Programme management of world bank financed small hydropower development in Zhejiang Province in China

The Government of China (GOC), in conjunction with the World Bank (WB) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), has recently developed the China Renewable Energy Scale-up Programme (CRESP). The latter involves an analysis of the current state of renewable energy resources in China as well as the implementation of a renewable energy scale-up development based on pilot work. Using the Zhejiang Small Hydropower Programme financed by the WB as a real-world application case study, a comparison is made between the project management policies espoused in China and those of the WB, with management constraints being examined in detail. Owing to the need for certain modifications to current management techniques, a framework model of programme management is put forward, with the project management office (PMO) at its core, and staged implementation and multi-level management constituting its principal methods. In addition, this model of programme management meets the requirements concerning the policies and procedures stipulated by the WB, with other benefits including a reduction in terms of cost as well as in the duration of the construction of related subprojects. This is especially relevant if we take into consideration the sheer number of small hydropower plants and the diversity of their locations throughout China. This model should therefore be considered for promoting the scale-up development of small hydropower and other renewable energies in China, and its application may have a wider significance.