Introduction

Many African energy policy makers and researchers are working in isolation.  Many now have access to the internet but access is usually restricted because there is often only one internet-connected computer serving many people in the same organisation and internet services in many countries are such that the best times for accessing the internet are usually outside normal working hours.  A growing number of African energy entrepreneurs also have computers with access to the internet but very often they do not know where to obtain information on good practice around the world and they also are not able to tap into useful knowledge resources generated by their counterparts in local, regional and international energy institutions.  Given this situation, significant opportunities are lost for exploiting sustainable energy in Africa by energy policy makers and researchers, and their entrepreneurial counterparts in the private sector, hence the need for knowledge networks designed to facilitate the dynamic sharing of information at both local and international levels.

The ideas for this project on Knowledge Networks for Sustainable Energy in Africa have been developed by a partnership of African energy experts from ENDA-TM [1] , KITE [2] , AFREPREN [3] and EDRC [4] working in collaboration with our colleagues in the World Bank.  The basic idea for linking up African energy researchers and policy makers together with private sector entrepreneurs and other stakeholders through knowledge-based networks goes back a long way to various activities spearheaded by ENDA in West Africa and AFREPREN in East and Southern Africa.  This present initiative is an attempt to add value and introduce more dynamic knowledge-based facilities into these networks.

Project Objectives

The goal of the proposed project on Knowledge Networks for Sustainable Energy in Africa is to mobilise knowledge resources embodied in African energy researchers and policy makers as well as private sector entrepreneurs and other stakeholders towards ensuring a sustainable process of increasing access to energy services by all sectors of the economy, especially the poor.

The specific objectives of the project will be as follows:

Activities

There will be two phases in this project.  Phase 1, which would last no more than six (6) months, will involve activities relating directly to the creation of the sustainable energy knowledge resource base and publication of documentation with useful information on African energy issues on the world wide web.  The activities for facilitating access to these knowledge resources and their utilisation for policy dialogues and experiential learning will be undertaken during Phase 2 which will have a duration of eighteen (18) months. 

The knowledge resource base to be created in Phase 1 will consist essentially of a platform on the World Wide Web with links to selected websites containing information on sustainable energy and African energy issues. [5] The web pages in the proposed knowledge platform will be set up to make it possible for downloading of previously unpublished documentation  (reports, articles, speeches, etc.) with useful information on African energy issues and good practice experiences around the world. Development of the knowledge resource base will be undertaken by a team of specialists drawn from the participating African institutions (EDRC, ENDA, KITE and CEEEZ [6] ) working in collaboration with knowledge systems experts in the respective countries as well as the World Bank. 

The selected African institutions will contribute to the knowledge networks in the following specific areas:

Activities to be undertaken as part of Phase 2 will be designed to address the specific contributions outlined above and also ensure that the knowledge resource base created in Phase 1 is put to good use and updated on a regular basis.  Special effort will be put into facilitating the exchange of good practice in decentralized and renewable energy solutions in such a way that it benefits practitioners in a wider circle, and brings in those who are not yet part of existing networks.  Electronic visits to the knowledge platform on Sustainable Energy in Africa and file downloads will be actively encouraged and relevant quantitative data will be used for monitoring purposes.  Other forms of outreach, like newsletters and seminars, will be undertaken in addition to internet-based communications.

Workshop Objectives

This first workshop provided a forum for all project participants to meet and agree on a common project.  The workshop undertook several functions including the following:

• Definition of key issues to be addressed in the project;
• Clear outline of identified tasks; and
• Finalisation of a work plan with specified timelines.

A second workshop in Phase 2 will evaluate the project as a whole and also plan for further action.