Clint L. Abbott

Bio: Clint L. Abbott is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Energy poverty. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 5 citations.

Exploring energy poverty perspectives in Senegal : the applicability of scenarios

Abstract: Ghanadan and Koomey, 2004; Soontornrangson et al. 2003). Ghanadan and Koomey (2004) stress that explicit assumptions of the research should be made clear to all participants involved and concrete indicators, such as economic factors, should be included in the contextual narratives. As aforementioned, organizational culture with linear and hierarchal management and ingrained conventional planning based on historic trends poses a large threat to the successful use of scenarios since it may impede the creative process (Soontornrangson, 2003; Bunn and Salo, 1993). The recent publications of scenario use in the energy sector in Thailand, India, China, Mauritius, and California have made important contributions to furthering the understanding of the benefits and pitfalls of the tool in energy sector applications. However, despite repeated calls for detailed research into the efficacy of the technique, procedural analysis and inclusion of the voice of participants (Burt and van den Heijden, 2003; O'Brien, 2004; Hodgkison and Wright, 2002; Bunn and Salo, 1993), the literature remains deficient in these areas. The accounts of scenario use in the energy sector do not extensively discuss the procedural elements or mention the perceptions of the people involved. Scenarios were touted as a beneficial exploratory and analytical tool to explore energy choices and enhance organizational learning in California (Ghanadan and Koomey, 2004), yet a systematic analysis of the process, and comments on the ease of use, or the experiences of the participants were not included. The research by Weisser (2004) in Mauritius has made an important contribution to both energy poverty and scenario research, by stressing the importance of the link between energy needs for development, and the need for local, regional and national level involvement. The research strove to learn more about behavioural aspects and the interaction of the various factors involved with renewable energy options in relation to policy making through the use of scenario planning (Weisser, 2004); however the perceptions of the local people were not reflected in the synopsis. The use of scenarios in micro-level planning in India claims to take advantage of the fact that location specific characteristics, and local knowledge and experience can be included (Devadas, 2001). While this research did take steps to outline procedural steps of the research fiom a methodological perspective, the involvement of local stakeholders was not well documented. In order to determine the effectiveness of each step of the scenario process, it is helpful to know what ideas were generated and understand the perceptions of the actual participants. Detailed accounts of the use of scenarios in energy sector planning in economically poor countries are needed and the voices of the participants need to be included. Systematic analysis of the efficacy of the tool would benefit future practitioners of the increasingly utilized tool, by enabling further refinements to the procedures and methodological details (Cherrnack, 2004). The final results and evaluation also add credibility to the decision making process of organizations. A copious literature exists that review the benefits and weaknesses of the use of scenarios, yet a literature describing, critiquing and suggesting improvements to the processes is not readily available (Chermack, 2004). Analysis of failures is also important and to date has been very limited (see Hodgkison and Wright, 2002; Phelps et al., 2001). The recent support for the tool in organizational learning (van der Heijden, 2004, Schwartz, 1996) is encouraging, but supporting evidence is needed. The efforts by Chermack (2004) make an important contribution in detailing steps required as part of a process to determine whether scenarios can actually meet the various documented claims. This present study aims to provide an analytical account of the use of scenarios in the energy sector and contribute to the literature by including direct perspectives of participants, commenting on procedural elements and experiences, and commenting on the efficacy, simplicity and cost effectiveness of the tool.

Merchant Capital and the Roots of State Power in Senegal, 1930-1985

Abstract: In most post-colonial regimes in sub-Saharan Africa, state power has been used to structure economic production in ways that have tended to produce economic stagnation rather than growth. In this book, Catherine Boone examines the ways in which the exercise of state power has inhibited economic growth, focusing on the case of Senegal. She traces changes in the political economy of Senegal from the heyday of colonial merchant capital in the 1930s to the decay of the neo-colonial merchant capital in the 1980s and reveals that old trading monopolies, commercial hierarchies and patterns of wealth accumulation were preserved at the cost of reforms that would have stimulated economic growth. Boone uses this case to develop an argument against analyses of political-economic development that identify state institutions and ideologies as independent forces driving the process of economic transformation. State power, she argues, is rooted in the material and social bases of ruling alliances.

Exploring e-government futures through the application of scenario planning

Abstract: In this paper, we examine the impact of information and communications technologies (ICT) on government departments/agencies and the contribution of external agents to change and development programs. We present empirical evidence of externally facilitated change to mindsets and patterns of behavior within local government through use of a scenario planning-based approach. Our aim was to facilitate the organizational actors' conduct of investigation of the ‘limits of the possible’ for a range of plausible futures and determination of strategic responses to these. Participants used their own current knowledge and understanding as a basis for development, with the introduction of external ‘expertise’ to challenge their thinking and to expand their understanding. Following this, we facilitated the participants' elucidation of key uncertainties on the future, exploration of the relationships between them and possible outcomes. The participants then constructed scenarios that outlined four possible and plausible futures. These held explicit meaning for the participants, enabled them to identify implications of each possible future in relation to structure and service requirements and informed analysis of current structure, service, etc. We compare and contrast the process and outcomes of our scenario-planning intervention (based on intuitive logics) with both those of other futures methodologies (decision analysis, Delphi and environmental scanning) and with other scenario methodologies (trend-impact analysis and cross-impact analysis). We argue that the external facilitation of internal generation of knowledge, understanding and meaning, and of exploration of the limits of the possible for the future, is a valuable tool for comprehending strategic choices. We conclude that our scenario approach, utilizing intuitive logics, enables organizational actors to make sense of the complexities and ambiguities that they face and so facilitates strategic change.

Clean energy for development, energy week, World Bank, Washington, D.C. by Paul Wolfowitz, President

Abstract: This report discusses the remarks delivered by Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank. The World Bank's annual Energy Week is one of the foremost gatherings of policy makers and practitioners engaged on strategic issues of energy and development. The 2006 conference that took place on March 6–9, 2006, at the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington DC, built on the G8 plan of action adopted at Gleneagles that outlines the way ahead on clean energy, infrastructure, climate change and Africa. On information sharing event on the lessons of experience from current energy projects and programs in developing countries and it provided an opportunity for World Bank Group staff, developing country practitioners and partners to network and share their operational experience and enhance their cutting-edge knowledge and skills.