Since publication of the 3rd Edition of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Drinking Water Quality guidelines, global adoption of water safety plans (WSPs) has been gathering momentum.Most guidance lists managerial commitment and 'buy-in' as critical to the success of WSP implementation; yet the detail on how to generate it is lacking. This commentary discusses aspects of managerial commitment to WSPs. We argue that the public health motivator should be clearer and a paramount objective and not lost among other, albeit legitimate, drivers such as political or regulatory pressures and financial efficiency.
Water Safety Plans (WSPs) are a comprehensive source to tap risk management approach that are recognised as the most effective way of ensuring drinking water safety. In East Africa there is only one utility implementing them, so this research aims to identify barriers for WSP implementation in this region, as well as potential motivating factors. This is achieved through twenty semi-structured interviews with utilities, regulators and international agencies. The biggest motivating factor was the potential of WSPs to improve standards and reduce water quality incidents, with the potential for cost savings and NRW reduction being further motivations. However, in many utilities senior managers are not motivated to start implementing WSPs and they can prevent other staff from doing so. Smaller or weaker utilities may struggle to implement a WSP as they are constantly engaged in their day-today problems and do not have the capacity to plan in the longer term.
Appropriate implementation of water safety plans (WSPs) offers an important opportunity to engage in and promote preventative risk management within water utilities. To ensure success, the whole organization, especially executive management, need to be advocates. Illustrated by four case studies, we discuss the influence of organisational culture on buy-in and commitment to WSPs. Despite an internal desire to undertake risk management, aspects of organisational culture prevented these from reaching full potential. Enabling cultural features included: enthusiastic management; past incidents; accountability; insufficient regulations; image; learning and continual improvement cultures; stakeholder relationships; and empowerment of staff. Blocking features included: lack of awareness and recognition; complacency; poor internal relationships; competing priorities; lack of resources and skills; contrasting internal cultures and a lack of near miss reporting. Benefits of WSP implementation and how management are committed are also discussed. We offer some suggestions to those wishing to generate executive buy-in such as: understanding reasons for hesitance; demonstrate benefits; avoiding complacency; highlight building blocks of WSPs and recognising the value of using the WSP approach to inform sound investment planning. We urge water utilities to consider the influence of organisational culture on the success and sustainability of WSP adoption, and to better understand how effective leadership can mould culture to support implementation.
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