Point-of-sale record keeping formalised

ProBEC is formalising its monitoring record keeping to prepare the project for the stringent requirements of carbon reporting and verification. In terms of monitoring, ProBEC is piloting the introduction of receipt books in order to formalise sales and to track stove users more accurately, at the point-of-sale.

A sample of receipt books has been posted to each country, to pilot along the value chain, from producer to wholesalers to retailer and to end user. Staff have been asked to train partners in this record keeping system, and to brainstorm with them what incentives would work to make such a system convincing.

Receipt books were printed in Johannesburg and consist of carbonated paper that records three copies of each receipt so that one goes to the customer, one is kept by the seller and the final copy will then be collected by ProBEC. The receipts will then be used to develop a database of users from which a master sample for subsequent surveys will be drawn.

The monitoring of a CDM PoA occurs in two layers, the PoA and the CPA layer. On the CPA level, national offices continuously gather primary distribution data (sales figures, serial numbers and distribution dates; full user information for a master sample). The managing entity processes and stores the primary distribution data (PoA Level). In every monitoring period the managing entity generates a sampling list for each CPA. The CME national offices conduct sample surveys and appliance tests following the sampling lists. The managing entity processes data obtained from the CPA sampling campaigns and produces one monitoring report per CPA and aggregates all CPA monitoring reports to a PoA monitoring report. The PoA monitoring report is submitted to and verified by the DOE.

In order to develop representative master samples, the users need to be traceable and stove sales figures must be credible. Information to be reported in the master sample databases includes serial number of appliances sold to user, the date of deployment, name of customer, address of customer, cellphone number of customer, if available. To this end, serial numbers for stoves have been introduced in most countries, and staff are trying to find innovative ways for partners and users to part with such information. Ideas have ranged from the introduction of competitions, to cellphone credits to outright cash payment for recordkeeping.

It is hoped that the information and practices generated in this way could inform the monitoring and verification procedures of the new SADC Regional Carbon Facility that will be appointed to take over ProBEC.

For more information, contact Erika Schutze: Erika.schutze@gtz.de