This report is an output of the technical assistance activity carried out over 2008-2010 to Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC), which is the nodal renewable energy agency of Nepal. This study has been designed to establish a monitoring system for AEPC to continually measure the results of the renewable energy programs against the targets and to organize an evaluation system that measures the impact of micro-hydro installations on rural livelihoods. Given AEPC’s highly visible role, the need to develop a system that provides information on a wide range of technical, operational, and financial parameters is similarly high. This study developed a robust yet simple M and E framework for all the programs of AEPC that is focused on the needs of the decision-makers, as well as the interests of the relevant stakeholders. The integrated M and E system encompasses all of AEPC’s programs in micro-hydro, solar, biomass, improved water mills, and biogas, and builds its capacity to execute it. The focus has been to develop performance indicators across the entire causal chain from project intervention to on-the-ground impacts. The M and E framework incorporates not only the activities undertaken and the outputs but also the impact on the beneficiaries which is critical to gain a better perspective of the impact of the interventions and to support future planning processes and decision-making. The final impacts of electrification on households and businesses are evaluated using a primary household and enterprise survey. A wide range of outcomes including quality of lighting, income generation, health, education, fertility, women’s empowerment, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction are considered. AEPC is now equipped with not only the state-of-the-art monitoring system but also with a trained staff to sustainably manage and add to the system, as required.

This tool kit provides a framework and tools for conducting rapid assessments to prepare city economic development plans in Asian cities. An analytical framework guides the reader through a series of steps for three analytical and assessment processes. These are designed to prepare economic profiles; evaluate future economic development options and pathways; and prepare strategies, action plans, and prioritize investment activities in support of city economic development. The steps in each process are linked to tools that assist the user in collecting and analyzing data and information for a range of studies, and they are also linked to assessment techniques used to prepare city economic development plans.

This guide was written as a quick primer for transportation professionals and analysts who assess the impacts of proposed transportation actions on communities. It outlines the community impact assessment process, highlights critical areas that must be examined, identifies basic tools and information sources, and stimulates the thought-process related to individual projects. In the past, the consequences of transportation investments on communities have often been ignored or introduced near the end of a planning process, reducing them to reactive considerations at best. The goals of this primer are to increase awareness of the effects of transportation actions on the human environment and emphasize that community impacts deserve serious attention in project planning and development-attention comparable to that given the natural environment. Finally, this guide is intended to provide some tips for facilitating public involvement in the decision making process.