Maintenance planning for specialized equipment should involve tailored strategies for procuring services and spare parts. The evaluation found that planning for routine maintenance for both the weed harvesting and dredging equipment required significant advance planning and typically involve sourcing from foreign suppliers, which has contributed to interruptions in dredging operations for Malawi’s Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO). In large part, EGENCO staff have applied strategies that respond to constraints unique to its status as a state-owned enterprise, such as cumbersome procurement processes involving government approval of submitted budget requests which must precede the procurement process and is often subject to delays. EGENCO staff have also identified a reliable foreign supplier for diesel engines for its work boats that support dredging, given that local providers are unable to supply replacement parts for the specific engine type. Yet, the unavailability of local suppliers and the reliance on international shipping of parts, which is prone to delays, highlights the critical importance of advance planning for provision of spare parts to sustain operations of compact-funded assets and to avoid downtime. This is particularly true for highly specialized equipment that has been manufactured by overseas suppliers, and for which spare parts are unlikely to be available locally. To prepare for sustained operation of compact-funded equipment, MCC country teams should work with counterparts to develop clear strategies for procuring necessary services and spare parts for equipment that is responsive to local context and expected constraints. Where feasible, such strategies should identify and prioritize local suppliers that can reliably offer servicing of key equipment components or a steady supply of spare parts. For specialized parts reliant on foreign suppliers, appropriate staff involved in operating the equipment should be trained to utilize stock books containing critical details on the equipment, including precise specifications as well as the expected lifetime of key components, allowing advance planning for timely procurement of spares. Additionally, preparation for equipment handover should include training of staff that is appropriately timed to coincide with onset of operations, as well as accurately targeted to the specific teams or business units who will be directly engaged in operating and maintaining the equipment.
Lesson Learned