The Sustainable Water Fund : analysis of the portfolio through a partnership lens

This policy brief captures the analysis of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)'s Sustainable Water Fund (FDW) portfolio through a public lens. Developed through an interactive process with FDW RVO advisors and FDW partners active in the delivery of the portfolio at the project level, this research combines both inductive ("what we would expect to see") and deductive analysis.

In analysing the portfolio, a set of key differences have emerged in terms of the objectives of different initiatives and subsequently how the resulting partnerships have taken shape. This fresh way of looking at the portfolio – through a partnership lens – can be explored further by documenting individual initiatives in greater depth based on a set of expected characteristics of different partnership types.

After an introductory explanation of the three categories of partnership, this policy brief explores some of the key differences in terms of partnering across the three thematic areas of the FDW portfolio. A quick exploration is then provided of how such multi-stakeholder partnerships have evolved more generally over the last decade or so. Finally, key takeaways and recommendations are provided in terms of what to expect from the different kinds of partnerships and important next steps in terms of analysis.