Appraisals:

Ensuring Relevance and Ownership

Most programme or project preparations are done by local partners. Once the proposals are ready, they are normally appraised by the funding agent. These can be quick desk studies that address particular issues, or large multi-donor appraisal tasks with thorough in-the-field reviews.

The appraisal is a strategic tool for ensuring that proposals are viable, provide appropriate answers to the identified problems, have considered the likely risks to successful implementation, and contain a strategy for ensuring sustainable results

Scanteam has carried out numerous appraisals in a wide range of sectors, where our methodology knowledge is key to ensuring that the appraisal does indeed uncover problems and identify what can be done better.

Appraising Energy Projects

Norway is to aid the development of an energy sector through support to three institutions: the state-owned transmission company, the petroleum and the electricity departments of the ministry. Scanteam was asked to appraise the projects, including the use of Norwegian institutions for partnering.

The appraisal looked at framework conditions as well as project proposals. Specific recommendations for two of the projects showed how they could be better specified for enhanced performance monitoring without much additional work. The third project suffered from lack of national funding and uncertainty created by a recent restructuring of the electricity sector. One proposal was therefore to carry out a functional review of the sector to ensure that roles are properly identified before additional external support is initiated.