Understanding the Understanding series
The Understanding series was developed as part of the Power Africa Initiative. The handbooks in the Understanding series are intended to serve as practical resources for decision-makers on the policy and strategy behind the development, financing, and procurement of power projects. The US Department of Commerce, Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) facilitates the drafting and publishing of these books with its key partner, the African Legal Support Facility (ALFS). Each of the handbooks have been developed using the Book Sprints method which allows a diverse group of contributors from African governments, multilateral institutions, development banks, private developers, procurement consultants and leading international law firms, all whom contribute their time on a pro-bono basis, to complete the handbooks in a quick and efficient manner. Each of the handbooks has been published under the Creative Commons License.
About Power Africa
Since 2013, the Power Africa initiative has sought to marshal technical, legal and financial resources to support the goal of doubling access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through a substantial network of public and private sector partners, Power Africa is working alongside dozens of African governments to facilitate the development of privately financed and operated power projects on a scale that will meet the continent’s power deficit. Power Africa has developed a series of handbooks to establish a common understanding of best practices around successful power project development. The Understanding series now includes a total of four handbooks, with 55,000 copies in print and tens of thousands more copies downloaded online.
About CLDP
Established in 1992, CLDP is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce that helps achieve U.S. foreign policy goals in developing and post-conflict countries through commercial legal reforms. CLDP’s unique, government-to-government technical assistance draws upon highly experienced regulators, judges, policymakers, business leaders and attorneys from both the public and private sectors to deliver results that make meaningful and lasting changes to the legal and business environments of our host countries. In 2014, CLDP became an implementing partner of the Power Africa initiative. Since becoming an implementing partner CLDP has provide Power Africa countries with tailored technical assistance on topics ranging from Power Purchase Agreements, Public-Private Partnerships, and Public Procurement, etc. CLDP has played a key role in the development of the Understanding series by coordinating the development of the handbooks and provide substantive legal consultations.
