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The
Platform concept was designed in Mali, where more than 400 platforms
have been installed to-date in as many villages. The Malian experience
attracted interest from other countries, which is why the UNDP
(United Nations Development Programme) created a Regional Unit
whose objectives are to ensure the transfer of skills to countries
requesting platforms. Since then, National Pilot Platform Projects
have been launched in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Guinea. Given
the encouraging results that this experience has produced, the
international development community has unanimously voiced out
for an expanded regional initiative. To this effect, a Regional
Multifunctional Platform Programme covering 12 countries in Africa
is due to be launched.
Click
here to find out more about the new Regional Initiative
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Objectives
of the Regional Cell
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Assist
development partners and projects to integrate the multifunctional
platform in their activities to reinforce their impact in the field,
especially in their fight against poverty affecting rural women.
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Development
of a data base related to methodological, technical, financial,
economic and social information on the platform in order to ensure
the transfer of knowledge and skills and to disseminate the information
related both to the implementation of the different national projects
and to the understanding of the platform concept and approach.
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Services
provided by the Regional Cell
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Feasibility
mission to interested countries, to define, with UNDP offices
and national authorities, the priorities to be considered and determine
potential partners at the financial as well as organizational and
technical levels. The manager should also appraise whether there
is available funding at national level to cover the formulation/training
mission, which account for US$ 15,000.
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Train
projects personnel, project partners, beneficiaries and artisans
to feasibility studies, management of the platform and
their networks and to install and do the maintenance of multifunctional
platforms.
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Formulate
a specific logical framework with result indicators to facilitate
an efficient monitoring and evaluation of the results achieved with
the platform’s implementation.
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Promote
the exchange of information and experiences
between all actors concerned and draw lessons learned from activities
in the different countries. Taking advantage of the acquired experience
by the project underway in Mali, the value added of the regional
cell will be in the :
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Reduction in the number of international consultancies needed by
national pilot projects, especially on methodological
issues (eg. management system, contract aspects, follow up/evaluation).
Adaptation of the methodologies and tools developed and utilized
in Mali will be made on a case by case basis by national projects,
with the assistance of the cell.
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Economies of scale for training activities,
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Reduction
in the time required for the formulation, approval and the
implementation
of national projects.-
Bring in a client approach to increase the satisfaction of governments
interested in the platform, and thus, contribute to a better image
of UNDP.
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Assist
for the mobilization of resources,
based on the results of pilot experiences, and using the network
of partners showing an interest for the platform.
The
Regional Cell offers its expertise and provides the tools and competences
that have been developed in Mali and can be adapted to a new context.
The receiving partner and/or project finances the training costs as
well as the cost for installing the first platform. The total contribution
required is approx US$ 25,000 but it can be shared among several projects
and/or countries that would be interested to participate in the implementation
of a pilot platform experience.
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Launch
of a Regional Programme
 The
impetus generated by the results obtained and lessons learnt from the
Platform exeriences in Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Guinea has pushed
the international development community to voice out unanimously for
the expansion of the Platform initiative. To this end, a Regional
Programme covering 12 countries in Africa is soon to be launched.
> The vision of
the Regional Programme
> The
objectives of the Regional Programme
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The
vision of the Regional Programme :
"To
create 10.000 Platform entreprises which will provide sustainable and
affordable energy services to rural male and female clients, representing
an additional 10% of the rural population in sub-saharan Africa in each
of the participating countries,, thus providing more possibilities to
increase income, consumption, to enjoy safe water and a greater well
being, particularly where young girls are concerned."
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The
objectives of the regional programme
The objectives of the
Regional Programme are to :
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Promote,
through a South-South collaboration, the sharing of experiences
and the transfer of skills between countries where the platforms
are already installed and countries who have recently joined the
programme in terms of managing and implementing the Platform approach.
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Integrate the energy poverty
issue into Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) of the 12 Programme
countries.
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To
contribute to acheiving the Millenium Development Goals (MDOs) as
well as NEPAD targets, one of which is to provide access to modern
energy sources for over 25% of the population of sub-saharan Africa.
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Contact
For
more information, please contact Laurent
Coche,
Coordinator of the Regional Cell, at the following
address :
UNDP
Mali, BP 120, Bamako, Mali
Tel: 223-22 01 81 / Fax: 223-22 62 98 / Cell : 223 75 08 04
E-mail :
info@ptfm.net
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THE REGIONAL CELL
