The main objective of the study is to establish the performance of GWSSS in terms of quality of water services, economical
efficiency, and operational sustainability against widely accepted key standard performance indicators and benchmarking the water utility against other well-performing utilities around East Africa for purposes of development of decision support tools for better management of the system.
The last eight-year data from the annual report and from the management information system of the Gondar utility are used in the analysis of indicators and to see the performance trend. Performance evaluation of water supply services for Gondar city was carried out using thirteen key performance indicators. From the first category six indicators in the quality of water services, one indicator on water quality compliance has the utility performing well. The other five indicators that are water supply coverage, average total per capita consumption, average per capita domestic consumption, continuity of piped water supply, and the number of persons per domestic connection are the performance of the utility is poor and much below the benchmarked utilities. From the second category of four indicators in improving economic efficiency one indicator in improving personnel expenditure has moderate performance; one indicator on tariff cost recovery has shown low performance, and two indicators in improving bill revenue collection efficiency and operating cost coverage are well performed. The third category of three indicators in improving operational sustainability; one indicator in staffing level is poor performance and two indicators in nonrevenue water and treatment capacity utilized the utility is performing well compared to benchmarked utilities.
In general, GWSSS is performing well in five indicators, moderate performance in one indicator, and the rest seven indicators the performance of Gondar is poor and much below the benchmarked utilities. Therefore, it is highly recommended that Gondar utility should take much focus on improving: the water supply services, water production, number of water connections, water consumption, tariff cost recovery, and staffing level.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 General
1.2 Background of the Study Area
1.3 Statement of the Problem
1.4 Objectives of the Study
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Background
2.2 The Benchmarking Concept
2.3 The Existing Benchmarking Framework for Water Supply and Sanitation
2.4 International Efforts in Water and Sanitation Benchmarking
2.5 Key Performance Indicators
2.6 Water Service Level to Promote Health
2.7 Overview of the Urban Water Sector Performance in Uganda
3 METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design and Data Collection
3.2 Data Analysis
3.3 Definition and Methods of Calculation of Key Performance Indicators
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Water Supply Coverage
4.2 Average Total Per Capita Consumption
4.3 Average per Capita Domestic Consumption
4.4 Continuity of Piped Water Supply
4.5 Percentage of Treatment Capacity Utilized
4.6 Water Quality Compliance
4.7 Number of Persons per Domestic Connection
4.8 Non-Revenue Water
4.9 Revenue Collection Efficiency
4.10 Working Ratio (Tariff Cost Recovery)
4.11 Operating Cost Coverage
4.12 Personnel Expenditure (%)
4.13 Staffing level
5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary objective of this thesis is to evaluate the performance of the Gondar Water Supply and Sewerage Service (GWSSS) regarding water service quality, economic efficiency, and operational sustainability. The study aims to provide decision-makers with data-driven insights and benchmarking tools by comparing local utility performance against recognized international standards and high-performing water utilities in East Africa.
- Benchmarking performance against East African regional standards.
- Evaluation of thirteen key performance indicators covering technical, financial, and management efficiency.
- Analysis of water consumption patterns and service coverage gaps in Gondar.
- Assessment of institutional challenges in the management of urban water supply.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 General
Access to safe drinking water in sufficient quantity and at affordable cost is the right of every human being, irrespective of the location and size of their community (WHO 2012). The main purpose of a water supply utility is to ensure that it has satisfactory water supply services that can fulfill to its domestic and non-domestic customers. Since population continues to grow alarmingly nationally, and at faster rates in major cities of Ethiopia, utilities often need to consider whether it is appropriate to develop additional water supplies. Water supplies may be provided by greater withdrawals from surface water or groundwater resources, construction of reservoirs, or construction of water treatment facilities. Any of these types of projects carries a huge cost. As water utilities consider options, it makes sense to ensure that they are effectively managing the water resources already under their control. More efficient use of water may avoid impacts to aquatic resources, provide greater ecosystem protection, and/or free up the water saved to serve additional needs.
Water Supply utilities are facing significant challenges as they struggle to increase the quality and lower the cost of services to their customers. These challenges include:
Increased customer level of service demands
Financial constraints
Aging infrastructure
Security and emergency response concerns
Population Growth
Climate change and reduced environmental footprint pressures
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: Discusses the global importance of water access, the role of performance indicators in utility management, and the specific challenges faced by the Gondar water utility.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW: Reviews the theoretical concepts of benchmarking, performance assessment frameworks, and successful water sector management lessons from Uganda.
3 METHODOLOGY: Explains the case study research design and defines the mathematical models used for the thirteen key performance indicators.
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: Presents a detailed trend analysis of the utility's performance, comparing current data against international and national benchmarks.
5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Synthesizes the research findings and provides actionable recommendations to improve water production, service coverage, and economic viability.
Keywords
Performance indicators, Benchmarking, Water Utility, Water Services, Gondar, Service Quality, Economic Efficiency, Operational Sustainability, Non-Revenue Water, Tariff Cost Recovery, Water Supply Coverage, Sustainable Development, Urban Water Management, Infrastructure Efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research examines the performance of the Gondar Water Supply and Sewerage Service (GWSSS) by analyzing technical, financial, and operational data over an eight-year period to identify performance gaps.
What are the central thematic fields covered in the work?
The work covers water service quality, economic efficiency (cost recovery and revenue collection), and operational sustainability (staff productivity and non-revenue water).
What is the primary objective of the study?
To establish the current performance levels of GWSSS against international standards and benchmark the utility against successful counterparts in East Africa to assist in management decision-making.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
A case study approach is used, incorporating quantitative analysis of historical data from the utility's annual reports and qualitative comparisons with established benchmarks from other water utilities.
What specific aspects are analyzed in the main body?
The analysis covers thirteen Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), ranging from water supply coverage and per capita consumption to treatment plant utilization and personnel expenditure.
Which keywords best characterize this thesis?
The key themes are Performance Indicators, Benchmarking, Water Utility, Gondar, Operational Sustainability, and Economic Efficiency.
How does the study evaluate the impact of population growth on Gondar's water supply?
The study highlights that while the city experiences rapid expansion, the water infrastructure has struggled to scale accordingly, leading to decreasing per capita consumption and increased water rationing.
Why is the "Working Ratio" (Tariff Cost Recovery) cited as a key concern for the utility?
The study finds that the current tariff structure fails to fully recover operation and maintenance costs, rendering the utility financially unsustainable without external subsidies.
What role did the new Management Information System play in the utility's performance?
The installation of the system in 2013 is credited with significantly improving billing and revenue collection efficiency from 73% to 96%.
What does the author recommend to improve staff productivity?
The author suggests increasing the number of active customer connections and implementing automation for specific operational tasks to optimize the current staffing levels.
- Quote paper
- Yirga Alemu Azene (Author), 2019, Performance Assessment and Benchmarking of Gondar Water Supply Services, Ethiopia, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/945383
