Training on Renewable Energy Applications to Enhance Development and Adoption Study case: Evaluation, of the Training Program of Rural Solar Energy Development Project

Abstract

Despite the fact that renewable energy sources proved having great potential to meet the energy needs of the rural Sudan, its dissemination is rather slow. Training is one of the majors factor for dissemination of renewable energy technologies. The objective of this study focuses on investigating ways and methods of training that have been used by Energy Research Institute (ERI) during its implementation of one of its large scale dissemination project, the Rural Solar Energy Development project (RSED). It aims to examine the skills, knowledge and attitudes obtained by those who were trained on renewable energy by RSED during its implantation 1991-1998. To achieve this objective the study takes RSED training program as a case study. RSED is one of the major joint projects financed by UNDP/OPEC and implemented by ERI during 1991-1998. It was implemented in North Kordofan state. RSED launched a training program targeting various groups identified as stakeholders for sustainable technology development model adopted by RSED. Almost 17 training courses have been executed by RESD on installation and maintenance, using and operating, and manufacturing attended by 342 trainees. In this study stratified random sample had been used. Three types of strata have been selected installation and maintenance, using and operation and manufacturing type of training.. SPSS program was X used for data analysis. The total number of trainees were 342 about 120 were chosen by using one of the sample size equations. The analysis was based on descriptive as well as inductive perspective, 9 trainers filled the questionnaire from 12 trainers and 3 related institutions were selected to fill the questionnaire for comparison reasons. Two method of data collection were used, primary and secondary. The secondary data were collected from related sources, reports and journals. The primary data was collected through questionnaires designed to cover all types of training provided to stakeholders (installation and maintenances, use and operation, and manufacturing). Three types of questionnaires were filled by trainees in the three types of training, a fourth questionnaire was filled by trainers and the fifth questionnaire was filled by each of the related institutions. The study found number of factors affecting the effectiveness of the training adopted by RSED. First of all, the effect of time span; training sessions were carried out for different periods. Some of the training sessions lasted one week and those represents 79.6% of all training adopted by RSED, some lasted two weeks and those represent 10.8% and others lasted for more than two weeks and those represent the rest 9.65 of all training sessions carried out by RSED. All trainees interviewed complained from the short time of training program, the benefits gained from training are found to increase whenever the program lasts longer. The occupation of trainees also affected the level of acquired skills and knowledge provided by the training. Trainees can be classified according to their occupation into 41.4% were form health cadre, 8.4% were engineering technicians, 8.4% were skilled labors and 27.7% were from different occupations (teachers, drivers, officers XI and housewives).The trainees in manufacture type of training gained more benefit than those in the other two types. The selection of trainers which is an important factor for the effectiveness of training was based on several factors. These trainers selected according to past experience, represented 33.3%, those selected according to their occupation represented 22.2% and those trainers selected according to their specialization represented 44.4% of all trainers participated in the training carried out by RSED and all trainers came from ERI. The qualifications of trainers positively affect the training process but the trainers whose came from one side, do not add experience and knowledge exchange to trainees. Follow-up and evaluation during and after the training process is also important to build on the positive aspects and avoid the encountered shortcomings. Evaluation during the training process was not conducted in 88.8% of the training sessions. An evaluation after the end of the training session was conducted only for 44.4% and was not conducted for 55.5%. Evaluation after a period of time was not conducted by RSED. In RSED, evaluation was conducted only immediately after the end of training sessions. Finally, the study concluded that the project succeeded in building the knowledge of solar technology within the rural community but there were little contributions put by the training components Technical know how for installation, use, operation and maintenance besides manufacturing are generally lacking and need to be built. In order to improve the effectiveness and the outcome from the training for renewable energy, a new training model is suggested by this study following the standard training procedures XII adopted in other fields like agriculture, health in which training is important for the delivery of its development services. The thesis ends up with the following specific recommendations to improve methods of the training for dissemination of renewable energy technologies. - Training in general is recommended to be considered and encouraged at all levels for all stakeholders involved in the process of disseminating renewable energy technologies. This is because the renewable energy technologies are new technologies for most of its primary beneficiaries, the rural communities. - Recommendation to ERI to conduct a training needs assessment to identify exactly what type of know-how is needs to be built in order to scale-up the dissemination of renewable energy technologies. - All stakeholders recommended to base the selection of trainees on specific criteria such as relevance of professional background and education to increase benefits from the training sessions. - ERI is also recommended to considering selection of trainers from other relevant institutions. This is to expose trainees to diversified experiences and knowledge. - ERI and other stakeholders are recommended to include in their training a follow up of trainees to help them to perform their jobs in the field more appropriately. - Follow up and evaluation recommended to be complementary parts during and after the completion of the training activities. This follow-up and evaluation, can be done at three periods; one during the conduction of the training session, a second at the end of the training session and a third a few months after the end of the training session.