Closing the knowing-applying gap in water utilities: experience from Uganda's NWSC

In recent decades, there has been a steady rise of knowledge and capacity development (KCD) interventions targeting water utilities in developing countries. However, field experiences show that very often little change occurs in what water utilities' professionals and managers do as a result of capacity development efforts. Notwithstanding that, there are also some cases of success. In this paper, the authors argue that very often the main challenge facing utilities is not the development of utility competences per se, but their actual use. Drawing on the case of Uganda's National Water and Sewerage Corporation, we identify and discuss five interrelated factors that have allowed the corporation to progressively turn its knowledge base into improved performance, by means of its change management programmes. The paper concludes that water utilities can bridge the knowing-applying gap by carefully introducing a corporate culture, and management systems and structures that motivate staff to apply their knowledge.