Final report : evaluation of the USAID energy policy development and conservation (EPDAC) project, #936-5728

regional bureaus and Missions. External evaluation covers the period 1983-87. The project is without a doubt providing a valuable service within its defined scope of activities, even though it needs to be promoted more actively as a tool for addressing economic as well as energy issues. Both its Energy Conservation Services Program (ECSP, implemented by Hagler, Bailly) and its Energy Planning and Policy Development component (EPPD - with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory) have had much success. LAC and AFR Regional Bureau attitudes toward energy issues do not coincide with host country and Mission views, and as a result the demand for S&T/EY support is definitely present in many countries in these regions. ANE Bureau has been and will continue to be a focal point of project activity. In the field ECSP is perceived as more responsive than EPPD, but this is perhaps because there is too little awareness of EPPD and the resources it has to offer. A number of management and implementation issues have kept the project from reaching its full impact potential; among these, the need for closer cooperation between project components stands out. Other findings focus on the need to modify ECSP implementation strategy in countries with weak infrastructures, allowing for supportive or follow-on activities; and to strengthen project management on the part of both S&T/EY and the two contractors. Several recommendations are made to address these issues, including (inter alia): (1) the project should be marketed to a broader audience because of its legitimate potential for economic impact beyond just the energy sector; (2) the project should continue to develop collaborative activities with the World Bank and other development banks; (3) travel budgets should be increased; and (4) EPPD should put more emphasis on field activities, less on S&T/EY program planning.