Reform of the urban water and wastewater sector

Project details
Country: 
Uganda
Beneficiary: 
Directorate of Water Development / National Water and Sewerage Corporation
Donor organisation: 
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Associated enterprises: 
GOPA Consultants
Department: 
Water
Project volume: 
2,448,709 €
Currency: 
€
Value of services: 
2,375,248 €
Start of project: 
June, 2008
End of project: 
May, 2014
Project description: 

Main objective of the technical cooperation project was to support the Government of Uganda in the current reform of the entire water and waste water sector. The focus of the contract was on strengthening the institutional capacities of the responsible organizations ensuring sustainable access to urban water supply and waste water disposal, especially in poorer parts of cities and large and small towns. The project concentrated on strengthening the service providers’ capacity to provide professional and cost-efficient services and furthermore on streng­then­ing the corresponding regulatory authority in fulfilling their mandate, with a particular emphasis on the implementation of the pro poor strategy.

This involved increasing the efficiency of NWSC in selected fields, strengthening the monitoring capacities of DWD and local water authorities and supporting private water supply and sanitation operators in Small Towns, in particular by strengthening the Association of Private Water Operators (APWO).

Service description: 
  • Increasing the efficiency of NWSC (National Water and Sewerage Corporation) and its operating units in selected fields, such as energy efficiency (technical advice to GIZ and NWSC for specification and procurement of energy efficiency related equipment), management contracts (IDAMC), business and strategic planning, performance monitoring, customer services, asset management, pressure management in pilot areas to reduce technical water losses, management information system (MIS):
  • Technical water loss reduction: Establishment of 3 pilot zones (District Meter Areas); procurement of pressure reducing equipment; baseline flow analysis; support to training of NWSC staff.
  • MIS: Review of NWSC MIS; propositions to improve, harmonize and better integrate the NWSC business processes; recommendations on strategy for implementation; delivery of training course on software for Business Processes Mapping.
  • Development of a strategy to improve supply in poorer areas, e.g. introduction of pre-paid meters, authorized water vending (AWV); proposal on piloting urban pro-poor water supply interventions in municipalities; monitoring of implementation and lessons learnt; development of alternative financing mechanism for AWV in small towns based on water volumes sold to urban poor; strengthening awareness for pro-poor approaches among key stakeholders of the water and sanitation sector.
  • Advice to NWSC External Services in adapting their training programmes to the needs identified in the sector, as well as in the overall business, strategic and financial planning for 2014-2019.
  • Advice to NWSC on forming a wastewater department and improving the operation and maintenance of sewerage ponds to enhance effluent quality.
  • Review of water safety plans (WSP) implementation in 3 towns in Uganda including recommendations on measures for effective institutionalization and monitoring of WSPs.
  • Capacity building of NWSC and its operating units: support to implementation of training courses and workshops in selected fields (strategic planning, performance monitoring, customer services, business re-engineering, asset management, billing software, pressure management, water safety plans, IT, MIS, O&M).
  • Advice to DWD (Directorate of Water Development) regarding the regulation and monitoring of water authorities and private operators: contract management, reporting, development of a monitoring scorecard, auditing, etc.
  • Support to APWO (Association of Private Water Operators) as a professional association (support to APWO secretariat, definition of roles and responsibilities, development of an O&M manual for Private Operators, training courses etc.).
  • Support to private operators and local authorities regarding the integration of sanitation services: emptying services, construction of sanitation facilities, prefabrication of material, O&M of sanitation facilities; study on the potential of sanitation as a business for private water operators.
  • Preparation and implementation of a WASH Campaign in informal settlements (materials, training of campaigners, impact assessment, development and implementation of best practices in sanitation etc.).
  • Support to the establishment of Gaba Vocational Skills Development Facility and launching of vocational training for O&M training of electro-mechanics and plumbers.
  • Infrastructure Asset Management (IAM) policy: Drafting an IAM Policy Framework for the urban water and sanitation sector for the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) to support implementation and institutionalisation of IAM; high level consultation with key stakeholders (mainly MWE/DWD, NWSC, GIZ).
  • Support to Water Sector Development Fund North (WSDF-N) in improvement of infrastructure planning, assessment management and project implementation:
  • Development of a standardized process for identifying, recording, evaluating and reporting about Water Treatment Plant assets;
  • Development of an Asset Management and Asset Register System/ Network Mapping for Small Towns and Rural Growth Centers to support the establishment of an Integrated Asset Management System;
  • Set-up of asset registers for 10 pilot towns;
  • Installation of IT equipment for establishment of an Integrated Asset Management System in WSDF-N.
Currency: 
€