These funds supported research to develop the project-related documentation for the eventual subsidy. 

The grant supported project preparation activities to subsidize (W3) the OBA  Electricity Access for Low- income Households in Zambia. The Panel of Experts endorsed the project for commitment in April 2014 and the project team processed the Grant Agreement for signature. 

The aim of this rapid study was to present the findings and framework for output-based aid/results-based financing (OBA/RBF) options in the municipal solid waste sector in Zambia. For maximum impact, the rapid study focuses on Kabwe, as the municipality presents a microcosm of issues faced across the country.

The study comprised of the following main activities: (i) a rapid assessment of the municipal solid waste (MSW) current legal and regulatory framework, sector policy and financing to  propose reform recommendations for improving the solid waste management system in Zambia; (ii) an assessment of the current design and performance of municipal solid waste service in  Kabwe; (iii)  an initial development of a customized OBA/RBF  project  design which takes into account  households  willingness to pay (WTP) and improves access and outcomes of MSW management in Kabwe municipality; and (iv)  presentation to discuss the findings and the proposed MSW options in Kabwe.

The rapid assessment study identified regulatory, technical, and financial challenges that constrained the management of Kabwe’s solid waste system. Particularly, the study and the dialogue with the government and other sector stakeholders noted a lack of by-laws to enforce waste regulation including discarding, sorting at source, disposing, and administering fines.

Among the technical challenges, capacity of Kabwe Municipal Council and waste haulers would need to be improved, including staffing, waste collection and transportation equipment (trucks and bins), etc.

As to financing challenges, the fee structure needed to be revised to allow cost recovery, and an efficient fee collection mechanism was to be put in place.

Lastly, a gap analysis needed to be completed to allow for an informed decision on the applicability of an RBF operation in Kabwe. This included, among others, an assessment of the capacity of private contractors, a market sounding and a survey on households’ willingness and ability to pay.

This activity consists of four tasks:  

1. Lessons from the ongoing Electricity Access for Low-Income Households Project and recommendation on the scaling-up of the activities using similar approaches.  

2. Review of the connection fee subsidy.  

3. Needs assessment for complementary network reinforcement.  

4. Recommendation for OBA/RBF mechanisms for scaling up. This work will include a review of the current Rural Electrification Master Plan (2008-2030) and Strategic Plan (2014-2018), network planning capability, recommendations related to a geospatial-based electrification planning framework, a National Electrification Strategy/ Implementation Roadmap, and Investments Prospectus that will allow Rural Electrification AgencyZESCO to increase the access to electrification for rural households. 

The activity achieved its the deliverables as planned and the joint IDA-GPOBA scaleup project with the Rural Electrification Agency has been design, building on the World Bank and GPOBA work with ZESCO. The review of the Rural Electrification Master Plan, supported by this activity, has been helpful not only for the new project but also rural electrification overall. 

The objective it to increase access to sanitation services in selected areas of Lusaka and to strengthen Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company’s capacity to manage sanitation services.

The activity has been completed under the auspicious of the IDA credit that supports the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company. Recommendations for including an RBF component have been prepared for the IDA credit Mid-Term Review that took place in November 2018 and recommended restructuring options to the government. The GPRBA recommendations will be part of the restructuring discussions in the next reporting periods. The activity has been extended from August to December 2018 to allow more time for the dissemination of results. 

The objective of the Electricity Service Access Project is to increase electricity access in Zambia's targeted rural areas. There are three components to the project, the first component being on-grid electricity access expansion. This component will provide financing for on-grid connections in rural areas using the approaches under the OBA/connection fee subsidy program. To support the ‘last mile’ connections, the project will also finance critical distribution network reinforcements and extensions through applying low-cost technologies where appropriate that will enable ZESCO to add new connections to the grid, complementing ongoing access expansion efforts by CPs in other parts of the country. The second component is the off-grid electricity access expansion.

This component will initially fund required upstream activities to enable the private sector participation in rural off-grid electrification, including identifying and scoping off-grid sites, helping the Government of Zambia address the existing regulatory impediments, building the needed capacity at key institutions, and designing financial mechanisms. Finally, the third component is the capacity building and project implementation support. This component will finance technical assistance (TA) to the Gpvernment of Zambia to ensure that the project reaches its objective of enhancing and improving the enabling environment needed for a substantially scaled-up electrification effort.

This activity was to demonstrate cleaner-cooking options to schools and school families, and undertake a gender assessment to ensure effective communication of the benefits and risks of cleaner-cooking to women and children.

The objective is to (i) promote the use of clean cooking fuels and efficient stoves, (ii) support the dissemination of advanced stoves and efficient charcoal stoves; and (iii) reduce forest pressure from charcoal consumption

The gender assessments and the cookstove testing were carried out in FY22. The gender assessment will include the analysis of options for potential gender interventions in the clean cooking sector.

• The testing of cookstove use and the preparation of a service contract will feed into the development of a component of the IDA investment project, Transforming Energy Access Matters.

• The summary report with the initial findings from these interviews and data analysis has been prepared and is currently being reviewed by the WB team.

The development objective of this programmatic activity was to promote productive use of electricity by the micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and to evaluate the behavioral changes of the MSEs after accessing electricity in targeted urban and peri-urban Zambia.

All the activities have been completed. They were conducted in conjunction with the MSE typology TA described above. The MSE survey had 1,814 baseline respondents, including the control group, 90% of whom were surveyed for the endline. The MSE evaluation concluded that micro-entrepreneurs continued using and paying for the electricity connections obtained under the GPORA project. As regards electricity consumption and purchase of appliances, MSEs from food-related businesses were predominantly buying fridges. Otherwise, electricity was used for lighting, TV/radio and small appliances. The project encouraged transition from more expensive diesel generators and also from wire-tapping, contributing to fire safety and customer regularization. A charcoal/kerosene switching survey of 500 households was added at the endline. It found that the use of fossil fuel for lighting is negligent. As to cooking, the survey found a limited but encouraging evidence of water boiling with an electrical appliance. To heat water for cooking or bathing/washing, 52% use a wood/charcoal stove (Mbaula) while 33% use electric kettles or heating elements. Going forward, 63% were thinking of getting an electrical appliance for cooking.