Many a water utility has been overwhelmed by the prospect of developing a capacity building and institutional strengthening program (CBISP). Where do they start? Which aspects are negotiable and which ones aren't?
Published on: 24/10/2008
An effective CBISP for a water utility should enable the utility to:
An effective CBISP should review, define, and implement the following functionally-linked activities:
The conventional approach to developing CBISP is to have a consultant assess the water company's status [...]. The downside of such an approach is that the usually expensive international consultants work in isolation from the client. As such, they produce a "best practices" report that does not have much client ownership. In many cases, the programs ensuing from such an approach are doomed from the start.
To enhance this conventional approach, utilities can start working on a business plan guided by the standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), such as:.
Strengthening an institution requires a strong leadership that can drive a top-down transformation process [and] good governance [without which] capacity building efforts will have a more than usual uphill battle.
Source: Hubert Jenny, Asian Development Bank, Sep 2008
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