For the past two decades, SNV has been involved in the preparation and implementation of national programmes on domestic biogas. A range of factors help explain to the apparent success of these programmes, including SNV’s ‘multi-stakeholder sector development’ approach.

The multi-stakeholder sector development approach aims to build on organisational and institutional capacities already available in the country. SNV helps to strengthen these capacities. In addition, it is vital to establish and optimise cooperation between all actors involved. This should finally result in a commercial viable biogas sector, with companies acting as suppliers to address an active demand from households who are willing to invest.

National programmes on domestic biogas aim to a range of functions that need to be executed in a coordinated manner. Whereas, for instance, the function of ‘operation & maintenance’ of a biogas plant will be carried out by the households, other functions should be undertaken by multiple stakeholders. This allows competition at the supply side, ultimately benefiting the biogas users.

In exploring the key question: “What is the secret of a successful biogas programme, and what is SNV doing to achieve this?”, five features of the approach are indentified:

• Thorough, participatory and context-specific preparation;
• A sustainable sector as the ultimate long-term objective;
• Interlinking impact and capacity development targets;
• Promoting a market-oriented approach;
• Attributing sector functions to multiple stakeholders. 

Learn more about: “Building viable domestic biogas programmes: Success factors in sector development.”

Learn more about domestic biogas

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