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140 SHARING KNOWLEDGEnote of their potential and called for thecreation of a global mechanism to supportthem. UN-Habitat responded to the UNSecretary-General’s request and createdGWOPA to support WOPs’ practiceby gathering a global network of actors,rallying funds, brokering partnerships andguiding good practice.Many practitioners say that the greatestvalue of WOPs lies in their definingMany practitioners saythat the greatest valueof water operators’partnerships lies in theirdefining qualities© Reutersqualities: they are based on peer support,they are not-for-profit and they strengthenlocal operator capacity. WOPs capitaliseon the wealth of expertise embodied in thecollective knowledge of utility professionalsthat stands to be shared for the benefit ofothers. Although WOPs are institutionalpartnerships, they nevertheless haveindividual facets through which operatorstaff connect directly with their peers tohelp them learn, find solutions and addresschallenges. The non-profit factoris credited with enabling trust and thefree flow of information, characteristicsthat transform the dynamic and allow forbetter learning.Lastly, WOPs are not about deliveringemergency solutions. Rather, their emphasisA child leaps across an open sewer in Kisenyi,a slum in Kampala, Ugandaon capacity development helps buildresiliency so that local operators can managecurrent and future challenges as and whenthey arise. This distinguishing characteristicof WOPs means that the approach is notonly effective but also sustainable.Dunea, Netherlands and Mwanza, TanzaniaMwanza, like many citiesin Tanzania, relies on donorfunds to cover water supplyand sanitation services.Consequently, manyoperators are not even ableto cover running costs. Anestimated 70 per cent of thepopulation live in informalsettlements.Low tariffs and inefficiencymean that providing accesswas a critical issue for theMwanza Urban Water andSewerage Authority.Their WOP with Dunea inthe Netherlands is a four-yearproject, the overall aim ofwhich is to secure affordableand sustainable water andwaste-water services for theMwanza urban area.The WOP entails a numberof exchange visits betweenpersonnel from Dunea andMwanza, capacity-buildingactivities and staff trainingto help the Tanzanianoperator to better addressthe challenges. The WOPalso includes the provisionof some materials andservices, such as watermeters, equipment and billingsoftware, to complement theacquired technical know-how.As is the case for allWOPs, this exchange isconducted on a fully notfor-profitbasis. Externalevaluation from the EuropeanCommission has concludedthat progress on this‘twinning’ has been good.GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS 2014