USAID Energy Policy Activity Concept Paper for Customized Permitting Guide

The application is based on the "Guidelines for Investors in the Electricity Sector of BiH" developed by the USAID Energy Investment Activity. The CPG will provide investors with a customized list of permits required for their specific project, eliminating the need to research and navigate the complex administrative structure of BiH. The application will ask investors a series of questions about the planned power plant, and based on the answers, it will generate a list of necessary permits, including information on issuing authorities, administrative procedures, and supporting documents. The CPG consists of two main components: the user interface (front-end) and administrator interface (back-end). The user interface is an interactive, customized questionnaire that starts by asking basic questions about the location and type of planned power plant. Based on the user's answers, the application filters and generates further questions. After answering all questions, the user receives a filtered list of all permits specific to their project. The questionnaire begins with a question about the general location of the planned facility, selecting from FBiH, RS, or BD. If the user selects FBiH, the application asks a follow-up question to select the appropriate canton in FBiH. After selecting the exact location of the power plant, the application asks a multiple-choice question about the type of power plant, including conventional, solar, wind, hydropower, or biomass/biogas power plant. The application then proceeds with a series of questions about the micro-location and technical characteristics of the power plant, filtering the questions based on the user's previous answers. For example, if a user selects a solar power plant, the application will not ask questions about waterways or nearby communal infrastructure. The CPG will be a user-friendly web application that contains all the information from the Guidelines for Investors, displaying only relevant information based on the user's input. The application will provide investors with a streamlined process for obtaining necessary permits, reducing the complexity and time required for power plant construction in BiH. The CPG will be based on the Guidelines for Investors, which identify and explain all permits necessary for construction of power plants in BiH, relevant administrative procedures, and issuing authorities. The Guidelines contain explanations of all permits, identification of competent issuing authorities, descriptions of steps investors need to undertake to obtain permits, lists of necessary supporting documents, descriptions of administrative procedures, explanations of legal deadlines, and other useful information. The CPG will be a valuable tool for investors, providing them with a customized list of permits required for their specific project, eliminating the need to research and navigate the complex administrative structure of BiH. The application will streamline the process for obtaining necessary permits, reducing the complexity and time required for power plant construction in BiH. The CPG will be designed to be user-friendly, with a simple and intuitive interface that guides investors through the process of obtaining necessary permits. The application will be based on the Guidelines for Investors, which provide a comprehensive and detailed explanation of all permits necessary for construction of power plants in BiH.