R -- South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy Cooperation and Development (SARI/Energy) - Phase II

The goal of the SARI/Energy program is to increase regional cooperation around a variety of energy related issues. The contractor will provide technical assistance and institutional capacity building support to selected stakeholder groups in SARI/Energy countries to analyze and negotiate opportunities for regional energy cooperation in South Asia. The contractors shall perform the various tasks outlined in Section D to specifically address the following: - The role of the regional energy cooperation in South Asia with regard to energy security, economic development and global competitiveness - Economic and social impacts of regional energy cooperation - Institutional and financial requirements for regional energy cooperation The following are the target stakeholder groups that the contract shall address the technical support to: - Energy Consumers especially the industrial consumers - Private sector developers and managers of energy assets and current and potential financiers of new energy infrastructure - Media, especially the local language media as a change agent - Eminent persons such as scholars, academicians, opinion leaders - Politicians including current legislators - Associations and organizations such as chambers of commerce and industry, professional associations, and labor unions The contractor shall continuously identify existing regional organizations that have the capacity to promote program goals and that may be sustainable after the program ends and strengthen these through activities under this contract. The contractor shall also identify opportunities to establish new regional organizations that can promote program goals in key areas where none now exist.