As reported before, IAWD has entered a cooperation with UN-Habitat and GWOPA, the Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance - an international network that supports water operators through peer-to-peer exchanges between two or more partners in WOPs, Water Operators' Partnerships on a not-for-profit basis. 

WOP peer-support partnerships harness the skills and knowledge of successful utilities to build the capacity and improve the performance of partner utilities that can benefit from assistance and guidance.

Since the launch of the network in 2009, GWOPA has demonstrated the effectiveness of the peer-support approach in over 470 WOPs worldwide, building a robust network of nearly 150 institutional members and partners, along with more than 1,500 individual members. 

This WOP model holds vast potential for utilities in the Danube region, and over the last months, IAWD has laid the groundwork for a Regional Water Operators Partnerships Platform for Southeast Europe. In webinars, conference sessions and meetings, the IAWD team has worked hard to attract members and donors. The effort bore fruit, and WOP SEE is ready to kick-off. The foundation for WOP SEE will be established at the kick-off event on 4-5 November 2024 at the Emerald Hotel in Prishtina, Kosovo, and readers with a stake in the water sector are cordially invited to attend.   

The kick-off meeting’s main objective is matchmaking: We intend to work out a list of potential Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs) and develop tentative action plans to showcase the interest of utilities in the region, particularly in relation to the donor and IFI community.  In an interactive workshop-style meeting, we will gather a group of GWOPA member utilities who are interested in participating in the program as either mentors or mentees.

We will identify potential WOPs by pinpointing overlapping challenges and specific areas that can be effectively addressed through these partnerships. Potential mentors and mentees will get the possibility to connect and to explore potential areas for action within the WOP, defining concrete points of action, fields of common interest and possible goals and outcomes of the WOP. The goal of the workshop is coming up with a tentative but tangible draft of an Action Plan and an individual WOP concept note to move forward towards donors. 

If you have just discovered solid reasons to join GWOPA as an institutional member and travel to Prishtina in early November, we have good news for you: GWOPA Institutional membership is free of charge – and there is a support program for financially covering travel and accommodation for selected utility representatives to join the kick-off event. Hurry up and become a member now: Application link

Here’s your chance to join a peer-to-peer network striving for excellence. At no cost. Act now. Follow the link below to join GWOPA - and announce your interest in attending the WOP SEE Kick-off Event by e-mail to office@iawd.at.

Welcome – and let’s hit the road together!