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An investigation of non-financial factors for the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa

During the project appraisal stage, a decision is made on whether to implement a project. Traditional project appraisal techniques largely focus on financial factors because investors require adequate financial returns for their investments. However, non-financial factors, led by policy and institut...

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Main Author: Zimba, Sydney Kadikula
Other Authors: Ontong, Krystle
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Eng
Published: Department of Construction Economics and Management 2025
Subjects:
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access_status_str Open Access
author Zimba, Sydney Kadikula
author2 Ontong, Krystle
author_browse Ontong, Krystle
Zimba, Sydney Kadikula
author_facet Ontong, Krystle
Zimba, Sydney Kadikula
author_sort Zimba, Sydney Kadikula
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
description During the project appraisal stage, a decision is made on whether to implement a project. Traditional project appraisal techniques largely focus on financial factors because investors require adequate financial returns for their investments. However, non-financial factors, led by policy and institutional frameworks, are also critical to the viability of a project. Employing a multiple case study design, this qualitative research investigated non-financial factors considered in the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa. The three case studies that were investigated are the Menengai Geothermal Power Plant Project in Kenya, the Guinea-Mali Power Interconnection Project, and the Morupule B Power Plant Project in Botswana. Project appraisal is a decision-making activity, and therefore, multi-criteria decision analysis, real options, and other theories were explored in the literature review and linked to this investigation. This investigation used secondary data in the form of comprehensive project appraisal documents collected from the official online databases of the African Development Bank and the World Bank. Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Minor Lite and Microsoft Office software tools were used for data storage, analysis, and presentation. The researcher found that non-financial factors were applied in the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa. These factors fell under political, environmental, technical, legal, social, organisational and managerial, and strategic and synergy categories. The researcher developed a framework for the application of non-financial factors in project appraisal, applying what was found in this investigation. The outcome of this investigation may assist project practitioners to effectively appraise projects.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language English
Eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:28.683Z
license_str Creative Commons
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher Department of Construction Economics and Management
publisherStr Department of Construction Economics and Management
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42460 An investigation of non-financial factors for the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa Zimba, Sydney Kadikula Ontong, Krystle Project Management During the project appraisal stage, a decision is made on whether to implement a project. Traditional project appraisal techniques largely focus on financial factors because investors require adequate financial returns for their investments. However, non-financial factors, led by policy and institutional frameworks, are also critical to the viability of a project. Employing a multiple case study design, this qualitative research investigated non-financial factors considered in the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa. The three case studies that were investigated are the Menengai Geothermal Power Plant Project in Kenya, the Guinea-Mali Power Interconnection Project, and the Morupule B Power Plant Project in Botswana. Project appraisal is a decision-making activity, and therefore, multi-criteria decision analysis, real options, and other theories were explored in the literature review and linked to this investigation. This investigation used secondary data in the form of comprehensive project appraisal documents collected from the official online databases of the African Development Bank and the World Bank. Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Minor Lite and Microsoft Office software tools were used for data storage, analysis, and presentation. The researcher found that non-financial factors were applied in the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa. These factors fell under political, environmental, technical, legal, social, organisational and managerial, and strategic and synergy categories. The researcher developed a framework for the application of non-financial factors in project appraisal, applying what was found in this investigation. The outcome of this investigation may assist project practitioners to effectively appraise projects. 2025-12-19T09:01:39Z 2025-12-19T09:01:39Z 2025 2025-12-19T08:59:43Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42460 en Eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ application/pdf Department of Construction Economics and Management Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
spellingShingle Project Management
Zimba, Sydney Kadikula
An investigation of non-financial factors for the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa
thesis_degree_str Master's
title An investigation of non-financial factors for the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa
title_full An investigation of non-financial factors for the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa
title_fullStr An investigation of non-financial factors for the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa
title_full_unstemmed An investigation of non-financial factors for the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa
title_short An investigation of non-financial factors for the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa
title_sort investigation of non financial factors for the appraisal of energy infrastructure projects in sub saharan africa
topic Project Management
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42460
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AT zimbasydneykadikula investigationofnonfinancialfactorsfortheappraisalofenergyinfrastructureprojectsinsubsaharanafrica