Backstopping of three projects financed under the “Fonds de Contre-Valeur Suisses”: Hydro-solar hybrid system for electrification; solar pumping systems; potato production, storage, conditioning and marketing)
Based on an agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the Cameroon Government – represented by the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development MINEPAT – a 5.25 million € fund (“Fonds de Contrevaleur Suisses FCV) is available to subsidise three projects in the fields of renewable energies and private sector promotion with about 1.52 million € each: 1) “electrification through a hydro-PV hybrid system”, 2) “water through solar energy”, 3) ”Fresh Irish Potato production, storage, conditioning and marketing”. Skat is mandated a) to monitor and assist the 3 projects during implementation to ensure sustainability and b) to evaluate private sector initiatives to be supported with the remaining 466,000 €.
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Country:
Cameroon: West, Northwest, North and Extreme North Regions
Project Period:
08.2019 – 02.2023
Services Provided:
Backstopping and monitoring of 3 projects and analysis of project proposals to be financed under a (separate) fund to support private sector initiatives
Name of Client(s)
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO,
Economic Cooperation and Development
Name of Staff involved and functions performed:
Team leader and expert for renewable energies: Dr. Hedi Feibel, agricultural expert: Nathalie Oberson; solar pumping expert: Taric de Villers; local expert: Henry Ndah Akah
Description of the Project:
Services provided by Skat: Assistance to SECO and the MINEPAT to ensure proper implementation of all three projects; monitor the establishment of institutional set-ups which ensure long-term sustainability; technical support and provision of expert opinion to the project developers. Support the evaluation of submitted private sector project initiatives under the additional fund.
Objective: The objective of the backstopping mandate is to ensure a professional planning and a smooth course of implementation of all three projects by providing management, technical and other expertise wherever required. Each project has a certain pilot character, thus sustainability is crucial for scaling-up.
Activities: revision and commenting of project documents, proposal of improvements, inception mission, establishment of a logframe together with project developer as basis for the monitoring process; regular monitoring missions and expert inputs during the 2 years implementation phase; final evaluation.
Results: All three projects are successfully implemented based on a strong monitoring and technical assistance; professional structures for project operation are established ensuring long-term sustainability. Successful implementation of all three project provides a sound basis for scaling up.
