Publication: An M&E mobile based application for Pico PV lighting solutions for the “Kerosene Free Kenya” project
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Small PV-Applications Rural
Abstract
This paper describes the use of a mobile based application used as a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) tool to a pilot project supported by the National Council for Science and Technology of Kenya (NCST) which seeks to research best practices and lessons learned in the dissemination of Pico PV systems to rural households in Kenya. In order to overcome the affordability barrier a microfinance institution (MFI) was brought into the system, to properly handle the challenge of access to finance while Lighting Africa will provide standards for the products to be distributed. Many of such pilot system have been used in practically all countries of East Africa. The novelty of the present one is the use of an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) mobile based tool to collect and transmit data. This will make the analysis of the product quality, user experience and faults much simpler and given the two ways relationship between the researchers and the users, consumer satisfaction and product improvement is envisaged to happen in a to date unprecedented manner. As the clients are distributed in a known geographical region, the researchers have provided for the training of technicians to handle repairs and battery replacement locally. As the duration of the project is 2 years, it is expected that the follow up of product performance and life span will be measured way beyond its payback period.
Description
Keywords
Mobile based applications, Kenya, Kerosene free Kenya
Citation
DaSilva, I. P., Ronoh, G., & Maina, D. N. (2013). An M&E mobile based application for Pico PV lighting solutions for the “Kerosene Free Kenya” project. 3rd Symposium Small PV Applications (pp. 290-295). Ulm, Germany: OTTI.