Twinning Program

Twinning is an approach that enables peer-to-peer exchange of knowledge and experience between two water utilities. In a twinning partnership a utility that seeks to improve its performance (recipient twin) and service delivery pairs with a stronger utility (mentor twin) to learn from. Twinning partnerships typically focus on selected performance areas which the recipient twin aims to improve, and the mentor twin can provide the needed knowledge for.

Twinning arrangements follow a set of key principles to ensure that the partnership is mutually beneficial and results in tangible improvements of service delivery.

Principles

(from the WaterLinks website)

§ Counterpart Exchange:

Direct practitioner to-practitioner exchange on best practices is the foundation of twinning.

§ Reciprocal Benefits:

Benefits from the twinning partnerships are mutual, but not necessarily equal.

§ Demand Driven:

Twinning partnerships are demand-driven, in line with partner strategies, plans, and interests.

§ Results:

Twinning partnerships are results-oriented, ensuring the adoption of best practices and the implementation of activities that result in real improvements and tangible outcomes.

§ Replication:

Twinning partnerships aim to replicate effective policies, best practices and proven technologies throughout Asia.

§ Cost Sharing:

Partners support programs on a cost-share basis, providing in-kind and funding support for each activity.

§ Not-for-Profit:

All partnerships operate on a non-profit basis, but could result in a commercial relationship.

SEAWUN Twinning partnerships

Twinning was introduced to SEAWUN member utilities by ADB in 2007. Since then 14 twinning partnerships have been set up between SEAWUN member utilities as well as other water utilities in the region, and one utility from Australia. All twinning arrangements have been either supported by ADB through its Water Operators Partnerships Program (WOPs) or the USAID ECO Asia Program. View the list of SEAWUN twinning partnerships…

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Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA), Cambodia and Binh Duong Water Supply Sewerage Environment Company Limited (BIWASE), Vietnam

One of the first twinning arrangements has been the partnership between Cambodia's Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) and Viet Nam's Binh Duong Water Supply Sewerage Environment Company Limited (BIWASE) which started in July 2007. In this arrangement SEAWUN is a member of the Advisory Committee.
Read more about the PPWSA-BIWASE twin…

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Twinning Regional Forum on 10^th to 13^th February 2009 in Daejeon, Korea

The first Twinning Regional Forum was organized by ADB and hosted by the Korea Water (K Water) Academy. 16 water utilities from South and Southeast Asia as well as Australia participated in the Forum. The event aimed at exchanging experiences from various twinning projects, strengthening the twinning partnerships and identifying key actions to expand twinning program. 8 SEAWUN member utilities presented their experiences as either expert or recipient twins.

2009 WaterLinks Forum

In August 2008, ADB, USAID and IWA founded WaterLinks, a regional partnership network affiliated with the UN Global Water Operators Partnership Alliance. WaterLinks works with its regional partners like SEAWUN on knowledge sharing, training, and networking activities, Promoting and facilitating twinning partnership are part of these activities.

WaterLinks organized its first Regional Forum on 28^th to 30th September 2009 in Bangkok. More than 160 participants from 82 water utilities, associations and international development organizations attended the event. 9 SEAWUN member utilities participated in the event and 3 utilities presented their twinning experiences.

For more information view the WaterLinks website.

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