The private sector (AdeM) involved in this project was already providing the water system & management as the single operator in Maputo. AdeM as one of the partners under this project was committed to the task of rehabilitating all the standpipes in the target areas for the pilot project, an investment activity co-coordinated by FIPAG. This was done after the survey by AdeM, which identified the prevailing situation of standpipe operations in the target areas. The survey identified that most of the standpipes were not operational and the few operating needed repairs. The community, on the other hand, had the responsibility of setting up the water committees and choosing the standpipe operators.
While the water committees were created through election by the community, as a community watch dog of the activities of the standpipe operators, and representing the interests of the community, the standpipe operators were chosen by the community to operate the standpipes on behalf of the community in a business-orientated manner. The operator was delegated the responsibility of managing an operations contract with AdeM, so that they can produce their income and financial resources to provide small maintenance for the standpipes and ensure continual operation without needing any intervention from AdeM, which would only provide major maintenance support needing advanced technical skills and equipment. In this PPP there is a sharing of risks and responsibilities. For example, the standpipe operator is responsible to pay a contract fee to the AdeM and to collect the user fees directly from the consumer, in which both the operator and AdeM runs a financial risk.