Absence of proper institutional arrangement is one of the main reasons for the sluggish growth of rural energy sector in Nepal. To this respect, REDP has supported for creating comprehensive institutional arrangement from the center down to the grassroots. Within less than three years period, the programme has become successful also in establi-shing linkages with key institutions for building the congenial atmosphere for rural energy development. The coherence of the programme from the grass-roots to the central level is the foremost achievement of the programme.

It is envisaged that support from REDP will institutionalize a rural energy development agency, which, eventutally will be the lead agency for this sector.

Major Instititutions

At the Central Level
At the central level, the establishment of Rural Energy Development Board (REDB) and Management Committee (MC) have created a consistent mechanism for coordinating activities of REDP and government line agencies.

Rural Energy Development Board
REDB was consituted under the chairmanship of the Minister for Local Development (MLD) to establish linkages among the institutions, co-ordinate activities and provide policy input on related issues. The Board has representations from MLD, Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Industries (MoI), Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), Agricultural Development Bank (ADB/N) and Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI).

Management Committee
A MC was constituted with representations from MLD WECS, National Planning Commission (NPC), Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) and REDP. Through the regular meeting of the committee has been effective in maintaining coordination among the related institutions for successful implementation of the programme activities.

Networking
The establishment of networks at the central level has been helpful in addressing the problem of repetition and duplication of works prevalent in the energy sector. The Micro Hydro Promoters’ Group (MHPG) and Rural Energy Consultative Forum (RECF) are two important networks created at the center level, for this purpose.

Micro Hydro Promoters’ Group
MHPG was formed for the collaboration among the organizations actively involved in the development and dissemination of micro hydro in the country. The group is represented by International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), United Mission to Nepal (UMN), Rural Area Development Center, Royal Danish Embassy and REDP.

The group has been meeting regularly, once in three months, to exchange experiences, promote joint programs and make recommendations to the government and others for the development of MH systems. Important areas for the collaboration include standardization of MH technology and services, research and development, end-use promotion, human resource development, repair and backstopping, awareness and orientation for communities, entrepreneurs, local leaders, bureaucrats, donors, etc.

Rural Energy Consultative Forum
To establish linkage among the organizations involved in energy development, RECF has been formed. Nepal Micro Hydropower Development Association (NMHDA), Sun Works, Lotus Energy, Biogas Support Program (BSP), Krishna Grill and Engineering Works, Royal Nepal Academy for Science and Technology (RONAST), Research Center for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Center for Rural Technology (CRT), Center for Rural Energy (CRE), Women Development Division, Nepal Agro-Forestry Foundation, Green Energy Mission Nepal (GEM/N) and REDP are the members of the forum. The members meet regularly and find out possible ways for the promoting joint initiatives through the exchange of experiences and learnings in the respective areas.

At the District Level
The prominent activity of REDP at the district level is the establishment of specialized office for rural energy in all ten districts. DEC formed under the DDC Chairman has been effective in collaborating with all related line agencies in the districts for integrated planning and managment of rural energy development initiatives.

District Energy Network
The establishment and operation of the District Energy Network (DENET) by the DDCs is important milestone for the sustainability of the REDP initiatives. It is a forum of DDC Chairpersons of REDP districts for exchanging ideas and experiences among the districts as well as with other districts interested in rural energy development. It will also serve as a pressure group whenever needed to voice for the matters of common concern for rural energy development in the country. The first formal meeting of DENET was held on 15 April 1998. It elected the DDC Chairperson of Kavre for a one-year term to preside DENET.

District Development Committee: Rural Energy Development Programme
For the first time in the history, a rural energy agency has been created under DDC as the DDC: REDP. DDC: REDPs act as the authoritative district office on energy. This is exactly in line with the decentralization concept of the newly enacted Local Governance Act. It has set an example of the institutional arrangement that can be emulated by other sectors as well.

District Rural Energy Management Committee
A District Rural Energy Management Committee (DREMC) has also been formed in all the programme districts to discuss and seek approval if needed for the regular activities of DDC: REDPs. The committee comprises of the DDC Chairman, the Local Development Officer (LDO) and the District Energy Advisor (DEA).

District Energy Committee
The DEC is represented by all energy related institutions working in the district. It serves as the planning committee for preparing the district energy plans and programmes. The another important task of DEC is to coordinate all energy related activities to ensure optimal utilization of available resources and avoid duplication in the district. (Please see Annex 11 for a list of DEC members)

Support Organizations
SOs have been developed in all REDP districts. They are being developed as local institutions specialized in the implementation of community mobilization in the communities. Before sending them to work in the communities, each and every SO personnel is trained on different aspects of the REDP community mobilization package. Their progress are monitored and supported through regular follow-up and review meetings. (Please see Annex 12 for a list of SOs in REDP districts)

At the Grassroots Level
The establishment of the COs at the grassroots level has provided the rural community a platform to launch, collectively, the development activities that directly concern them. Similarly, the creation of functional groups (FG) with representatives from all participating COs have helped gender and caste/ ethnic group mainstreaming and achieved genuine participation in all developmental initiatives.
The commmunity organization is discussed in detail under Community Mobilization section of this report.