Retrospective analysis : NRECA"s activities with AID funding, 1962-1981

This report overviews the National Rural Electric Cooperative Associations"s (NRECA) 20-year experience in providing developing contries with A.I.D.-financed technical assistance and training; examines NRECA-A.I.D. relationships; provides examples of NRECA"s performance in 17 countries; briefly describes non-A.I.D. NRECA projects; and identifies opportunities for NRECA and A.I.D. to jointly undertake a broader range of energy-related activities in the future. Early NRECA efforts were concentrated in Latin America where eight countries were helped to establish electric cooperatives which are still operating. In Asia, NRECA helped several countries to establish successful large RE projects and create national entities to support and manage them. While NRECA projects have proven the effectiveness of cooperatives in strengthening local involvement in development (even in countries with unsuccessful prior experience with cooperatives), NRECA has also assisted in non-cooperative RE ventures. Four recent evaluations of NRECA projects show that RE is valued highly by rural users, reaches poor as well as better-off households, and provides significant social and economic benefits. The projects attracted substantial follow-on funding, and, because they were identified with the generosity of the American people, abetted U.S. foreign policy. Among the recommendations are that: (1) cooperatives be broadened to encompass more types of rural energy; (2) productive uses of electricity at the village and farm levels be given higher priority; (3) projects that have sound host country management and financing and can contribute to a positive image of the United States and afford commercial benefits to both host countries and the United States be given funding priority; (4) technical assistance continue to be provided to countries not interested in cooperatives; (5) multilateral development banks (likely future funding sources) evaluate the role of RE in rural development; (6) A.I.D. units interested in RE reach agreement on project purposes; and (7) A.I.D. make better use of NRECA"s project planning expertise.