Although LuWSI is not a registered legal entity, it interacts with and has become a part of the decision-making processes within Lusaka through the participation of prominent members from the government, in addition to national and local water and sanitation employees. Although LuWSI cannot directly make decisions, its partners have signed a memorandum of understanding acknowledging their commitment to Lusaka's water security. These core partners contribute resources including funds, office space, and human resources for development, operations, and capacity building of the initiative. Project-based partnerships provide resources based on a specific program area. Creating partnerships within the decision-making bodies of the city has been paramount to LuWSI's influence on water security projects.

The LuWSI is a collaborative group of stakeholders that can create and influence water security policy changes within Lusaka (WSUP, 2018). The initiative developed because the scale of the problem outstripped government capacity, while the seriousness of groundwater contamination affected all stakeholders. The contamination issue spurred different groups, including the government, to come together for a common cause. Initially, LuWSI identified five main threats to water security: groundwater pollution, groundwater overexploitation, unsustainable management of the Kafue catchment, limited access to safe water and sanitation services, and urban flooding (LuWSI, n.d.). Today the initiative works on a multitude of projects addressing these issues, all of which are endorsed by the local authorities. These projects include protecting significant borehole sites, developing the water security action and investment plan, implementing the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) standard, and improving sanitation and water quality in schools to protect against public health hazards (LuWSI, n.d.; WSUP, 2018).

LuWSI operates on four basic functions: 1) improve understanding by assessing, prioritizing, and monitoring water security threats and solutions; 2) inspire change through awareness, education, and advocacy; 3) deliver projects by mobilizing new actors and resources; and 4) strengthen collaboration across sectors to generate solutions for Lusaka's water security. To achieve and strengthen these functions, LuWSI consists of four management tiers: 1) the steering board, which acts as the decision-making body; 2) the knowledge and advocacy committee, which advises the steering board on functions 1 and 2; 3) the projects and collaboration committee, which advises the steering board on functions 3 and 4; and 4) the secretariat, which acts as an administrative and coordination body (LuWSI, n.d.).