CAPACITY BUILDING ON ELECTRICITY REFORMS IN BANGLADESH, INDIA AND NEPAL (RESA PROJECT) (RESA – Regulatory reforms in Electricity sector in South Asia) UDAI S MEHTA & RAJESH KUMAR

2 CONTENTS Project Management and Structure Communication with partners Reference group (RG) Major activities Reporting and Update Outputs

3 UNNAYAN SHAMANNAY Bangladesh CUTS CART Rajasthan CUTS CRC West Bengal SAWTEE Nepal CUTS C-CIER Project advisory committee (PAC) Reference groups (RG): Overall advice on the project Coordination of project activities Guidance at the territorial level Execution at territorial level PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE Local CSOs and other stakeholders Support at Grassroots Level UNNAYAN SHAMANNAY Bangladesh CUTS CART Rajasthan CUTS CRC West Bengal SAWTEE Nepal CUTS C-CIER Project advisory committee (PAC) Reference groups (RG): Overall advice on the project Execution at territorial level Local CSOs and other stakeholders Support at Grassroots Level Guidance at the territorial level UNNAYAN SHAMANNAY Bangladesh CUTS CART Rajasthan CUTS CRC West Bengal SAWTEE Nepal CUTS C-CIER Project advisory committee (PAC) Reference groups (RG): Overall advice on the project Execution at territorial level Local CSOs and other stakeholders Support at Grassroots Level Coordination of project activities Guidance at the territorial level UNNAYAN SHAMANNAY Bangladesh CUTS CART Rajasthan CUTS CRC West Bengal SAWTEE Nepal CUTS C-CIER Project advisory committee (PAC) Reference groups (RG): Overall advice on the project Execution at territorial level Local CSOs and other stakeholders Support at Grassroots Level

4 COMMUNICATION WITH PARTNERS CUTS C-CIER UNNAYAN SHAMANNAY CUTS CART CUTS CRC SAWTEE Support to all partnersInformation/Feedback

5 PROJECT ACTIVITIES Launch meeting Training seminar Local inception workshop Baseline survey and field research Reference group meeting (I&II) Territorial trainings Grassroots interface meetings (I&II) Advocacy seminar Final consumer survey Regional conference Estd. Of Regional Network

6 LOCAL INCEPTION WORKSHOP Duration – One day Scope: Territorial Level Purpose: –Dissemination of project details –Laying down their roles, activities, responsibilities, etc –Determine the geographical area for GM I and II Participants: (Second tier organisations, network partner of project partners)

7 FIELD RESEARCH Objective: examine the electricity scenario and status of consumer participation in policy and regulatory process Primary Database; Interviewing government officers, regulators, experts, media and CSOs Secondary Database: Relevant acts/ reports/ official documents issues by line ministry as well as Regulatory Bodies and media reports.

8 BASELINE SURVEY Purpose: Assess the consumer awareness level on the policy and regulatory issues at the grassroots Sample size: 500 (Involvement of Local CSOs) Sampling technique: Stratified random sampling for effective representation of the population Questionnaire: Simple vernacular language Report: Outcomes of the field research and baseline survey would be collated to develop the ‘Base Papers’

9 REFERENCE GROUP (RG) Comprising persons from various fields including former/present regulators, policy makers, practioners, CSOs, development partners, etc Number: Responsibilities Advice at the territorial level Comment on the project outcomes/outputs Review the progress from time to time Partners are expected to: Keep the RG members abreast with project activities Send event reports/newsletters/update regularly Seek advise on specific project issues at the territorial level

10 TRAINING MANUAL Cover issues at the territorial level Based on Base Paper and will be finalised in the first RG meeting will cover the following issues –Reforms and regulatory update –Participation in regulatory decision-making process –Consumers’ complaint handling procedure –Energy Saving tips for consumers

11 TERRITORIAL TRAINING Two training programmes : two days Representatives of local CSOs will participate Subject experts/regulators/utilities officers will be invited as resource persons Training Manual: will guide the project partners Outcome reports to be submitted by project partners No. of Participants: 20-25

12 GRASSROOTS INTERFACE MEETINGS Enhance awareness level on electricity reforms at grassroots Relevant information will be circulated to participants in local vernacular handouts (4-5 pages) Project staff will educate/sensitise the people at grassroots During meeting, utilities local legislator/regulators/ parliamentarians will be invited Meetings: In two phases, five in each phase Participants: participants

13 ADVOCACY SEMINAR Policy makers, regulators and CSOs will participate Project outcomes will be presented Advocacy document will be prepared and circulated during the seminar Participants: 40-45

14 REGIONAL CONFERENCE Regional will be organised by CUTS to showcase the findings of the project to a larger audience participants from project territories, neighbouring region would be invited to participate Replicability aspect Active support from Project Partners

15 REGIONAL NETWORK Establishment of Network by CUTS to share the views on electricity reforms and regulation Dedicated section on the webpage of RESA Project Replicability aspect

16 REPORTING AND UPDATE Financial Reporting: Submission of first half-yearly progress report by June’2008; December’2008; June’2009; December’2009 Progress Reports: Progress reports along with financial reporting Outcome reports: within 2week of the activity: Local inception workshop Field research and baseline survey RG I Territorial Trainings Grassroots interface meetings I and II RG II Advocacy Seminar

17 PROJECT OUTPUTS Project progress / financial reports Survey reports Base paper Activity reports Training manual Local handout in vernacular language Advocacy document Communication material Newspaper articles Webpage -

18 THANK YOU