Institutional barriers to a ‘perfect’ policy: A case study of the Senegalese Rural Electrification Plan

This paper investigates the political and institutional factors that have influenced the success of the Senegalese Rural Electrification Action Plan (Plan d׳Action Sénégalais d׳Électrification Rurale, PASER). PASER is of interest because its innovative design attracted extensive offers of finance from donors and independent power providers, however it has had limited effect on electrification levels. This paper examines PASER׳s progress and problems in detail, with the aim of informing rural electrification policy internationally.