The Global WOPs Alliance will convene its 5th Global Water Operators' Partnerships (WOPs) Congress on 23-26 May in Bonn, Germany.
The Congress will serve as the stage for Alliance members and partners to share and learn about the importance and value of capacity development through solidarity-based, peer-to-peer partnerships between operators to work towards global goals on water and sanitation.
Learning from each other, sharing experiences, and inspiring action is a critical way for water and sanitation operators to improve their services and enrich the lives of the people they serve.
Collaboration and solidarity are at the heart of the Global WOPs Congress and the event seeks to be inclusive and fair in its representation. +more
This free and open event is convened by the Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance - a global network of public operators and their partners - led by UN-Habitat
Download the Congress Brochure
We as GWOPA have a strong commitment towards gender, cultural, geographical and stakeholder representation, and work hard to ensure it is fair and even in all our activities. Now that it is the time to prepare the sessions and panels for the 4th Global WOPs Congress, we would like to share with you a few reflections and encourage you to consider them while proposing the speakers.
As all male panels are not only a misrepresentation of the sector diversity, but also a disservice to gender equality struggles in all its dimensions, we make gender diversity a precondition for GWOPA organized events. Not only female, but also young professional and mentee speakers are usually underrepresented and hence always encouraged. GWOPA is supporting speakers to panels and will offer special support and orientation sessions ahead of the Congress.
Since 2004 Dr. Uschi Eid has been a member of the United Nations Secretary General’s Adivisory Board on Water and Sanitation, a body established by Kofi Annan. Between 1998 and 2005, she was Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Development Ministry. From 2001 to 2005 she was the Personal G8-Africa Representative of the German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Uschi Eid served for 20 years as a Member of the German Bundestag until 2009. Since 2011 she is Honorary Professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Osnabrück in the field of Sustainable Resource Management with special focus on Water Management and Sanitation. For 16 years she lectured at the Free University Berlin on Contemporary African Studies.
Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif (Malaysia) is the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), appointed at the level of Under-Secretary-General by the Secretary-General, following an election by the General Assembly on 22 December 2017. She succeeds Dr. Joan Clos of Spain.
As the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Sharif has focused on reforming and rejuvenating the agency, mobilizing for internal and external support for the organization's restructuring and new Strategic Plan 2020–2023. Key initiatives undertaken by Ms. Sharif as the Executive Director of UN-Habitat include the adoption of the General Assembly Resolution 73/539 after 14 years of negotiation, which established a new governance structure with universal membership, governed by the UN-Habitat Assembly.
Prior to this appointment, Ms. Sharif was the Mayor of the City Council of Penang Island, Malaysia. In 2011, she was the first woman to be appointed President of the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai. As mayor of a local authority, she led the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai to achieve its vision of a “cleaner, greener, safer and healthier place to work, live, invest and play.” Ms. Sharif began her career as a Town Planner at the Municipal Council of Penang Island in 1985. In 2003, she was promoted to Director of Planning and Development, a position she held until November 2009.
Born in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, on 26 August 1961, Ms. Sharif holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Town Planning Studies from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, UK and a Master of Science in Planning Studies from the Malaysia Science University.
President of the Republic of Mauritius
Katja Dörner (*1976 in Siegen, Germany) took office as Mayor of Bonn on 1 November 2020. She pursued university studies in political science, linguistics, modern German literature and public law in Bonn, York and Edinburgh and graduated in 2000. From 2009 to 2020, she was a member of the German Bundestag; as of 2014, she served as Deputy Chair of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen parliamentary group and as a member of the Committee for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Since March 2021, Mayor Dörner has co-chaired the ICLEI Global Executive Committee 2021-2024 portfolio on Climate Action and Low Emission Development.
Her priorities for Bonn are making Bonn climate neutral by 2035, advancing sustainable mobility – notably with more bike lanes and a car free inner city, fighting inequalities and promoting affordable housing.
Maria Flachsbarth, a doctor of veterinary medicine from University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, became a member of the German Parliament in 2002. Since 2006, she has been deputy chair of the CDU in the state of Lower Saxony, and since 2007, she has chaired the CDU district association for Hanover. From 2002 to 2013, she served on the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. From 2009 to 2013, she chaired a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry on the envisaged radioactive waste disposal facility at Gorleben, and she was the special representative for churches and religious communities of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Then from the end of 2013 to March 2018, she served as Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture. Since March 2018, she is Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development.
H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid is a veteran diplomat and politician, with over 35 years of experience in the Executive and Legislative branches of the Maldives. He is currently serving as the President of the seventy-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly but continues to hold the portfolio of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives (a post he is holding for the second time, having held the portfolio previously in 2007). As Foreign Minister, in 2008, he is credited to having introduced the Human Rights Council Resolution 7/23 on “Human Rights and Climate Change”, championing a rights-based approach to climate change. He ensured gender parity among Heads of Maldives’ diplomatic missions as well as the executive levels of the Ministry for the first time in 2020. President Shahid also holds the distinction of being the first democratically elected Speaker of The People’s Majlis (Parliament).
Gilbert F. Houngbo became the sixth President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on 1 April 2017.
Born and raised in rural Togo, Houngbo has spent more than 30 years working to improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people, with extensive experience in political affairs, international development, diplomacy and financial management.
Prior to his appointment as IFAD President, Houngbo was the Deputy Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) where he led field operations in more than 100 countries and managed its bilateral and multilateral partnerships.
He served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Togo from 2008 to 2012, where he introduced economic reforms and enhanced the rule of law and civil liberties.
From 1996 to 2008, he undertook a number of roles at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) including Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary- General, Africa Regional Director, where he led poverty alleviation programmes in 45 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Prior to this, he spent a decade in the private sector, including at Price Waterhouse, Canada, where he worked in Audit and Financial Advisory Services. Houngbo has a Matrîse en gestion des entreprises from the University of Lomé, Togo, and a Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées in Specialised Accounting from the University of Québec, Canada. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants.
Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo is the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. He was appointed by the Human Rights Council in September 2020 and started his mandate on 1 November 2020. From 2016 to 2019, Mr. Arrojo-Agudo served as an elected member of the Spanish Parliament. He was Professor in the Area of Fundamentals of Economic Analysis at the University of Zaragoza from 1989 to 2011, and has been professor emeritus since 2011. During the last three decades, he has focused his research on economics and water management, publishing his work in more than 100 scientific articles and in 70 books.
David is Deputy General Secretary of Public Services International, a global trade union federation founded in 1907, affiliating 700 unions in 165 countries, representing more than 30 million workers. David is a recognised authority in the water sector and was a member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, where he helped steer the concept of public-public partnerships, which UN SG Kofi Annan mandated UN Habitat to implement. PSI is also involved in initiatives to remunicipalise utilities and to encourage labour-management cooperation to improve effectiveness.
Director General of Office National de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement (ONEA), Burkina Faso
Director of Research, Technological Development, and Innovation at Sabesp (Brazil)
Managing Director of Perumda Air Minum Tirta Mayang Jambi City of Indonesia
Chief, Urban Basic Services Section, UN-Habitat
Water Operators’ Partnership and other not-for-profit peer support exchanges will take center stage.
The Congress is a moment for the GWOPA network and new partners to come together around a shared commitment to helping each.
The WOPs Congress has been designed in close consultation with a Congress Taskforce (public operators, WOPs facilitators, donors, workers’ unions and civil society organisations) to ensure it shines a light on real actions, impact, and opportunity to increase progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6.
WOPs support operator staff to do their job better and they are happening all over the world.
The Congress will bring together hundreds of operator staff to tell their stories, learn from each other and inspire individual and collective action.
The Congress is convened by the Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance – a diverse network largely made up of public water and sanitation operators along with their partners.
Participation is free of charge and open to all organisations and individuals with an interest in sustainable water and sanitation.
LEARN: Contribute to and benefit from collective knowledge on peer-to-peer partnerships and the work of water operators.
SHARE: Strengthen or build new partnerships and exchange experiences with water operators and their partners.
INSPIRE... and GET INSPIRED!: Expand support for water operators and peer-to-peer learning amongst relevant stakeholders and the general public
Participation has no cost and online participation will allow everyone to take part.
Stakeholders from all walks of life who support public water and sanitation utilities, including national, sub-national and local governments, donors and financial institutions, knowledge and academic institutions, multi-lateral organizations, civil society organizations, workers unions, water regulators and business.
For those new to WOPs and GWOPA, the Congress is an opportunity to interact with a global network of actors committed to solidarity and peer support in the water and sanitation space.
The event is convened by GWOPA in its host city in Bonn.
Online participation will allow alliance partners, members and newcomers to participate.
Networking and e-socialising events will be organised to connect different individuals across the globe and build new partnerships and synergies.
Registration will open in June 2021.
The 4th Global WOPs Congress is made possible by the generous support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the City of Bonn, and with the ongoing work of the BEWOP project, WaterWorX, OFID SIP WOP Project.
The Congress is a collaborative effort from the entire GWOPA network, special thanks to the Congress Taskforce and regional WOPs platforms for their inputs.
"Entornos verdes y seguros para las mujeres"
Submitted by Empresa de Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Bogotá (EAAB)
#Colombia
Los cuerpos hídricos en Bogotá han sido objeto de invasión y uso inadecuado del suelo, condiciones que han llevado a la EAAB-ESP a generar procesos de saneamiento hidráulico y a generar procesos participativos para el uso adecuado de estos espacios para el disfrute público.
La EAAB-ESP ha acompañado las iniciativas de las mujeres lideresas para la recuperación del Humedal La Vaca, de donde surgió la fundación de mujeres Grupo de Banco de Semillas. Con el apoyo y liderazgo de mujeres de la comunidad y las actividades que realiza la EAAB-ESP para el mantenimiento integral de 2,24 Has del humedal, se adelantaron trabajos como: cerramiento provisional, siembras de restauración, extracción y retiro de RCD y residuos ordinarios, nivelación de terreno y recuperación de espejo de agua y plantas acuáticas. Así como múltiples talleres informativos y de sensibilización sobre los servicios ecosistémicos, la importancia de la protección y conservación de la flora y fauna de los humedales.
Por otro lado, el proyecto Corredor Ambiental Tunjuelo-Chiguaza es un proyecto de infraestructura con enfoque de género que ha mejorado condiciones de seguridad de las habitantes del sector, con el fin de contribuir al disfrute y apropiación de la ciudad en espacios públicos seguros y ambientalmente sanos. Es un proyecto integral urbano, arquitectónico y paisajístico, con el cual se busca mitigar situaciones adversas que se presentan en el río con sus quebradas que son afluentes, así como articular los cuerpos de agua con los desarrollos que se localizan en su entorno como eje estructurante ambiental.
Desde la época de la colonia los cuerpos hídricos de la Sabana de Bogotá se han visto afectados por malas prácticas que han ocasionado su contaminación. Por ejemplo, el Humedal La Vaca fue invadido casi en su totalidad. El humedal original fue escindido, generando lo que hoy se conoce como La Vaca norte y La Vaca sur. Además de la alteración ambiental, sus alrededores se convirtieron en un lugar inseguro.
Por su parte, el Río Tunjuelo presentaba áreas invadidas e inseguras, que generaban preocupación para la comunidad, especialmente para las mujeres que transitaban la ribera. El crecimiento poblacional ha generado presiones urbanísticas y detrimento de los cuerpos de agua, por lo que la EAAB-ESP viene trabajando en la recuperación, conservación, mantenimiento y protección de los elementos del sistema hídrico que hacen parte de la Estructura Ecológica Principal de la ciudad con el fin de:
Dentro de nuestro programa de modernización sostenible estamos ejecutando obras integrales que brindan beneficios a la ciudadanía y adecúa espacios y territorios seguros para la comunidad, especialmente para las mujeres, contribuyendo al ODS 5. Es por ello, que los proyectos en el sector sur del Humedal La Vaca y el corredor Tunjuelo-Chiguaza partieron de un diseño participativo con mujeres, cuyo objetivo es la recuperación, conservación, mantenimiento y protección de los elementos del sistema hídrico que hacen parte de la Estructura Ecológica Principal de la ciudad para convertirse en espacios de encuentro verdes con zonas más seguras.
El programa de modernización sostenible ejecuta obras integrales con diseño participativo par recuperar, proteger y conservar los valores, atributos y funciones ambientales y lograr la conservación de la biodiversidad, el disfrute paisajístico y la educación ambiental. Los proyectos de Humedal La Vaca y Río Tunjuelo, además de contribuir a la descontaminación de estos cuerpos de agua, han generado oportunidades para el beneficio social y la inclusión a través de la participación social en la recuperación de estos espacios, generando de esta manera sentido de apropiación, a la vez que reducen los costos en mantenimiento en el servicio de alcantarillado.
Esta infraestructura aplica el enfoque de género al enfatizar el diseño participativo con mujeres convertido estos espacios en oportunidades de encuentro para familias y reduciendo las limitaciones para el transito por estos espacios, especialmente de mujeres, al mejorar las condiciones de seguridad mediante el desarrollo de actividades de recreación pasiva, a la vez que se logra la recuperación y conservación de las características de los ecosistemas. La comunidad cuida y mantiene la flora y fauna de los mismos.
La tarea de recuperar los ríos, quebradas y humedales de la ciudad para preservar el agua es parte del compromiso ambiental de la EAAB-ESP dentro de su estrategia de modernización sostenible. Esta cruzada incluye acciones de limpieza y retiro de escombros; saneamiento predial para recuperar las zonas de ronda invadidas e inseguras; eliminación de conexiones erradas que contaminan las aguas de los cuerpos de agua y la siembra de 47 mil árboles, pero trasciende el aspecto técnico al involucrar las necesidades y expectativas de la comunidad mediante el diseño participativo, con el fin de lograr, no solamente su recuperación y articulación con el entorno urbano, sino de garantizar en el corto, mediano y largo plazo su correcto uso por parte de los ciudadanos, al convertirse en espacios de encuentro verdes y/o naturales con zonas más seguras para el esparcimiento, las actividades deportivas, y la contemplación, al poner a disposición de los ciudadanos valores paisajísticos y estéticos, que se habían perdido, permitiendo de esta manera mejorar las condiciones de vida de estas comunidades, al tiempo que se logran mejoras en la regulación hídrica y se aumenta la resiliencia frente al cambio climático.
Estos proyectos han integrado a la EAAB-ESP, la Secretaría Distrital de Ambiente, el Jardín Botánico de Bogotá, las Alcaldías Locales y la comunidad, generando una construcción participativa con procesos educativos asociados que conllevan a la apropiación de estas áreas. Se han generado espacios de participación con mesas, en las Comisiones Ambientales Locales, así como espacios virtuales y presenciales que permiten el seguimiento al uso del cuerpo de agua.
"Escuelas de Lideresas para la gestión del agua y saneamiento"
Submitted by Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID)
#Nicaragua #Panama
La garantía de participación de las poblaciones beneficiarias, especialmente en la toma de decisiones en los programas y respecto a la gestión y mantenimiento de los sistemas ha sido uno de los pilares de los programas del Fondo de Cooperación para Agua y Saneamiento (FCAS), impulsando la perspectiva de derechos humanos. Las mujeres son las que, dada la distribución de los roles de género y la división sexual del trabajo, asumen las tareas de acceso al agua de las familias, gestionan su uso al interior de la casa, y de asegurar el buen uso de los sistemas por parte del resto de miembros de la familia, pero sin poder de decisión ni control de los recursos.
La integración de la perspectiva de género dentro de las actividades de participación es uno de los elementos clave para mejorar y reconocer los roles de las mujeres dentro de la toma de decisiones asociada a los mismos. La Escuela de Lideresas se implementó por primera vez en el marco de los programas FCAS/AECID en Nicaragua, siendo una experiencia exitosa y logrando la incorporación de las mujeres como gestoras y decisoras de los sistemas de agua y saneamiento. Esta práctica se ha replicado en Panamá durante el año 2019, en el contexto donde trabaja el FCAS junto con el Ministerio de Salud, áreas rurales, dispersas y de población indígena de la Comarca Ngäbé-Buglé, impulsando el empoderamiento y liderazgo de las mujeres y promoviendo su capacitación para la inserción de las juntas comunitarias de agua.
La iniciativa tiene como objetivo la detección y capacitación de lideresas en las regiones indígenas de intervención, con el objetivo de potenciar la integración de las mismas en las Juntas Administradoras de Acueductos Rurales (JAAR) comunitarias, y en el tejido productivo local.
El resultado esperado es el fortalecimiento de las capacidades de las mujeres y hombres de las JAAR, en la mejora de su capital social y en pro de la igualdad y transversalizar género en la JAAR.
Las actividades o acciones principales fueron:
La Escuela de Lideresas ha demostrado ser una intervención eficiente para la incorporación de la perspectiva de género en participación, especialmente en los contextos en los que el empoderamiento de las mujeres se enfrenta a multitud de barreras, lo que unido a la existencia de relaciones de poder desigualitarias y altas limitaciones de conocimiento técnico sobre los sistemas construidos de agua y saneamiento, constituyen barreras profundas para la participación activa y transformadora de las mujeres en los espacios de decisión.
En el caso de la Escuela de Lideresas, la experiencia ha conseguido grandes resultados respecto a la mejora del empoderamiento y la autoestima individual de las mujeres que participaron, al mismo tiempo que ha garantizado el acceso a la información y conocimiento de carácter técnico para las mismas. Tras el paso por la Escuela en el programa de Panamá, mujeres que habían asistido a la misma comenzaron a interesarse por la gestión del agua.
Esto significó que en las Juntas Administradoras de Acueductos Rurales se incorporaron mujeres, ocupando diferentes puestos de las Juntas. E incluso en uno de los procesos electivos de Juntas de Agua, una de las candidaturas fue conformada únicamente por mujeres; si bien no ganaron como nueva JAAR, esto ha sido un hito importante en el cambio de la perspectiva de la gestión de los sistemas de agua, y la integración de las mujeres como parte activa de esta gestión.
También, la Escuela de Lideresas ha significado una integración de la mujer en los procesos y espacios de toma de decisiones comunitarios, accediendo a espacios en los anteriormente no eran consideradas, o en los que no se habían planteado participar por ser espacios históricamente asociados a los hombres.
Respecto a la sostenibilidad, al ser procesos de larga duración, con el enfoque de escuela de aprendizaje y de empoderamiento, se logra una mayor consolidación que cuando se realizan talleres técnicos u operativos de capacitación. Los efectos logrados aún se tienen, teniendo en las JAARs mujeres incluidas en puestos de toma de decisión tras 2 años de la implementación, y considerando que no se haya podido continuar con el trabajo en terreno por el cierre por la pandemia COVID que ha impedido el desarrollo de talleres y reuniones.
La experiencia se implementó por primera vez en el marco del Fondo del Agua en los programas de Nicaragua, con la iniciativa Paragua y el trabajo de varias ONG en el municipio de Chinandega. Derivado del éxito obtenido, y los impactos positivos generados en la inserción de las mujeres como operadoras de los sistemas, se transfirió la experiencia al programa de Panamá, en una zona rural, dispersa e indígena, la Comarca Ngäbé-Buglé, donde se ha transformado en una nueva línea de trabajo que ha tenido una Buena aceptación entre la población y las organizaciones comunitarias. Esto ha indicado que la experiencia es transferible, y aplicable a distintos contextos poblacionales y de distintos países.
Si bien es cierto que tras el parón por la pandemia COVID-19, que ha impedido la mayoría de los procesos comunitarios relativos a reuniones, talleres y capacitaciones, se pretende retomar y reimpulsar la Escuela de Lideresas en más comunidades de la zona de la Comarca Ngäbé-Buglé, para la continuidad y replicación de la experiencia.
Los actores involucrados en el desarrollo de la iniciativa en Panamá son:
"Mentoring and career development for women and young professionals"
Submitted by Société Malienne de Gestion de l'Eau Potable SA (SOMAGEP SA)
#Mali
The WaterWorX project is a WOP that aims to strengthen SOMAGEP SA, the Malian water utility. This partnership with World Waternet in Amsterdam was initiated in 2018 and allowed SOMAGEP SA to focus on areas such as Non-Revenue Water, service coverage for vulnerable populations, leadership and organizational development, and water quality. SOMAGEP was already involved in gender activities through AFSO, the women association of SOMAGEP and the REMAFPEA (WASH professional women cluster of the African Water Association). During WaterWorX Phase 1 (2018-2021), AFSO initiated the process of gender certification from UN Women to evaluate current gender inclusion practices within the company. The feedback from this evaluation confirmed that SOMAGEP was on a good track but needed to further structure their existing practices. Since, the WaterWorX supported several training and inclusion initiatives that were specifically designed by and for the women of AFSO and REMAFPEA. In addition, via the WaterWorX WOP, the young professional network (AJPEA) was supported in promoting and communicating about social connections in favor of pro-poor communities within water supply projects financed by IDA, AFDB, AFD, etc.
An important goal within the WaterWorX partnership was to support the practices already in place at SOMAGEP and give more visibility to their activities. During a female leadership masterclass in 2019, women from different WOPs in East and West Africa came at SOMAGEP in Bamako for a week. Participants benefited from training from a pool of diverse trainers (Dutch, and Malian) and - besides the language barrier - bonded during a boat tour. A follow-up to this training was organized during the WaterWorX session in Uganda, during the AFWA 2020 international conference. In addition, WaterWorX continued to support activities within SOMAGEP, such as rehabilitating and equipping toilets. Through this initiative, some departments obtained separate toilets for women.
The support of the WaterWorX partnership through these single, yet powerful activities was beneficial to SOMAGEP and beyond, in many ways. During Phase 1 of the WOP, several participants were promoted to higher position within their companies. Some of these women included the first female director of SOMAGEP, and the only female head of department of distribution and the only female head of service in the laboratory department. In addition, in 2021, the first female president of the young water professional network was elected by consensus. Furthermore, these trainings and activities facilitated many partnerships. Recently, a female mentoring programme (SUFESEA), initiated by the WaterWorX partnership in collaboration with the young water professional network (AJPEA) and the international training center (ICRA), has been granted funding through the Tailor-Made Training OKP-TMT-GENDER call from NUFFIC. This mentoring programme involves young women and men from several universities in Bamako, Mali and their mentors, some of the women who were trained in the past stated initiatives. SUFESEA is a sustainable tool to ensure the establishment of a strong inclusive network and platform for lower voices to be heard. In conclusion, this programme will guarantee the career preparation of young women in universities, our future leaders in water and sanitation.
Mentoring is a practice that should be widely used because of its sustainable impact. More contact should be established between the workforce and utilities and WOPs can help facilitate this exchange. Also, a better working environment (better equipped toilets, dedicated breastfeeding areas) could significantly increase the productivity of many women in utilities. Therefore, WOPs can financially support these actions for significant changes in female involvement within the organization. Finally, WOPs should not minimize the power of training. Female leadership and gender trainings for both men and women may raise the awareness needed to make the workplace a better environment.
Throughout many of these activities, the WaterWorX partnership contributed both financially and in kind to these activities (providing trainers, helping with coordination of activity, writing proposals, etc.). The existing women networks (AFSO and REMAFPEA) were always the active organizers and initiators. The Female Leadership Masterclass was initiated and implemented by REMAFPEA with trainers provided by the WOP, with co-funding of AFWA. This particular collaboration diversified the training and extended it to East Africa. Toilets rehabilitations were implemented by the gender team of WaterWorX, constituted of women from all other teams of the WOP. Effective communication of pro-poor connections by the young professionals network AJPEA has impacted more than 4000 people in four regional cities in Mali and women were represented in all meetings in which they were given a voice to stand up to speak about their satisfaction of the programme implemented in their communities.
"Integrity Management in Khulna Water and Sewerage Authority"
Submitted by the Water Integrity Network (WIN)
#Bangladesh
An Integrity Management project was initiated in 2015 with the Khulna Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (KWASA) in Bangladesh that illustrates how a public sector utility can implement a management approach based on a structured change process to achieve improved performance and strengthened integrity. The water operator, which serves the City of Khulna (population of around 1 million), initiated the integrity change process supported by the Water Integrity Network (WIN), the Bangladesh Water Integrity Network (BAWIN), as part of Transparency International Bangladesh and the Centre for Water Management Services (cewas). The project was implemented between 2015-2017 and currently, a 2nd phase of the project is under implementation with NGO Forum as local partner. The project is in line with the Bangladesh government’s National Integrity Strategy, which urges government institutions to establish anti-corruption and integrity systems, especially through proper implementation of rules and regulations, procedural reform and capacity development.
KWASA, as a relatively new operator, was struggling to handle its internal management while simultaneously ensuring adequate service to customers, showed an interest in knowing more about integrity management. WIN introduced the Integrity Management Toolbox (IMT), as a means to strengthen integrity management. KWASA was keen to address irregularities and insufficient service levels, which were being reported in the local press and becoming a reputational issue. KWASA management decided to adopt the tool to improve the utility’s efficiency and integrity and increase its institutional image. In addition, the Managing Director was keen on strengthening service delivery by developing and improving employee performance.
The overall goal of the project was to address the WOPs efficiency, performance, and integrity concerns. The project supported:
The project partners worked with trained local coaches to support the WOP throughout the initiation and implementation process. During the workshop, KWASA identified integrity risks, selected the suite of tools to address those risks, and developed a road map for implementation in line with the business model of the WOP. The integrity coaches who are external to the WOP supported the implementation and periodically guided stakeholders without making decisions for them. The entire process depends solely on organizational management and employees and is supported by an appointed internal integrity agent.
The initiative involved a series of key activities that can be summarized in the chart below.
The full cycle of integrity management comprises the following seven steps:
The project established a roadmap related to KWASA’s overall management and service consisting of six goals:
KWASA achieved most of the objectives set for the first phase of Integrity Management Toolbox implementation, reducing undelivered bills by 75 percent, reducing time to establish new connections by 30 percent, halving the time needed to identify and fix disruptions, and better estimating the daily consumption of water.
The KWASA billing system is now better organized and systematic. Besides better tracking of customers, the commercial department initiated the use of integrated software to issue bills for both meter and non-meter resident accounts. As a result, revenue has increased and customers have expressed satisfaction with the new system.
Before implementation of the Integrity Management Toolbox brokers were assigned responsibility for connecting new water lines. Now customers can now apply directly to KWASA for a new connection. The internal process for managing these requests has been entirely reworked and streamlined and is monitored systematically. Big efforts have also been made to make the information about connection procedures transparent to the public through a major dissemination campaign and news reports.
KWASA installed new meters and standardized the meter-reading procedure, also changing the process for hiring or subcontracting meter reading.
Feedback obtained at public consultations and through user surveys is generally positive.
KWASA’s management has been recognized in the international and local press for the integrity work being done. The Managing Directors has also been invited to major water sectors forums such as the Stockholm World Water Week to share his experiences. He is regularly championing integrity in forums for utility managers in Bangladesh and in the region.
KWASA has generated change not only within but also among consumers and civil society by building an awareness campaign and establishing interactive sessions bringing together KWASA staff members and customers. The IM project complemented internal reform processes and in addressing integrity-related challenges.
Convincing an organization The topic of integrity and corruption in the water sector inherently make the process convincing others to work on the topic difficult. In the case of KWASA, through a sustained dialogue and explaining the implications of applying integrity management, KWASA decided to undertake this project. This required time and patience.
Leadership and commitment The motivation, role, and long-term commitment of leadership and senior management are crucial to the success of the project. In the case of KWASA, the MD is leading from the front.
Motivated team The KWASA integrity team and other employees were equally motivated and committed to the project, which helped in implementing the roadmap and achieving the project goals and targets. The team worked together to enhance the organization’s reputation and increase its revenue. They have learned how to work together as a team to pursue their IM goals. After the IM Toolbox training, their efficiency and integrity in carrying out their responsibilities increased.
Embedding integrity in an organizational structure and processes At KWASA, the IM project was not taken up as an isolated project; gradually, the MD started embedding integrity elements within the organizational structure, leading to a sustained effort to continue addressing integrity challenges. Even after project completion, KWASA have been undertaking new measures.
Interaction with beneficiaries KWASA regularly organized interaction and public hearings with the customers, which kept them updated on the steps being taken to address their grievances. The public also had the opportunity to raise their grievances directly with the MD during these sessions. Customers found this process useful. Additionally, press briefings held by KWASA were a crucial part of the outreach process.
As mentioned, this approach to integrity management has been extended to two other WOPs in Bangladesh, establishes the scalability of the approach. The tool is adaptable according to the local context, it is driven by the WOPs themselves and is one of the few tools that addresses issues of integrity and TAP. The IMT has been applied in about 30 WOPs globally. It is to be noted that this is a preventive approach to tackling corruption, and WOPs may be reluctant to apply this approach if they get a wrong perception about the tool and objectives of such an intervention.
Other WOPs can apply this approach and incorporate an integrity management plan in their processes. This will require, initially for the WOPs to be convinced that this is a tool for improving their performances, reputation, it is a change management tool, and strengthens institutional integrity and creditworthiness. At scale, WIN can provide trainings to WOPs including the establishment of integrity roadmaps. The first phase of such a Toolbox implementation is generally coached by an external advisor and WOPs would be in a good position to support implementation or follow up and give input to such a coaching process. The implementation of the roadmap is dependent on additional resources and alignment with the WOP’s current priorities. In addition, this will create a pool of integrity coaches in countries who can replicate the process in other WOPs.
Water Integrity Network: Technical and financial support
Cewas: Technical support and back stopping
Transparency International Bangladesh and BAWIN: Implementing partner including providing external integrity coaches
KWASA: Implementation organization of the good practice