Improving utility management : case study from Kisumu, Kenya

This paper highlights the main steps taken in the process of developing a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (KIWASCO), as part of the WUP capacity-building project funded by SIDA, which was facilitated by WEDC in partnership with Severn Trent International. As a departure from previous consultancies, the utility staff actually developed the PIP themselves, during which process they built their capacity in strategic planning processes. Although the project was implemented during a difficult period in which KIWASCO was in a transition, with several changes in senior management, it is felt that the involvement of middle managers in the PIP process ensured that maximum benefits were derived from the project.