Over the past decade, the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) has shaped the landscape of South Africa’s energy transition—not only by adding megawatts to the grid but by embedding social and economic development into the heart of the renewable energy sector. But what have we truly learned about social performance (SP) from this journey?
This year, INSPIRE is launching an ambitious new initiative to answer that question: the REIPPPP Booksprint.
Designed as an intensive, creative, and collaborative reflection process, the Booksprint brings together experienced SP practitioners to write, draw, map, and distill a decade of hard-earned insight into a compelling and usable body of work.
From the start, this Booksprint isn’t just about documenting technical processes—it’s about making space for storytelling, emotion, and embodiment. Through a three-day writing and reflection retreat, SP professionals will unpack the real-world experiences of navigating REIPPPP: the breakthroughs and the blindspots, the hard lessons and healing moments. Drawing on journaling, visual scribing, poetry, and group dialogue, the retreat will surface the deeper wisdom practitioners carry from years of walking this path.
What makes this process different is its commitment to restorative practice—acknowledging the emotional toll of SP work and offering a container for wellness, connection, and care. From this space of reflection, participants will co-create outputs that speak not only to their peers, but to funders, government, academics, and activists invested in better development outcomes.
The Booksprint retreat and additional research and engagements with key stakeholders will culminate in a creative technical report, accompanied by visuals and artwork. The hope? That these outputs won’t just sit on shelves—but will influence future procurement frameworks, shape SP practice in South Africa and beyond, and empower the next generation of practitioners to step into this work with clarity, creativity, and support.
We’re excited for what will emerge when a community of changemakers comes together—not just to write about the past, but to shape the future. Stay tuned for updates from the retreat and beyond!
Look back at our 2024 BookSprint!