Analysis of policy options for projects in the electricity sector in sub- Saharan Africa: A system dynamics approach

Abstract

Many projects in the electricity energy sector in Africa’s sub-Saharan region experience delays and challenges to quality, leading to frequent power outages that slow overall economic activity and frustrate investor confidence in the region. This paper presents the systemic methods employed to evaluate the dynamic consequences of policies in electricity energy sector projects in the region. The model uses the Vensim software to carry out the simulations. A range of illustrative scenarios are provided and analysed, and the paper compares and contrasts these different scenarios. The results show that there is merit in improving project management competence in the region. A shortage of commissioning engineers also emerged as a major problem in the projects, leading to multi-tasking as the few existing commissioning engineers move from one project to another. To address this weakness, the study proposes that contracting firms be compelled to employ a higher proportion of commissioning engineers.