The Transparent Local Electricity Access Program (Transparent LEAP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative working for fair and transparent access to affordable and clean electricity access mainly in rural Africa, by strengthening the enabling environment through stronger local governance. Transparent LEAP has arisen from Kofi Annan’s Africa Progress Panel in its 2017 APP Report on Energy. The objective is to push for a fast, fair and complete electrification for the benefit of the African people. Despite recent progress and many international support initiatives in global electrification, still, nearly 790 million people around the world are without access to electricity, living in the dark.  About 72% of those people live in sub-Saharan Africa mostly relying on traditional fuels that are wasteful, unreliable, expensive, unhealthy, slowdown social economic development and contribute to environmental problems and climate change. With its strong commitment to and experience in multi-stakeholder governance HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform, Berlin is carrying Transparent LEAP forward with strong partners from government, private sector and civil society.

Transparent LEAP has been exploring with actors in various African countries their interest in its effort to strengthen local governance. We are delighted that the Government of Senegal through its Ministry for Petroleum and Energy has expressed a lively interest to include Transparent LEAP in its outstanding program of Energy for ALL. Senegal is the first country in which we currently form a MSG composed of Government, Business and Civil Society representatives.

Contacts with potential investors (inside and outside Senegal) have been established, local CSOs are being invited, government officials and representatives on village level are participating (in fact, a concrete pilot investment is at an advanced stage of preparation). Supportive conversations with representatives of development agencies have been established (e.g. World Bank, GIZ, AfDB, USAID, UN ECA).

It is proposed that the structure of LEAP will follow the model of other multi-stakeholder initiatives (e.g. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative -EITI and Fisheries Transparency Initiative – FiTI):

1. At the international level a nascent Advisory Group (AG) has started to meet regularly in Berlin. It is expected to be substantially converted into a multi-stakeholder Global Board (GB) at the launch of LEAP. The AG would further develop the concept of LEAP and guide the national Multi-Stakeholder Groups (MSG); it would probably have 12 to 18 members. (The present members are listed below).
2. In participating countries a national Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) would be established to further develop the national concept of LEAP, observe and deliberate about elements of governance that may obstruct or discourage local implementation; it will prepare regular reports about the relevant  aspects of local governance. In countries with more than one local LEAP initiative, the MSGs guide the Local Multi-Stakeholder Group (LMSG).
3. At the local level, Local Multi-Stakeholder Groups (LMSG) composed of local Government, Business and Civil Society representatives will observe and deliberate about elements of governance that may obstruct or discourage local investment.

A lean LEAP Secretariat will be established at the HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform (with separate accounts and work plans). Presently it is led by Daphne Büllesbach, CEO of the Governance Platform, with the support of Christine Nowak, Office Manager (all with a small allocation of time).

Advisory Group

• Tim Bittiger is a senior governance and transparency expert with substantial experience across Africa.
• Daphne Büllesbach (HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform gGmbH) is Managing Director of the Governance Platform and LEAP Secretariat.
• Peter Conze (HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform gGmbH) is Chair of the Governance Platform Supervisory Board.
• Dr. Peter Eigen (HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform) is the founder and former Chair of Transparency International (TI).
• Timon Herzog (GRIPS Energy GmbH) is CEO of GRIPS Energy.
• Maximilian Jarrett is first Africa Programme Manager of The International Energy Agency (IEA)
• Sylvia Niewiem (Siemens Energy) is a Senior Manager and Blockchain initiator @ Siemens Energy.
• Tanja Romahn (Siemens Energy) is a business economist and project manager at Siemens Energy.
• Gabriele Schwarz (Bonergie) is with Conseil Patronal des Énergies Renouvelables du Sénégal » (COPERES) and convenor of LEAP MSG Senegal