‘Twinning, partnership is key’

THE need for improved water and waste management systems in the Pacific can be achieved through “twinning” and partnerships.
This was the message from Asian Development Bank project officer Michael White to Pacific island members attending the 3rd Pacific Water and Waste Association (PWWA) conference at the Holiday Inn in Port Moresby.
According to White, the concept of twinning or partnering to deliver projects is more appropriate and has proven to be useful in many other countries and organisations in the world where it was introduced.
White said one role of the ADB was to facilitate twinning for recipient and expert utilities to meet and discuss issues of mutual interest and relevance relating to water and sanitation management.
He told the PWWA delegates that the challenges for good twinning arrangements were positive attitudes, unceasing commitments and proper communication among other things.
White said ADB acted as a facilitator, financier and adviser to the entire twinning process and wanted to make sure that the projects or programmes entered into were achievable, sustainable and realistic for the parties involve.
However, he cautioned participants that the funds allocated to each partnership was limited and urged parties involve in partnerships to have their own extra funds to help complement their proposed projects.
He also said ADB normally had a timeframe of 12-24 months period to assess the preliminary works of project partners involve in the twinning projects.
White also mentioned that ADB was more interested in sustainable water and sanitation projects in the long run because a good number of developing countries involved in twinning projects had become bankrupt over the years before achieving their targets.