mapping of water resources and weather forecasting, mapping and monitoring of
physical water infrastructure, early warning systems, monitoring of water quality,
consumer service delivery, water governance and operations of water sector organisations [10, 11].
Despite the benefits associated with the implementation of ICTs in water management, the development and adoption of these innovations by water sector institutions seem not to occur at the expected speed, and there are great variations in the
way ICTs are adopted [12]. On the one hand, this situation can be attributed to the
specific nature of the water sector. For example, Tutusaus et al. [13] describe how the
idiosyncrasies of the water services sector – e.g. monopolistic nature, social and
economic importance and commercialisation of public water utilities – influence the
adoption of ICTs. On the other hand, the innovation strategies used to foster ICTs
matter. Particularly, it has been argued that the promotion of ICTs in the water sector
can only be achieved through a partnership approach, based on open innovation;
only then can appropriate ICT-based solutions be developed and integrated in water
systems [7, 10, 14]. However, what the ICT-focused water innovation partnerships
(ICT-WIPs) approach entails, the challenges associated with it and how they can best
be prevented or dealt with are issues that are rarely addressed in the ICT and water
literature. This chapter aims to bridge this gap.
The research reported in this chapter is explorative, and the analysis is based on
24 ICT-WIPs. The innovations are funded by VIA Water – a Dutch programme to
foster water innovation in African cities [15]. Drawing on insights from three
theoretical perspectives – innovation systems, open innovation and governance
perspectives – this chapter sheds light on the complexity of ICT-WIPs and on the
need to devise appropriate partnership governance mechanisms. The study finds that
the partnerships analysed make a clear distinction between at least two categories of
partners: implementing partners and non-implementing partners. Partnering organisations exchange resources (material and immaterial) that enable cost-effective and
timely generation and/or adoption of ICT-focused water innovations. The study
further establishes that the partnerships simultaneously utilise relational governance
(trust) and structural governance mechanisms to ensure effective resource exchange.
However, we observe limited use of legally enforceable instruments (such as
contractual agreements) in the ICT-WIPs analysed in this study, which partly
explains the problems reported in some of the partnerships. We conclude that
successful ICT-WIPs rely on careful selection of partners, design of appropriate
resources exchange mechanisms, genuine engagement of non-implementing partners and complementarity between legally binding control and trust-based governance mechanisms.
The remainder of the chapter is structured as follows. Section 2 briefly describes
the potential of ICTs for effective and efficient management of water systems,
particularly in developing countries. Section 3 presents the theoretical context of
the study and defines the focus of the analysis. Section 4 discusses the methodology
followed in this chapter. Section 5 presents and analyses the results. Section 6
discusses the findings using the theoretical insights presented in Section 3. The
final section concludes the chapter, with a reflection on the potential of innovation
Promoting Smart Water Systems in Developing Countries Through. . .
169
physical water infrastructure, early warning systems, monitoring of water quality,
consumer service delivery, water governance and operations of water sector organisations [10, 11].
Despite the benefits associated with the implementation of ICTs in water management, the development and adoption of these innovations by water sector institutions seem not to occur at the expected speed, and there are great variations in the
way ICTs are adopted [12]. On the one hand, this situation can be attributed to the
specific nature of the water sector. For example, Tutusaus et al. [13] describe how the
idiosyncrasies of the water services sector – e.g. monopolistic nature, social and
economic importance and commercialisation of public water utilities – influence the
adoption of ICTs. On the other hand, the innovation strategies used to foster ICTs
matter. Particularly, it has been argued that the promotion of ICTs in the water sector
can only be achieved through a partnership approach, based on open innovation;
only then can appropriate ICT-based solutions be developed and integrated in water
systems [7, 10, 14]. However, what the ICT-focused water innovation partnerships
(ICT-WIPs) approach entails, the challenges associated with it and how they can best
be prevented or dealt with are issues that are rarely addressed in the ICT and water
literature. This chapter aims to bridge this gap.
The research reported in this chapter is explorative, and the analysis is based on
24 ICT-WIPs. The innovations are funded by VIA Water – a Dutch programme to
foster water innovation in African cities [15]. Drawing on insights from three
theoretical perspectives – innovation systems, open innovation and governance
perspectives – this chapter sheds light on the complexity of ICT-WIPs and on the
need to devise appropriate partnership governance mechanisms. The study finds that
the partnerships analysed make a clear distinction between at least two categories of
partners: implementing partners and non-implementing partners. Partnering organisations exchange resources (material and immaterial) that enable cost-effective and
timely generation and/or adoption of ICT-focused water innovations. The study
further establishes that the partnerships simultaneously utilise relational governance
(trust) and structural governance mechanisms to ensure effective resource exchange.
However, we observe limited use of legally enforceable instruments (such as
contractual agreements) in the ICT-WIPs analysed in this study, which partly
explains the problems reported in some of the partnerships. We conclude that
successful ICT-WIPs rely on careful selection of partners, design of appropriate
resources exchange mechanisms, genuine engagement of non-implementing partners and complementarity between legally binding control and trust-based governance mechanisms.
The remainder of the chapter is structured as follows. Section 2 briefly describes
the potential of ICTs for effective and efficient management of water systems,
particularly in developing countries. Section 3 presents the theoretical context of
the study and defines the focus of the analysis. Section 4 discusses the methodology
followed in this chapter. Section 5 presents and analyses the results. Section 6
discusses the findings using the theoretical insights presented in Section 3. The
final section concludes the chapter, with a reflection on the potential of innovation
Promoting Smart Water Systems in Developing Countries Through. . .
169