The Programme was initiated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFA) and is now jointly funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The EEP Coordination Office (ECO) is managed from Pretoria, South Africa.

The direct beneficiaries of the EEP Programme are project developers and institutions working with renewable energy and energy efficiency developing innovative energy projects for expansion and scaling up. The final beneficiaries are energy end-users (households and businesses), employees and the global community through the reduction of the growth rate of the GHG emissions.

Currently, thirteen African countries have joined the EEP, namely Botswana, Burundi, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

The Mid-Term Evaluation of the Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP) Southern and East Africa Programme, Phase II (2013-2017) provided accurate and independent information on the implementation of the second phase of EEP in Southern and East Africa. The time span for the MTE covered the Programme's first implementation period of Phase II, starting from the beginning of the Programme until present (2013-2015), and also analysed impact for projects funded under both the first and the second phase of the EEP. The MTE provided recommendations for the second half of the implementation period and made recommendations for the continuation of the Programme after the current phase.

The MTE was a forward-looking evaluation, analysing in detail the effectiveness and potential impact of the Programme and its current mechanism (challenge fund). The EEP focused on projects in all fields of renewable energy, bridging the gap between a good idea and a bankable project by providing part-financing to project proposals. These projects include various types of feasibility studies, as well as pilot, scale-up and demonstration projects. The EEP encouraged participation of the private sector while retaining a focus on interventions that can contribute to the reduction of poverty by improving energy security while mitigating global climate change.

The evaluation approach was based on the development of a Theory of Change and an evaluation approach based on the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria, and the MFA Finland’s cross-cutting evaluation criteria. The evaluation included fieldwork in 5 countries in the region, and an on-line survey of all projects funded under the EEP.

The evaluation was carried out as a joint venture between Danish Energy Management and NCG.