Governance and Management Arrangements

Implementing Partner: The Implementing Partner (IP) for this project is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy (MNRE) within the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The IP is the entity to which the UNDP Administrator has entrusted the implementation of UNDP assistance specified in this signed project document along with the assumption of full responsibility and accountability for the effective use of UNDP resources and the delivery of outputs.

The IP nominated Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) to be responsible for executing this project. Following this, a Project Management Unit (PMU) was established within ESERA to lead the implementation of the AMP on behalf of the Implementing Partner. The PMU coordinates delivery across all component of the project. The PMU consist of a Project Manager and a Project Assistant, as appropriate.

Project stakeholders and Target Groups

All the people of Eswatini stand to benefit from accelerated investments in clean energy. All taxpayers and electricity users stand to benefit from more cost-effective ways to deliver clean energy to end users. More specifically, rural communities currently without access to electricity will benefit from solutions that will enable affordable, clean energy to be delivered to their communities. Very directly, the specific communities who will be the recipients of the pilot projects will benefit from access to clean energy and the multiple associated socio-economic benefits including opportunities for income generation. Both communities will be engaged in the design of the pilot initiatives and the selection of productive uses. Community representatives will be elected by the communities for participation on the Project Board. It is anticipated that active engagement of direct beneficiaries at pilot level will inform future developments in other communities.

The potential RE minigrid industry will also benefit from the investment in capacity building and the piloting of innovative business models that can guide future development and operation. With no active minigrid industry, REASWA, the Renewable Energy Association of Eswatini in the country will be engaged as industry representative and Project Board member.

UNDP: UNDP is accountable to the GEF for the implementation of this project. This includes oversight of project execution to ensure that the project is being carried out in accordance with agreed standards and provisions. UNDP is responsible for delivering GEF project cycle management services comprising project approval and start-up, project supervision and oversight, and project completion and evaluation. UNDP is also responsible for the Project Assurance role of the Project Board/Steering Committee.