QUALITY AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT
3.2 QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN A WATER UTILITY .1 Quality Contracts
3.2.2 Performance Indicators and Benchmarking
To comply with the stipulations of a water quality contract, the service standards must be measurable. For this purpose, a set of performance indicators is used to monitor the performance of the company regarding all quality aspects. The levels of the service standards are set by making use of a benchmarking exercise.
The water industry is in the fortunate position that there are various water utilities in Africa and the rest of the world to benchmark against.
There are a couple of programmes around the world for the development of performance indicators and benchmarking programmes for the water industry. The International Water Association (IWA) has launched two projects. The one is for the development of performance indicators for water supply services and the second one is aimed at process benchmarking in the water industry towards a worldwide approach. The Water Utilities Partnership (WUP) for capacity building in Africa project on performance indicators and benchmarking is based on the IWA indicators but focused on water utilities in Africa.
3.2.2.1 IWA Programme
The International Water Association (IWA) has been developing a set of performance indicators for the water industry. The list of indicators presents those indicators considered as the most relevant for most water utilities, to be used on a routine basis. The structure adopted for the indicators derives from the fact that they need to be applicable to undertakings with different internal organisations (Alegre et al, 2000).
3.2.2.2 WUP Programme
The Water Utility Partnership (WUP) for capacity building in Africa was established in 1996 with the support of the World Bank. The WUP programme includes five main projects of which Performance Indicators and Benchmarking is one. The main aim of this project is to provide a management tool for self evaluation for the operators, benchmarking for utilities with similar operating environments, promoting experience sharing between the utilities and documenting and sharing information on emerging best practices and lessons on water supply and sanitation in Africa. It also aims to promote accountability and transparency in the operation of the utilities leading to higher efficiency and effectiveness (Ramsey & Mobbs, 2001).
The WUP project culminated in a database on various performance indicators in the water sector from 110 African water utilities (December 2001). This database is updated from time to time. The latest information available is dated July 2002. An update was being done during 2003. The final document on this latest update is not available yet.
The conclusion of the WUP project will not be the collection of metric data or the calculation of performance indicators, but rather the identification of performance gaps, benchmarking against superior performers and the implementation of performance improvements.
The identification and definition of performance indicators has been a major component of this project. It was based on the following reasons.
• The availability of data in the various water utilities in Africa for comparative purposes
• The balance between what is desirable and what is achievable in terms of what data and information is sought
• Making use of existing performance indicators and definitions (such as the IWA program on performance indicators as set out above) rather than "re-inventing the wheel"
Annexure 2 contains all the performance indicators used by the WUP programme.
3.2.2.3 Process Benchmarking in the Water Sector
Larsson et al (2002) developed a model showing the various business processes carried out by water supply companies. The model grouped the various tasks of a water utility into four business processes namely Support, Sales, Production and Distribution. The four identified processes in a water utility are normally evaluated by making use of a process benchmarking exercise. These processes are described in detail in Annexure 1 and can be summarised as follows.
Support
• Developing of strategic planning and policies
• Public relations
• Technical planning and design
• Economic/financial affairs
• Personnel administration
• Information technology and processes
• General Services
• Purchasing and materials management Sales
• Meter reading and processing meter reading data
• Invoicing, debt management and collection
• Customer relations and management
• Marketing Production
• Operating of bulk water supply facilities
• Maintaining of bulk water supply facilities
• Construction of bulk water supply infrastructure
• Managing of catchment areas and water protection areas
• Water resource management
• Water quality monitoring, sampling and analysis Distribution
• Operating water distribution systems
• Maintaining of water distribution systems 3.2.2.4 Metric Benchmarking in the Water Industry
Alegre et al (2000) grouped the various tasks necessary in a water utility to carry out the four business processes, into seven functions. These functions are further grouped into four main organisational functions.
The suggested functions and related tasks are as follows (Annexure 1).
Management and Support
> Global Management
• Central administration
• Strategic planning and policies
• Public relations
• Legal affairs
• Internal audits
• IT and automation
• Environmental management
> Administrative Management
• General Secretary
• Archiving
> Personnel
• Personnel administration
• Education and training
• Recruitment
• Occupational health and safety
• Social activities
Financial and Commercial
• Economic and financial planning
• Financial administration
• Economic control
• Purchasing and material management Customer Service
• Meter reading and processing
• Invoicing, collection and debt management
• Customer relations and management
• Marketing Technical Service
> Planning and construction
• Technical planning and design
• Construction
• Resource management
• Water conservation programs
> Operations and maintenance
• Operations
• Maintenance and repair
• Water quality monitoring
The performance indicators for water supply services developed by IWA and used by the WUP in their benchmarking programme are aimed at measuring me performance of the various functions in the water industry (Annexure 2). These are done by way of a metric benchmarking exercise.
3.2.3 The role of quality management in the water sector