In November of this year, the Blue Deal Partnership held a strategic meeting in Maputo to analyse the programme's new organisational structure and discuss the 2026 annual plan. This meeting was a continuation of the consultation process that began in the middle of the year regarding the programme's restructuring and improvement of its efficiency.
A new organisational setup
During the meeting, the partnership reviewed a new organisational structure designed to work on specific “tracks”. The aim of this reorganisation is to make the focus clearer, improve the alignment between all partners, and optimise how activities are coordinated in the future.
The 2026 annual plan
A preliminary version of the 2026 plan was presented and discussed. Under the new "tracks" framework, most of the activities proposed for the upcoming year are direct continuations of initiatives started by the partnership in previous years.
Partnership introspection and cooperation
The partnership meeting served as a moment of reflection on the program's results. It was agreed that the component leaders ( DWA representatives) will continue to work closely with the Mozambican water management entities to identify areas of success and areas for improvement within the programme.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to strengthen the ties between the Blue Deal and other Dutch interventions in water resources management in Mozambique.
Mr Ivo Van Haren, the representative from the Embassy of the Netherlands, attended the meeting and provided an update on the planned actions of the Dutch Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) in Mozambique. This was an important announcement for the water sector, as some of the Commission's actions aim to improve environmental impact assessments and reduce pollution at the Chicamba dam caused by gold mining — an issue that the Blue Deal partnership has been addressing for a few years.
Ensuring Regular Dialogue
The partnership meeting in November reinforced the need for constant consultation with local partners in order to assess progress, gather suggestions for improvement, and ensure better implementation of the programme.
The Blue Deal programme organises these partnership meetings regularly to ensure transparency and consistent progress. The event in November follows one held in June of this year. Further strategic meetings are planned for the upcoming year to monitor the implementation of activities scheduled for 2026.
