Water operators partnerships: a tool for capacity building and institutional strengthening, Blantyre, Malawi

In the recent past, efficient and effective delivery of water has been so erratic in Blantyre with frequent water disruptions resulting into prolonged rationing. As a result of poor service delivery from the public utility, the Government of Malawi through Blantyre Water Board (BWB) entered into a Service Contract (SC) agreement with Vitens-Evides International (VEI) of Netherlands. Results of the Service Contract have revealed mixed fortunes for Blantyre Water Board. It has been observed that the SC if well managed can be a good vehicle for both individual capacity building as well as Institutional strengthening. The SC has also shown satisfaction in terms of improving access to safe water for the Low Income Areas (LIAs) of Blantyre. Through the SC, it was also observed that there was slight improvement on Non-Revenue Water (NRW) even though the KPI was far from being attained. On a different note, it has been seen that the SC failed to adhere to contractual obligations as stipulated in the contract. It has been observed that failure to adhere to contractual obligations can be a recipe for disagreements in any partnership.