As a part of an assignment with the European Development Fund, the Verdurous team conducted a Mid Term Evaluation (MTE) of the “𝗨𝗽-𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗘𝗻𝗗𝗲𝘃) 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮 – 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗼𝗳𝗳-𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀”. The overall objective of the intervention was to increase the access to sustainable modern energy and services in Ethiopia through market development. The micro-enterprise development initiative involved training of entrepreneurs to manufacture, market and sell Improved Cook Stoves (ICS) and to retail solar lighting systems in rural areas of Ethiopia. The ICS were designed to help rural residents cook traditional cuisine more fuel-efficiently, to minimize indoor air pollution, and to reduce forest degradation across the country. Through the observations from the field survey, the Verdurous team had recommended adopting a bottom-up approach to program design and end-user involvement in each stage of designing and implementing development initiatives. The study suggested that a more market and end-user focused initiative might help deliver relevant and effective outcomes on the ground in a short run, and in turn, deliver local and global environmental benefits in the medium-term.