Linking Network Structure & Performance: Influence in an Off-grid Financing Policy Network

This study employs Social Network Analysis to scrutinize the structure and dynamics within Uganda's off-grid financing and investment network, demonstrating how network structure configurations influence power and capacity of network agents. By integrating Principal Component Analysis with traditional centrality metrics, the research constructs detailed influence scores, revealing a network characterized by significant disparities in power and connectivity. It pinpoints international development banks and partners as pivotal influencers, who dominate network operations through their extensive access, brokerage capabilities, and diffusion capacities. Moreover, the study highlights strategic opportunities to strengthen the network by enhancing the connectivity of peripheral nodes and amplifying the roles of the most central nodes to improve overall network robustness and cohesion. These findings have broader relevance, providing key insights for optimizing network governance in similar off-grid energy systems worldwide, ensuring a more integrated and effective network structure. (abstract of the paper)