R -- USAID/Armenia Program for Improved Energy Management to Enhance Energy Security in Armenia

USAID/Armenia plans to procure goods and services to implement a five year (3 year base period and a 2 year option period)Program for Improved Energy Management to Enhance Energy Security. The purpose of the Program is to provide technical assistance to the Republic of Armenia in extending reform and restructuring to improve the efficiency of resource use in the energy and heat supply sectors. This focus is based in part on these sectors continued need for improved transparency and commercial motivation in governance in order to reduce the opportunities for corruption and to improve the quality of service delivered to customers. It is also motivated by the compelling need to manage and use Armenia's scarce energy resources with greater efficiency and in an environmentally sustainable way. Improving economic efficiency and sustainable energy resource management will provide essential building blocks required to ensure a sound foundation for sustainable economic growth and to improve the quality of life for all Armenians. This program will provide technical assistance, training and some commodity support primarily to institutions working to introduce more efficient and environmentally sound management of energy and heat supply systems, including improved governance of the institutions that provide services using these resources. It is expected that with management in place in energy and heat supply utility services that is more transparent, commercially-motivated and effectively regulated, these entities will seek to identify and implement activities that reduce waste, manage demand, increase supply, and improve the quality of service. Each of these outcomes contributes to increase Armenia's energy security. In addition to promoting more efficient energy use in ways which are both environmentally sound and increase economic growth, increasing Armenia's energy security will involve developing the country's substantial renewable energy resources. Training and building local capacity are significant elements of this program and the broad objectives of human capacity development must be integrated in implementing the program. Commodity support will be given to counterpart institutions for pilot projects and where it is determined that commodities would significantly increase the effectiveness and/or transparency of the recipient. The program will identify whether there are any significant gender impacts of its main technical directions and will design and implement appropriate actions to reflect these.