Key projects
Main projects from the below project portfolio.
Projects by geographic location
Find ecol projects by geographic location.
Evidence-based Design of Effective Financial Cooperation Interventions in the Energy Sector
Location
Germany (desk work)
Project duration
9/2023 – 6/2024
Client
KfW Development Bank
Services Provided
- Literature reviews on the evidence related to the results logic of financial cooperation interventions in the energy sector, notably with respect to energy generation, transmission and distribution, energy access, and energy efficiency
- Consultancy on how to best account for that evidence in the preparation of financial cooperation interventions in the energy sector
Project description
German development cooperation endeavours to consider existing evidence more rigorously in the preparation and application of logical frameworks underlying development measures. ecol consults KfW in reviewing the evidence base of its logframes in the energy sector, notably with respect to energy generation, transmission and distribution, energy access, and energy efficiency.
Expert and scientific advice on rural energy access and electrification
Location
Germany (desk work)
Project duration
2/2023 – 12/2023
Client
Deutsches Evaluierungsinstitut der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (DEval)
Services Provided
- peer review inception and evaluation reports of an evaluation on the contribution of German development
cooperation to providing access to clean and affordable energy in rural areas in developing and
emerging economies - summarize existing evidence on selected challenges for development cooperation in
rural energy supply and access in the form of Mini Reviews - support the evaluation design, methods, and case study selection
Publications
- under preparation
Project description
The German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval) conducts an evaluation on the effects of German and international contributions to clean, affordable and effective electrification in rural areas. The evaluation makes recommendations to German development cooperation actors both at the level of the Federal Ministries as well as their implementing organizations.
ecol provides expert and scientific advice to the DEval evaluation team throughout the evaluation in the form of peer reviews, support on evaluation design and methods, as well as brief summaries of the scientific literature on selected challenges for development cooperation in rural energy supply and access.
Evaluation of the Results-Based Financing for Low Carbon Energy Access Facility within Energising Development
Location
Kenya, Bangladesh
Project duration
2016 – 2021
Client
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) & Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
Consortium partners
particip (consortium lead), Arepo Consult, JaLogisch Consulting
Services Provided
- Mid-term and Final Evaluation of four RBF projects on cookstoves, small solar systems, mini-grids, and off-grid appliances that included field missions to Kenya and Bangladesh
- Revision of an Internal Process Review, including the preparation of a related toolbox
- Contribution to a Mid-term and Final Evaluation Portfolio Review and a Cluster Review that followed a contribution analysis approach
- Writing of Factsheets on overall programme learnings
Project description
ecol was involved in an evaluation led by particip to study the portfolio of results-based financing (RBF) activities within the multi-donor partnership agreement for the Energising Development Program (EnDev). These activities comprise 13 projects in nine countries in Africa, Asia and Latin Africa. The aim of the RBF activities was to attract private investment in more efficient energy production and distribution systems.
ecol covered a Mid-Term and Final Evaluation of four RBF projects on cookstoves, small solar systems, mini-grids, and off-grid appliances (i) to assess the performance of the RBF Facility over the period 2012-18 against key OECD/DAC evaluation criteria, (ii) to understand and disseminate what has worked in which circumstances and why, and (iii) to derive recommendations for future programmes in RBF, energy access support, climate finance and development assistance more broadly based on a Portfolio Review and a Cluster Review. In addition, ecol conducted an Internal Process Review on the programme activities and prepared Factsheets on overarching lessons learned and recommendations derived from the facility.
Evaluation of the GIZ project Policy Advice on Environment and Climate Change (PAKLIM III)
Location
Indonesia
Project duration
12/2019 – 12/2020
Client
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Local partner
Services Provided
- Assessment of the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability, as part of GIZ’s central project evaluations.
Publications
- Main evaluation report (2021)
- Executive summary (2021)
- One-pager (‘at a glance’) (2021)
Project description
Every year, the GIZ Evaluation Unit chooses a random sample of projects commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to undergo a central project evaluation. German international cooperation has supported climate policy in Indonesia through PAKLIM projects since 2009. This evaluation focuses on the last of three successive projects, PAKLIM III (2017–2020).
The project objective was to support Indonesian ministries and subnational authorities in coordinating key policy instruments to achieve climate goals. The project therefore aimed to support a more coherent and efficient low-carbon climate policy. The intervention areas encompassed: implementing climate-change mitigation action plans at national and subnational levels by, among other things, strengthening the institutional capacities of the Secretariat of the National Action Plan for Reducing Greenhouse-Gas Emissions (the RAN-GRK Secretariat); facilitating the harmonisation and embedding of NDC goals in planning and decision-making processes, particularly in the national medium-term development plan (RPJMN 2020–2024); supporting the development of climate finance instruments; and gender mainstreaming activities. The aim was for all of this to be integrated into the country’s low-carbon development (LCD) planning. Specific activities were designed in cooperation with partnering policy stakeholders and involved the waste, energy efficiency, public procurement and education sectors.
Ex-post evaluations of KfW infrastructure projects in Cambodia and Mali
Location
Cambodia, Mali (desktop evaluations)
Project duration
2019 – 2020
Client
KfW Development Bank
Services Provided
- Assessment of the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability, as integral part of KfW’s evaluation framework.
Publications
- Mali Office du Niger evaluation, executive summary (2020)
- Mali Office du Niger evaluation, executive summary (German) (2020)
- Mali Small-scale Irrigation evaluation, executive summary (2020)
- Mali Small-scale Irrigation evaluation, executive summary (German) (2020)
- Cambodia Infrastructure evaluation, executive summary (2020)
- Cambodia Infrastructure evaluation, executive summary (German) (2020)
Project description
KfW annually evaluates a representative sample of its completed financial cooperation projects. In 2019 and 2020, ecol conducted three ex-post evaluations on KfW’s infrastructure projects. One of the projects was involved in the development and rehabilitation of rural roads and markets in Cambodia, the other two projects promoted irrigation infrastructure in Mali. The evaluations were carried out systematically according to OECD-DAC criteria.
Evaluation of the ORIO Project Electrifying Rural Tanzania
Location
Tanzania
Project duration
03/2014 – 10/2020
Client
Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)
Consortium partners
Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), Georg-August University Göttingen
Services Provided
- Long-term evaluation of grid extension activities in rural Tanzania based on survey in 100 villages
- Additonal study component in urban Tanzania focusing on private enterprises
- Institutional analysis of the public utility TANESCO and the Tanzanian energy sector
Publication
- Evaluation report (2019)
Project description
The Facility for Infrastructure Development ORIO financed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims at encouraging public infrastructure development in developing countries. One of ORIO’s projects, Electrifying Rural Tanzania, intends to install local decentralized networks in west and north-western Tanzania and upgrade and repower already installed decentralized networks. In total, 24,000 clients are expected to benefit from these activities. In cooperation with Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and the Georg-August Universität Göttingen, ecol was assigned to evaluate the intervention over a period of four years.
Evaluation of the Sustainable Water Fund Colombia
Location
Colombia
Project duration
2014-2019
Client
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Policy and Evaluation Department (IOB)
Consortium partners
Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), Georg-August University Göttingen
Services Provided
- Methodological and practical coordination
- Development of study approach, preparation of field work, implementation of data analysis, and reporting
Publications
- Project evaluations (2019)
Project description
As part of a consortium with Erasmus University Rotterdam and Georg-August University Göttingen, ecol was assigned to evaluate the Sustainable Water Fund (FDW), a Public-Private Partnership facility which aims to finance projects in the area of water safety and water security. In Colombia, the project under evaluation is an intervention implemented by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation to enhance efficient water management in the coffee sector. It is implemented in a Public Private Partnership with Nestlé, Nestlé Nespresso, the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, University Wageningen and Cenicafé – the National Centre for Coffee Research in Colombia. The evaluation assessess effectiveness of the project regarding adoption of water saving equipment and changes in attitudes towards water saving and the environment.
Indonesia Green Prosperity – Renewable Energy Grant Portfolio Impact Evaluation
Location
Indonesia
Project duration
06/2017 – 01/2018
Client
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
Consortium partner
Social Impact, Inc. (lead)
Services Provided
- Conduct qualitative interviews in Jakarta as well as in treatment villages in East Kalimantan and East Sumba
- Provide advisory services to quantitative evaluation (identification strategy, sampling, outcome indicators, design of questionnaires)
Publication
- Baseline report (2018)
Project description
This evaluation was a cooperation with Social Impact Inc. based in Arlington/Virginia. The study aimed at assessing the sustainability and the impacts of a mini-grid facility that provides grants to project developers for isolated grids in remote areas of Indonesia. A mixed-methods approach was pursued with in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted in East Kalimantan and East Sumba, complementing a structured quantitative survey in the same regions. One focus of the qualitative evaluation was to assess the operations and management of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that were established to run the mini-grids. The idea of those SPV is to form a consortium between the villagers and a private investor to ensure a sustainable operation.
External Evaluation of the REPIC Platform
Location
Germany (desk work)
Project duration
11/2016 – 05/2017
Client
Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
Consortium partner
JaLogisch Consulting (consortium lead)
Services Provided
- Contribute to evaluation design
- Implement online survey in three languages (English, French, German) among Swiss-based and partner-country organizations
Publication
Project description
REPIC (Renewable Energy, Energy and Resource Efficiency Promotion in International Cooperation) is an interdepartmental platform for the promotion of renewable energy and resource efficiency in international cooperation. It is a joint initiative of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). The main goal of this external evaluation is to test the participating organization’s perception of the Platform against the views and experiences of REPIC’s target groups. The evaluation was implemented in collaboration with JaLogisch Consulting consisted of a web-based survey of the Swiss organizations and their local partners which requested project-financing during the current fourth phase of REPIC, as well as the (partly overlapping group) of participants in REPIC network events since 2013. The evaluation report served the programme steering committee to decide on a potential continuation of REPIC.
Project monitoring of PERACOD Senegal
Location
Senegal
Project duration
2016
Client
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Services Provided
- External expert to contribute to GIZ’s regular internal M&E reporting based on in-country mission
Project description
As part of GIZ’s regular project progress monitoring, ecol advised PERACOD, GIZ’s renewable energy programme in Senegal on the planning of its new phase starting in 2017. A key part of this assignment in early 2016 was the qualitative evaluation of PERACOD’s ongoing phase along the famous OECD/DAC-criteria. PERACOD’s main activities are in the fields of renewable energy promotion measures, rural electrification and energy efficiency. Instruments include high-level policy advice as well as establishing new approaches in field tests.
Evaluation of Energising Development (Phase II)
Location
Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Nepal, Peru
Project duration
01-06/2014
Client
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Consortium partner
RebelGroup International
Services Provided
- Field missions including stakeholder interviews with government entities, international organizations, the private sector, research institutions, and NGO’s
- Assessment of the programme’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability with specific reference to accountability and management for development results
- Systematic review of impact studies conducted by EnDev-projects
- Review of the outcome monitoring system
Publication
- Evaluation report (2014)
Project description
“Energising Development” (EnDev) promotes sustainable access to modern energy services. EnDev was started in 2005 by the German and Dutch government. EnDev provides energy access to households, social institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Currently, projects are being implemented in 24 countries utilizing a broad spectrum of technologies and a variety of different project concepts and instruments. By June 2013 EnDev has facilitated access to modern energy services for more than 10 million people. EnDev is financed by the Netherlands (DGIS) and Germany (BMZ), as well as Norway, Australia, UK, Switzerland, Ireland and the EU. In collaboration with rebel group, ecol was assigned to evaluate the second phase of EnDev having started in 2009. The evaluation assessed the programme along the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria, on its development effectiveness as defined by the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, and answered 20 specific evaluation questions.
Projects executed at RWI
Location
globally
Project duration
multiple, since 2007
Client
multiple donors, including Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), Mastercard Foundation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, World Bank
Services Provided
- Principal or lead principal investigators in various research projects (energy access/ infrastructure and climate change/ environment)
- Implementation of mixed-methods surveys in Africa, Asia, and Latin America including evaluability assessments, the design, implementation and backstopping of large sample surveys using structured questionnaires complemented by qualitative methods (focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, institutional analyses)
- Data analysis and evaluation reporting as basis for publications of academic and policy-oriented papers and reports
Project description
As researchers at RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, the ecol team members were and are still involved in various, more research-oriented projects.
Projects by project location
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