Impact-Based and Action-Driven Research
Establishing Collaborative Frameworks for Researchers, Impact Makers, and Sustainable Entrepreneurs
Methodology
Phase 1: Data & Stakeholder Map The first goal of the project will be to establish a network of stakeholders, building upon existing partnerships (with academia and industry in Europe, Africa, and South America), in order to get an overview of the research needs of institutions operating in the field and identify possible nexuses among actors. Second, available databases related to energy, water, and sanitation (supply, services, & consumption) at the national and international levels will be evaluated.
Phase 2: Action-based research Exploiting available data sources and innovative data acquisition technologies and fostering close interaction between researchers and practitioners, the second phase will tackle research questions—relating access to energy with access to water and sanitation—that can be translated into concrete recommendations and solutions for the organizations working with vulnerable populations.
Phase 3: Guideline for assessment methodologies Based on the research results, the potential for digital tools for measuring access to energy for productive uses, as well as for the combined assessment of access to energy and water & sanitation, will be evaluated.
Research Projects
The research will focus on the nexus between access to energy, access to clean water and sanitation,
and food security, at the level of both households and microenterprises (productive uses).
One of the main objectives of the research will be to propose – and field test –
assessment methodologies for
measuring the impact of modern credit mechanisms for financing clean energy technologies (green loans) and clean water solutions (water credits). To this end, the relationships between existing frameworks for the assessment
of energy access (at the household level and for productive use) and access to WASH (at the household and community levels) will be investigated. The latest digital tools for data collection, assessment, and long-term monitoring will be employed, with support from HEDERA.
Call for proposals
This topics will be studied in the framework of data collection projects
involving institutions working in rural regions (microfinance institutions, cooperatives, NGOs, suppliers)
in Africa, Latin America, and South-East Asia.
In parallel with the data collection projects, the project will offer
scholarships for desk research with the purpose of validate standard assessment methodologies, and
analyze the role of financial institution in improving access to basic services in developing countries.
Workshops & Seminars
A series of online events will be organized to connect different
institutions and introduce the latest assessment tools both
from the perspective of practitioners and researchers.
In addition, several webinars will be organized in collaboration with
international partner institutions, focusing on the role of financial
service providers in the achievements of sustainable development.