were new customers without previous access to energy products, and who lacked a good alternative. Access to basic energy services has contributed to enhanced quality of life for the costumers and their families.

Potential shortcomings: However, there is an absence of real evidence on health and education impacts, and the programs focus on productive use of the energy products has not yielded much. BGFZ has also faced challenges in effectively targeting and reaching the poorest and most underserved groups, even though the majority of its customers are people living in poverty.