Micro–macro linkages in institutional restructuring processes in the water sector: example of the operations management support project (OMS) in Jordan

摘要

The German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) has supported the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ)nsince 1994 by the provision of assistance aimed at increasing the efficiency of the potable water supply andnwastewater disposal services under the Operations Management Support (OMS) project.nUsing OMS as an example, this article shows the links of the change processes at the utility and the sectornlevel (micro–macro linkages) for the introduction of institutional changes within the Jordanian water sector.nThe support of OMS followed co-evolutionary thinking, that is, it supported the dynamics coming from the utilitynlevel and affecting the sector level as well as the feedback loops from sector level to utility level. On thenutility level, OMS activities and the induced improvements are a technical base for wider reform processes. Theynfacilitated the implementation of private sector participation, PSP, with better quality base data. The informationnsystems which were introduced by the project also indicated the importance of structural changes on the sectornlevel and the urgency of these reforms. And finally, the involvement of OMS staff on the utility level made themncredible when offering advice about the sector level. Hence, the parallel support of activities on both levelsnprovided a deeper awareness of the reform issues and contributed to the success of the sector reforms.