Methodological Assessment of Quasi-Experimental Designs in Off-Grid Communities in South Africa,

This scoping review examines quasi-experimental designs used in studies of off-grid communities in South Africa to assess adoption rates. A systematic search strategy was employed to identify relevant studies. Studies were assessed based on their design quality and adherence to quasi-experimental principles. One study demonstrated a significant increase (p < 0.05) in adoption rates among communities that received targeted interventions compared to control groups. Quasi-experimental designs are effective for measuring adoption rates in off-grid communities, but variability exists across studies due to differences in intervention and community characteristics. Future research should use standardised quasi-experimental methods to enhance comparability and robustness of results. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.