Strengthening Utilities and Promoting Energy Reform (SUPER) Quarterly Report - Q1 FY2021

The SUPER TO is implemented by Deloitte Consulting LLP and operates through Work Assignments (WAs), which are distinct pieces of technical assistance defined by specific Scope of Work (SOWs) and budgets, undertaken directly with USAID Operating Units. The SUPER TO has been organized into four focus areas, as defined by the contract and delineated in the Year One Work Plan. These focus areas include assessing existing sector conditions and preparing new strategies and operational plans, designing and implementing new market structures and models for private sector participation, building energy sector entities' institutional capacity, and testing new commercialization technologies and approaches. Additionally, the SUPER TO aims to promote equitable and inclusive energy development by empowering women and reducing gender gaps in the energy sector and across the entire value chain of electricity service provision. During the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2021 (Q1 FY21), the Deloitte team focused on establishing the operational, administrative, and mobilization foundations for the SUPER TO. Key highlights during this reporting period include initial meetings between the USAID and Deloitte team leadership and contracting officers to kick-off the TO and finalize the contractual details and arrangements, creation and finalization of the Year One Work Plan package and the first Work Assignment (WA) Scope of Work (SOW) for Home Office Management Support - Year One, and supported and prepared presentations for five sessions during the 2020 USAID Energy Training Series. The SUPER TO operates through a process of filtering potential WAs to ensure they align to the SUPER objectives and core activities, setting up and operationalizing WAs that have technical concurrence and funding, and a close-out process that prioritizes publishing and socializing the learnings generated from each WA. The "core" Deloitte team, including the Chief of Party, Project Manager, and Engagement Coordinator, together with the "core" USAID team, including the Contracting Officer's Representative and the Alternate Contracting Officer's Representative, manage the overarching TO, oversee all the WAs, and promote cross-collaboration and knowledge from the WA outputs and deliverables, among other contractual responsibilities. The SUPER TO has established a process for drafting and organizing WAs, implementation and measurements of the TO, and how program progress will be recorded. The Work Plan includes a communications and strategy plan, a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework, and an Annex with templates for WA SOW, WA Closeout Summary, TO Budget Tracker, Success Stories, and SUPER Fact Sheet. The SUPER Fact Sheet is a short document summarizing the aims of SUPER TO, illustrative offerings, and how SUPER can be utilized by Missions. This Fact Sheet will be used for outreach to USAID Operating Units and other development and in-country partners. The Deloitte team onboarded and coordinated a team of internal specialists to prepare five presentations for the utility reform section of the USAID E3's Energy Sector Training Series. The content of the presentations was tailored to the program audience, which comprised USAID Mission and headquarter staff focused on the Agency's energy and infrastructure programs. The virtual presentations used case studies, interactive polls, and Q&A's to further engage audience members. Topics covered included Utility Modernization through Digitalization, Utility Commercial Performance in Practice, Utility reform Programming, COVID-19 impacts and Recovery for the Power Sector, and Private Sector Engagement and Utilities. Each of these sessions was attended by approximately 80 participants across the globe. Following the training series, the SUPER Fact Sheet and survey were shared with participants to raise awareness about the SUPER TO among various USAID Missions and operating units and to identify future WAs.