A Critical Review of the UNDP Guyana Hinterland Rural and Poor Communities (HRPC) Project

Abstract: The Government of Guyana sees the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) diffusion as critical in quality of life improvement. Together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) they are conducting a project to provide internet access to Hinterland, Rural and Poor Communities (HRPC) through Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) powered by stand-alone hybrid energy systems including solar Photovoltaics (PV) and Li-Ion batteries. The project is facilitated by the UNDP Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT), using the 7-step process (UNDP best practice for green energy related implementations). This report aims at improving the 7-step process by critically reviewing the UNDP Guyana HRPC project, drawing also on experience from previous projects. The results highlight deviations from the original process and the recommended actions are to create principles and guidelines to follow when such deviations happen. It is further recommended to expand the process, make it more flexible and applicable to different types of projects. Finally, knowledge sharing between United Nations (UN) organs and UNDP units could be highly beneficial when creating a more flexible process. Since the ICT diffusion is seen as critical in quality of life improvements, this report also aims to create a framework to evaluate what impact the project can have on the people. Intended outcomes of the project, issues and key priorities identified by the communities, lessons learnt from other projects and relevant concepts are the basis for the suggested Key Performance Indicators to monitor. By using formal data collection, with the expressed permission of the user, ICT activities can be measured and evaluated. Indicators on health, education, economic activities, business development etc. can be easily gathered this way. Complemented by surveys and/or interviews in line with the UNDP Sustainable Livelihood Framework for qualitative aspects and technical monitoring of the Solar PV system, this could enable sufficient information to assess the quality of life improvements and view the success of the implemented project.