Visit of CEE Counterparts
from Ghana to the U.S.
The CEE has hosted four counterparts from Ghana in Houston, TX during the period May 16 - June 1, 2004. The delegates were:
• Mr. Stephen Adu, Commissioner and Executive Secretary, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) of Ghana
• Ms. Ama Jantuah Banful, Chief State Attorney, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General Department, Ghana
• Dr. Felix Asante, Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana at Legon, Ghana
• Mr. Ishmael Edjekumhene, Projects Manager, Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment (KITE), Ghana
Major Activities in Houston
• May 16-28, 2004 -- New Era in Oil, Gas & Power Value Creation
Four delegates from Ghana took part in the New Era program. They attended all sessions and field trips as planned. As part of the program, the delegates were appointed into various teams to complete a team project. To maximize the value of working in teams and dealing with different cultures and backgrounds, all Ghana delegates were appointed to different groups. The delegates attended the lectures, participated in discussions and exercises on various issues, including: energy value chain economics, commercial frameworks for energy development, dealing with media, smart development pathways, administrative agencies, and others. Throughout the two weeks of the New Era program, the CEE team continued the discussions with the delegates from Ghana regarding various USAID grant implementation issues.
• May 29, 2004 - Working meeting with the key staff of the CEE Applied Research Team
The four delegates from Ghana met with the CEE team consisting of Dr. Foss, Dr. Gülen and Ms. Makaryan. The goal of the meeting was to work out some details and lay out a draft conceptual framework based on the ideas proposed by the CEE. During the meeting, various issues were discussed on the working level, including: location of the "Center of Excellence" (selection of the LEP), key agencies that should be involved, responsibilities of various key contacts, sustainability and the most appropriate approach to make the project successful.
• June 1, 2004 -- Africa Grant Roundtable discussion with the CEE Senior Advisors
In addition to four delegates from Ghana, the meeting was attended by Dr. Foss, Dr. Gülen, Mr. Fisoye Delano , Ms. Makaryan (CEE), Mr. Alfred Boulos, JD (Boulos International (Adjunct Professor, UH Law Center; Al is an advisor to the Ghana energy ministry), Mr. Fred Gibson (retired, ChevronTexaco), Dr. Bhamy Shenoy ( Consultant, CEE Senior Associate ), and Dr. Ernst Leiss (UH professor of computer science). The goal of the meeting was to continue the discussion of the implementation strategies for the grant and receive feedback from the CEE advisors as well as to address larger, logistical and organizational issues surrounding relationships with our Ghana partner.
Major Accomplishments
• Completed training in commercial frameworks for energy development
• Networking with U.S. energy industry leaders
• Better understanding and agreement on the goals of the grant
• Closer contact with the counterparts from Ghana established
• Conceptual agreement on the location, structure and functions of the Center of Excellence established
• Further grant implementation steps established
Immediate Next Steps
Based on the outcomes of the meetings held with the delegates from Ghana, the CEE will work on finalizing the conceptual framework, structure and other relevant materials to initiate the establishment of the "Center of Excellence" and submit it for review/comments by the counterparts in Ghana. The CEE team will also work to establish appropriate formal arrangements for administration of the remainder of work under this grant in Ghana.
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