The main aim of the workshop is to disseminate the findings of the recently completed Power for Development: A Review of the World Bank Group's Experience with Private Participation in the Electricity Sector - the joint evaluation report by the World Bank Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), the International Finance Corporation Operations Evaluation Group (OEG), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Operations Evaluation Unit (OEU).

Drawing on these findings, the workshop will promote lesson-learning as well as provide a forum for the participants to share their experiences and insights, with respect to private participation and electricity sector reforms in general, as well as with regards to the specific role that the World Bank Group's lending and advisory assistance can play in supporting reforms and private participation in the electricity sectors of developing countries. The workshop program is designed to facilitate active involvement by all participants through panel-presentations, question and comment sessions, as well as break-out groups following each panel-session.

The estimated 70 workshop participants include policymakers, practitioners, the private sector, and other stakeholders from across Asia though with inputs from resource persons with insights into other regions where the World Bank Group has promoted electricity sector reforms and private participation. The event is sponsored by IEG , OEG and OEU, with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Please note that due to space limitations, participation in the workshop is by invitation only.

Electricity Sector Reforms: Timing, Sequencing, and Pre-Conditions (Workshop Session 1)

What is the evidence so far on the timing and sequencing of, as well as the pre-conditions for, electricity sector reforms? The first main session of the workshop addresses the issues related to the timing and sequencing of, as well as the pre-conditions for, electricity sector reforms, aiming to address the difficult question of "which combination of reforms worked best where and why?". Power for Development noted that in the 1990s, in the absence of appropriate guidance and expertise on these issues, the World Bank Group frequently pursued what could be characterized as a "one-size-fits-all" or "cookie-cutter" approach which insufficiently took country circumstances and specificities into account. This finding is taken as the starting point for the debates that will ensue during the session, which drawing upon the experiences of the workshop participants, aim to highlight the diverse experiences of the Asian countries with regards to the timing, sequencing, and pre-conditions of electricity sector reforms.

Re-igniting Private Sector Interest in the Electricity Sectors of Developing Countries (Workshop Session 2)

The second session of the workshop looks at the question of how to re-ignite private sector interest in the electricity sectors of developing countries - an issue which over the last couple of years has become increasingly dominant in discussions related to electricity sector reforms and private participation. Despite the attention recently given to this issue, however, the answers to this question seem difficult to pin down. A summary of "what power investors are looking for" will start off the panel discussions, and will be supplemented by the remarks from foreign and local private investors, involved in electricity generation as well as distribution. A perspective from a country that has been relatively successful at attracting private investments will further contribute to the debate, as will the remarks by a private renewable energy company highlighting the specific requirements and conditions necessary for allowing for - if not promoting - environmentally sustainable as well as decentralized electricity service delivery.