# data[].attributes.headline
Accessing Broader Group of People/Organizations with the Right Skills

# data[].attributes.subject
Accessing Broader Group of People/Organizations with the Right Skills

# data[].attributes.body
Reliance on a small number of firms/contractors that prioritize utilization of ‘in-house’ expertise, over the more complex sourcing of technical assistance from outside entities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Inability to access people with the right skills in a timely way

# data[].attributes.subject
Inability to access people with the right skills in a timely way

# data[].attributes.headline
Do not know the right skills to access//staying up to date on emerging technical needs

# data[].attributes.subject
Do not know the right skills to access//staying up to date on emerging technical needs

# data[].attributes.body
Moving beyond the narrow considerations of women and marginalized populations as beneficiaries

# data[].attributes.body
Lack of inputs from women and marginalized group in intervention design and implementation

# data[].attributes.headline
Fully integrating gender and social considerations with technical programming

# data[].attributes.subject
Fully integrating gender and social considerations with technical programming

# data[].attributes.body
Siloing of gender from technical programming 

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of quality data to form reliable baselines

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of quality data to form reliable baselines

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of data about end-user beneficiaries

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of data about end-user beneficiaries

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of assessment of enabling factors that are needed for program success

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of assessment of enabling factors that are needed for program success

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of existing mechanisms to provide high quality program evaluation support

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of existing mechanisms to provide high quality program evaluation support

# data[].attributes.body
Lack of clarity around the technology components/tools needed to support monitoring and evaluation - lack of variation in tools and approaches for understanding MEL impact

# data[].attributes.headline
Poor MEL plans that don’t address performance and learning

# data[].attributes.subject
Poor MEL plans that don’t address performance and learning

# data[].attributes.body
Most Missions already have awarded energy task orders. FAR / ADIAR allows sole source awards for specific tasks up to $150K without full and open tenders. So what's the real need for this ARES vehicle ?

# data[].attributes.body
The BAA suggests about 10 technical areas that need to be staffed. Presumably that means we will need to identify specific individuals / firms to provide each of those services. What assurances are there that there will be sufficient amount of work to keep everyone properly occupied so they don't end up agreeing to other commitments outside of ARES ?

# data[].attributes.headline
Continuity of technical experts working at beneficiary institutions

# data[].attributes.subject
Continuity of technical experts working at beneficiary institutions

# data[].attributes.body
Leave of critical technical expert working at beneficiary institute while the project is ongoing is a big problem in terms of promoting the results and impacts. How to back up at the beginning of the project?

# data[].attributes.headline
Continuity of technical experts working at beneficiary institutions

# data[].attributes.subject
Continuity of technical experts working at beneficiary institutions

# data[].attributes.body
Leave of critical technical expert working at beneficiary institute  while the project is ongoing is a big problem in terms of promoting the results and impacts. How to back up at the beginning of the project?

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of data disaggregated by sex and age and other determinants (e.g. urban, rural, etc.)

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of data disaggregated by sex and age and other determinants (e.g. urban, rural, etc.)

# data[].attributes.headline
Need to develop more specific operations research questions that can be translated into practical implementation

# data[].attributes.subject
Need to develop more specific operations research questions that can be translated into practical implementation

# data[].attributes.body
Often the operations research and application through program implementation are disconnected

# data[].attributes.headline
Inability to attract local talent due to salary caps for engaging highly specialized local technical experts

# data[].attributes.subject
Inability to attract local talent due to salary caps for engaging highly specialized local technical experts

# data[].attributes.headline
Ensuring that gender equity and social inclusion analysis/action planning is prioritized during early stages of project planning to ensure maximum impact

# data[].attributes.subject
Ensuring that gender equity and social inclusion analysis/action planning is prioritized during early stages of project planning to ensure maximum impact

# data[].attributes.headline
Compensation formula for non-labor or daily LOE expenses (IP / software / datasets / productized  or bundled services)

# data[].attributes.subject
Compensation formula for non-labor or daily LOE expenses (IP / software / datasets / productized  or bundled services)

# data[].attributes.body
Many providers of expertise - institutional and individual - have proprietary methods / IP / data sets / technology / software.  Do these  fit into USAID's current compensation model / formula? Or does USAID's compensation formula prioritize services that cap be billed on a capped labor / daily rate basis? If the later, this could be constraining innovation and excluding potential TA providers or providers that offer labor / cost saving technologies.

# data[].attributes.headline
Multiple layers of approval (by USAID and Prime Contract) of placement of a particular TA provider on a particular project

# data[].attributes.subject
Multiple layers of approval (by USAID and Prime Contract) of placement of a particular TA provider on a particular project

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of remote TA delivery capabilities / over-reliance on travel and in-person based TA

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of remote TA delivery capabilities / over-reliance on travel and in-person based TA

# data[].attributes.headline
To little involvement of the end-user (consumer of TA) in the selection of providers?

# data[].attributes.subject
To little involvement of the end-user (consumer of TA) in the selection of providers?

# data[].attributes.headline
Inappropriate mechanism for stated gender objective

# data[].attributes.subject
Inappropriate mechanism for stated gender objective

# data[].attributes.body
The mechanism that seems to be emerging will likely sideline gender as a necessary input (gender analysis) rather than make it an integral component of a project.
Barriers to women's engagement in the energy sector are not likely to be identified or addressed through highly focused short-term technical assistance requests.

# data[].attributes.headline
Recipient governments are often removed form the procurement process, which does not foster ownership and accountability.

# data[].attributes.subject
Recipient governments are often removed form the procurement process, which does not foster ownership and accountability.

# data[].attributes.headline
The rigid approach to procurement often results in selection on the basis of a firm’s credentials rather than the individual undertaking the activity. 

# data[].attributes.subject
The rigid approach to procurement often results in selection on the basis of a firm’s credentials rather than the individual undertaking the activity. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Procurement processes too cumbersome and slow to meet demand in timely way. For example where TA is required to support government decision making, the decision has often been made by the time it is mobilized. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Procurement processes too cumbersome and slow to meet demand in timely way. For example where TA is required to support government decision making, the decision has often been made by the time it is mobilized. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Governments and other recipients of TA support do not have access to a plurality of perspectives

# data[].attributes.subject
Governments and other recipients of TA support do not have access to a plurality of perspectives

# data[].attributes.headline
Incorporating innovative data to support rigorous evaluations of energy systems

# data[].attributes.subject
Incorporating innovative data to support rigorous evaluations of energy systems

# data[].attributes.body
Innovative and tech-enabled data sources (such as utility data, grid monitors, mobile phone applications, and satellite data) could help meet MEL challenges around electricity access, quality, and reliability, and how they affect end-user outcomes.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ensuring productive use of electricity to promote viability of off-grid solutions.

# data[].attributes.subject
Ensuring productive use of electricity to promote viability of off-grid solutions.

# data[].attributes.body
Productive use of electricity from distributed mini-grids combined with assessing financial as well as social and economic returns could support a more robust investment flow to the sector.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Cost plus" contracting structures do not work for most small businesses structured as LLCs

# data[].attributes.subject
"Cost plus" contracting structures do not work for most small businesses structured as LLCs

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of a robust community of practice, well connected and sufficiently responsive to identify assistance needs and direct expertise.

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of a robust community of practice, well connected and sufficiently responsive to identify assistance needs and direct expertise.

# data[].attributes.body
Technical expertise may not be sufficiently connected for information about when and where it is needed, to reach them in time. This gap is partly created by a sectoral approach adopted by major policy and implementing agencies, which thinks and plans in silos.

# data[].attributes.headline
Overly narrow definition of 'technical expertise', leading to a limited diversity of knowledge and skill pool.

# data[].attributes.subject
Overly narrow definition of 'technical expertise', leading to a limited diversity of knowledge and skill pool.

# data[].attributes.body
Technical expertise in energy sector is not just technology expertise, and requires a wide variety of ancillary and supportive set of capacities and skills. This classification often creates barriers to multi-disciplinary collaborations or consortia.

# data[].attributes.headline
Absence of programmatic inclusion of gender and social justice concerns at all stages of energy sector planning and implementations.

# data[].attributes.subject
Absence of programmatic inclusion of gender and social justice concerns at all stages of energy sector planning and implementations.

# data[].attributes.body
Traditional mechanisms and structures of 'technology first' planning paradigms embeds gender and justice insensitivity to energy sector programs. Any amount of corrective actions at later stages only addresses the symptoms, not the core issues that cause the problems. Gender and social inclusion requires a sustained and semi-autonomous knowledge production which can be integrated across the planning and implementation cycle.

# data[].attributes.body
MEL happens at all levels and through all actors (including those performing MEL). So designing MEL as standalone activities is not particularly helpful in designing responsive programs.

# data[].attributes.headline
Less focus on recipients' ability to receive expertise

# data[].attributes.subject
Less focus on recipients' ability to receive expertise

# data[].attributes.body
Delivering the right expertise is a co-created outcome of recipients being able to articulate the need and then utilize expert help, at the same time 'experts' learning and customizing assistance based on those inputs. Insufficient resource allocation to develop these capacities and mechanisms lowers the effectiveness of technical assistance.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of clear understanding of some of the social-cultural & policy barriers to Gender & Social Inclusion in Energy Policies and Programming

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of clear understanding of some of the social-cultural & policy barriers to Gender & Social Inclusion in Energy Policies and Programming

# data[].attributes.body
In most cases, lack of Gender and Social Inclusion is contributed by lack of deep understanding of the social-cultural and policy barriers that hinder the integration. Understanding these barriers, building the capacity of the policy makers on how to support/incorporate GESI in energy policies and strategies is quite crucial. However, this cannot be achieved within the short period that most of these contracts exists, but needs to be part of the long-term strategy