TFE designed and implemented a mini-grid quality assurance framework (QAF) to standardise and monitor the quality of isolated rural mini grid power supply in Nigeria, Guinea and Togo. The QAF is a set of technical performance monitoring indicators designed to measure the quality of mini-grid energy service delivery. It includes financial indicators that assist with assessing the financial performance of a project. It also includes indicators designed to monitor the social impact of a mini grid on the surrounding community. We also developed administrative indicators that assist government institutions tasked with monitoring and evaluating diverse portfolios of mini grids to easily keep a record of where the mini-grids are located, by whom they are developed and whether they meet regulatory requirements such as environmental and social impact mitigation and customer complaint resolution.
We developed new reporting indicators for the QAF on which mini grid developers are reporting. We ensured broad stakeholder agreement and buy-in, provided technical assistance to mini grid developers to report on the metrics included in the QAF, developed an appropriate mechanism for this reporting and trained community members to hold mini grid developers accountable to agreed quality standards. The QAF was adopted by the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria in its mini grid procurement programmes.
The QAF has now been translated into French for application across Guinea and Togo too.
