about us

PISCES (Policy Innovation Systems for Clean Energy Security) is led by the African Centre for Technology Studies in Kenya, with partners in Sri Lanka, India, Tanzania and the UK. Through action research, it is contributing to innovation and providing new policy-relevant knowledge on bioenergy- leading to better practices and widening energy access to the rural poor in East Africa and South Asia. It is the energy Research Programme Consortium funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).

The RPC is co-ordinated by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS). The executive director of ACTS, Prof. Judi Wakhungu, is the lead director of PISCES. DfID has entered into a contractual agreement with ACTS and the following partners:

• University of Edinburgh (UoE), UK;
• M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), India;
• Practical Action UK (PAC UK), East Africa (PAC EA) and South Asia (PAC SA); and
• The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania.

PISCES integrates research on water, food and energy security by focussing on the pivotal issue of bioenergy in increasing energy access and the security of livelihoods for the poor in Africa and Asia. These issues require the development of robust technologies, the upscaling of proven technologies, and policies promoting service delivery that give an appropriate role to local entrepreneurship. PISCES will establish a networked centre of expertise to translate the widespread but disparate work and experience of accessible energy technology and services into policy interventions at all levels - and therefore increase access to energy for rural and urban poor in the target countries of Kenya, Tanzania, India and Sri Lanka.

THE CONSORTIUM ADVISORY GROUP (CAG)

 The Consortium Advisory Group (CAG) provides clearly defined quality control function in the implementation of the RPC. In addition the CAG advises the RPC Director on strategy taking an overview of the shape, direction and implementation of the RPC to meet its objectives and address the priority knowledge needs of poor people.