In 2008, following a three-year facilitation process led by GWP-SA, Malawi and Zambia completed their IWRM plans in alliance with GWP’s Partnership for Africa’s Water Development (PAWD) and with financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Prospects for implementation in both countries are good because the plans were developed with broad stakeholder participation, creating a strong sense of national ownership. Both Zambia and Malawi have developed concept notes for a range of implementation projects. The Zambia plan is aligned with the country’s long-term National Vision and its Fifth National Development Plan. The four focal areas are water resources management; water infrastructure development; water utilisation; and capacity building, monitoring and evaluation. The Malawi plan focuses on five areas: the enabling environment for IWRM; integrated catchment management; water utilisation; institutional capacity building; and IWRM implementation and institutional coordination.