SDS-080
Final Performance Evaluation Study of the USAID-Philippines Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) 3 Program
The third phase of the Alliance for Mindanao Off-gridRenewable Energy (AMORE 3) pursued rural electrification through a morecommercial approach and with stronger community buy-in. Technology options onsolar PV and micro-hydro power systems have diversified and scaled up. Schoolelectrification and water projects complemented and enhanced the social andeconomic benefits that electricity delivers to the target beneficiaries. TheProgram supported the electrification of over 400 barangays, 12,000 households,and 150 schools to facilitate improved delivery of education services to over35,000 students, as well as improved water supply and energy for productivesocial and economic applications. Building on the gains of AMORE 1 and 2,Winrock implemented AMORE 3 as a public-private partnership in the Philippinesthat aimed to expand access of households and organizations to modernelectricity and other energy services by strengthening local entrepreneurshipand market-based approaches. AMORE 3 was designed to contribute to energyindependence for the Philippines with the reduction of greenhouse gasemissions.
The Final Performance Evaluation determined the extent andprocess by which the AMORE 3 Program achieved its targets and how itcontributed to peace and development initiatives in Mindanao, through theprovision of electrification and related social services to disadvantagedcommunities in conflict-affected and post-conflict areas. The evaluationdocumented and analyzed the experiences of AMORE 3 to serve as a reference forfuture rural electrification projects to be pursued by USAID in othercountries, by the Government of the Philippines (specifically DOE), or bypartner organizations such as Sunpower Foundation.
SDS study team performed process evaluation of AMORE 3simplementation period from 2009 to 2013. The evaluation described lessonslearned and how processes, practices, policies, and partnerships evolvedthrough more than a decade of rural electrification work in remote conflictareas.
SDS team utilized qualitative and quantitative methods toobtain the data or information necessary to evaluate the program; anddocumented good practices and lessons learned. In details, data collection thatwere carried out were:
- Quantitative method- household survey (HHS) was theprimary data collection method that was used to describe beneficiariesconditions before and after the AMORE 3 program. A total of 846 respondentswere interviewed who were randomly selected beneficiaries of the householdelectrification and the community-based WASH programs.
- Desk review of various sources of information from AMORE 3Program and Philippine government that included contracts; quarterly and annualreports; work plans; plans; final report of AMORE 3; updated development,energy and rural electrification plans; USAID Gender Policy; amongst others.
- Qualitative methods. A total of 19 Focus group discussionswere completed. The FGDs were designed and conducted to describe theeffectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and gender considerations of theAMORE 3 program interventions, namely; household electrification (HE), Schoolelectrification and distance education (SEEd), and Water, Sanitation andHygiene (WASH) from the standpoints of the target beneficiaries andcommunity-based organizations (CBOs) such as the following: Households (HHs)that benefitted from the HE and/or WASH interventions; Schools that benefittedfrom the SEEd and/or WASH interventions; BRECDAs which were organized by AMOREto manage the HE interventions, and strengthened by AMORE through training onrenewable energy (RE) technology and business development; and, BAWASAs, whichwere strengthened by AMORE 3 through training and participation in theimplementation and management of the WASH interventions. The participants ofthe focus groups were household beneficiaries, school officials, PTAs, schoolteachers and students, BRECA and BAWASA officers.
The evaluation team conducted a total of 32 key informantinterviews (KII) with 39 informants. The KII assessed the effectiveness,efficiency, and relevance of the processes and strategies utilized in AMORE 3and their contribution to program sustainability. It documented good practicesand lessons learned which will serve as reference for future RE projects. Theprocesses and strategies include but are not limited to social preparation,training and other capacity building activities, public-private partnerships,tapping entrepreneurs to supply the PV systems, micro-financing for solar homesystems, and the utilization of BRECDAs as PV suppliers incommunities.
KIIs were conducted primarily among the AMORE 3 stakeholderswho had first-hand knowledge about the program. These consisted of the partners(companies or foundations), PV systems suppliers, LGUs, Winrock International,former AMORE 3 staff, USAID, Department of Energy, and women technicians. Therespondents were selected from the list of stakeholders provided by USAID. Thebasis for the stakeholders selection was the significance of their role orparticipation in the project as gathered from the review of secondarydata.