VEI: A hybrid organization in the making

Abstract

This article analyses how VEI, as a hybrid organization in the water supply sector, navigates through challenges and varying financing policies, development cooperation priorities, and the UN Development Goals (Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals) in its search for sustainable funding. This quest for adequate and sustainable funding prompted VEI to experiment with different approaches to intervene and collaborate with funders whose expectations may affect/alter the mechanisms to reach its social mission. These experiments gave way to pragmatism, revealing the strategic tension inherent in the organization’s duality and a continuous need to reflect upon its iden-tity. The article offers insights into the construction of a hybrid company that is successful in pursuing its social and environmental goals while mobilizing resources to sustain (and enlarge) its business. This pragmatic approach made VEI over the years a renowned and appreci-ated partner for many utilities thirsting for improved performance.