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What makes water sector partnerships effective?

Multi-sector partnerships (MSPs) between public, private, civil society and donor organisations in the water sector are difficult to create and even harder to maintain. Whether an MSP seeks to provide specific services, or has broader ambitions of systemic change in water delivery, it is vital to identify what enables or constrains effective partnerships.

MSPs are more flexible arrangements compared to public-private partnerships (PPPs), which generally involve a regulated contract between the public and private sectors. Despite this flexibility, MSPs can still be difficult to develop and maintain. A manual from Building Partnerships for Development in the UK alerts practitioners to obstacles that can block progress in MSPs designed to improve water services for poor households.

Those entering into a MSP often have misconceptions. Partners may feel that their contribution is undervalued. They can have different expectations around timeframes and how information is shared. Flexibility and unpredictability about outcomes can be unsettling.

Partnership building is often perceived as slow and costly but it can be extremely worthwhile. Examples of successful MSPs include:

In the Colombian city of Cartagena, peri-urban areas were outside the service area of the municipality: an MSP allowed a non-governmental organisation to play a central role in encouraging cooperation between the water utility and previously unserved neighbourhoods.
A Zambian partnership strengthened the capacity of district councils to rehabilitate and construct infrastructure, and enabled private sector participation.
In La Paz, Bolivia an MSP led to official acceptance of alternative technical standards for pipe diameters and inclines.
In the UK a partnership allowed a new product to enter the competitive bottled water market and raise funds for water projects in southern Africa.

Inflexible interpretation of competition laws can prevent public agencies from trying new approaches to service delivery. Partners should make a significant effort at the earliest stage to understand the context in which other partners operate. They should not expect complete agreement prematurely. It is crucial not to just rely on trust between individuals, but to ensure that the processes of making decisions, implementing activities and resolving conflict are clearly set out.

It is important to find ways to influence (remove obstacles), circumnavigate (move around obstacles) and redirect (move away from the obstacle by reshaping partnerships). The authors stress that:

It is important to understand what is meant by partnership and improve ways of measuring and evaluating partnership progress.
An honest initial discussion is necessary to determine the point at which partners will agree that the partnership has done the job it was established to do.
It may be impractical for all partners to be involved in decision-making processes.
MSPs require time to generate common interests, ensure that incentives are aligned and get agreement and support from all the partners.
Setting early targets can demonstrate to sceptics that the partnership is working.
Planning can reduce the risk of an MSP being over-stretched.

Source(s):
‘Creating Space for Innovation: Understanding Enablers for Multi-Sector Partnerships in the Water and Sanitation Sector’, Building Partnerships for Development, by Peter Newborne and Ken Caplan, June 2006 (PDF) Full document.

Funded by: Norwegian Trust Fund for Private Sector Development and Infrastructure

id21 Research Highlight: 3 July 2007

Further Information:
Ken Caplan
Building Partnerships for Development in Water and Sanitation
Prince Consort House
27-29 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7UB
UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 77934557
Fax: +44 (0)20 75820962
Contact the contributor: info@bpd-waterandsanitation.org

Building Partnerships for Development in Water and Sanitation (BPDWS)

Peter Newborne
Water Policy Programme
Overseas Development Institute
111 Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7JD
UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 79220312
Fax: +44 (0)20 79220399
Contact the contributor: p.newborne@odi.org.uk

Overseas Development Institute, UK - Water Policy Programme

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