Integrating Women into Grameen Shakti’s Renewable Energy Value Chain Nancy Peek, Research Associate, Development and Training Services, Inc. Dr. David Hemson, Senior Evaluator, Tetra Tech

Summary Project background Research questions and study methods Key findings Explanation of findings Conclusions 2

Rural Empowerment through Renewable Energy Project USAID/Bangladesh funded Grameen Shakti Phase I: 2005 – 2008 ($1.1M); Phase II: 2008 – 2010 ($1.2M) Objective: to improve livelihoods by developing women Renewable Energy Technology (RET) technicians/entrepreneurs and by accelerating access to RET in rural communities 3 Project Background

Rural Empowerment through Renewable Energy Project Established 35 Grameen Technology Centers (GTCs) Women engineers trained (training of trainers) 15-day technical training for women 2,797 women technicians trained 4 Project Background

Rural Empowerment through Renewable Energy Project Targeted young, lowest-income women as beneficiaries Focused on Cyclone Sidr affected areas in Phase II Home-based entrepreneurship seen as women- friendly entry point into the sector 5 Project Background

Underlying program logic Need for home-based assembly would grow as demand/sales increased “massive expansion” and “enormous demand” for trainees 6 Project Background

Research questions Did the USAID funding of the Grameen Shakti GTC rural renewable energy strategy in training, integration, and support result in the women trainees learning skills that generated employment, entrepreneurship, and income? What are the conditions of integration of women trainees? How are the workers and entrepreneurs integrated into the GS value chain? 7 Questions and Methods

Study methods Not a performance nor impact evaluation (training was completed two-three years prior to research) Research questions focused on program logic and outcomes, not testing of assumptions and unobserved variables Quantitative surveys; Semi-structured interviews of key informants 8 Questions and Methods

Limitations in data collection Training was completed two-three years prior to research Not possible to identify a control group Difficulty locating non-working trainees Incomplete administrative information Volatile political environment; hartals made travel problematic 9 Questions and Methods

Key Study Findings Grameen Shakti performance Employment Entrepreneurship

Finding 1: Growth in RET sector, jobs generated 11 Key Findings

Finding 2: Few women trainees employed at Grameen Shakti 3% of all trainees (86) working at GS Paid by piece-work Average daily rate: approximately $1.82 Average days worked per month: 14 (out of 22 max.) 12 Key Findings

Finding 2.1: Women employed in one segment of value chain 13 Key Findings

INSERT GRAPHIC TO ADD PHOTO Finding 3: Entrepreneurs not found Definition: a person who takes financial risks in organizing and operating a business No respondents reported promoting, maintaining or repairing SHS for regular income. Managers reported no incidence of outsourcing 14 Key Findings

Explanation of key findings Males employed in other segments of value chain 42 percent of the trainees not employed by Grameen Shakti report promoting SHSs in their communities Promoting SHSs did not lead to income generation for the women 15 Key Findings

Explanation of key findings Changes in technology Shift from decentralized homestead production (GTC model) to importing pre- assembled SHS components Did not reveal itself until field interviews 16 Key Findings

“My greatest concern is that the work for my team is in decline. Initially many supported the training program and we had a lot of work to do but now we have less as the circuits are all imported.” -Quote from interview with an engineer at a GTC in the Tangail Division, May 23, Key Findings

Conclusions – Study Outcomes Grameen Shakti benefitted from the project Grameen Shakti’s steady employment growth did not draw on the pool of trained women Grameen Shakti had no concrete plan or strategy to incorporate trainees into value chain Technology appears decisive: with technological change, skills acquired through training lost value Skill loss through non-use (depreciation) 18

Lessons Learned – Study Methods Underlying assumptions of program logic seemed sound Observable outcomes are influenced by underlying or unobserved causes Swift technological change not part of program logic; “unobserved” or “unmeasured” variable No information from management during design stage Discovered through semi-structured interviews 19

Questions, Discussion 20 Global Climate Change Monitoring & Evaluation Project Nancy Peek – Dr. David Hemson –