Benchmarking for Improved Water Utility Perfomance

Topic outline

• General
  

  General

  • Description The first applications of benchmarking to the water and sanitation sector date back to the 1990s. Since then water utility benchmarking has been used at local, national and international scales. The main application of benchmarking in the sector is through voluntary benchmarking where performance is benchmarked within the water utility (over time, between similar units), with other water utilities (nationally or regionally) and with other utilities (e.g. power, telecoms, etc.). The use of benchmarking by regulators is yet limited, although an increasing number of regulators is assessing utility performance indicators and promote performance improvement, encouraging competition and providing incentives. The aim of this course is to provide an overview of theory and experience in the benchmarking of water and sanitation services for the purpose of improving performance. The course draws on applied research by academics and on benchmarking practices worldwide. For Whom? Junior and mid-career professionals from water and sanitation utilities, regulatory agencies, government departments and NGOs; postgraduate students.  Learning Objectives Upon completion of the module, participants will be able to: Understand the objectives and approaches to benchmarking and its application in the public and private sectors Know the application and use of benchmarking by regulators, utilities and other stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector Know the legislative and regulatory experiences relative to the institutionalization of water and sanitation utility benchmarking Know the prevailing objectives, approaches, methods and practices in drinking water and sanitation benchmarking, including their strengths, weaknesses, costs and benefits Be able to identify specific performance indicators to typical organizational objectives of water utilities in emerging economies, including improvement of services to the poor, reduction of NRW and others Be able to contribute to the design of a benchmarking framework based on specific organizational objectives References Software N/A Books N/A Lecturer Course materials were organized by Mireia Tutusaus Luque (MSc), Lecturer/Researcher in Water Services Management, Department of Integrated Water Systems and Governance, UNESCO-IHE (assisted by Cecilia Alda Vidal, MSc). Acknowledgements The following partners participated in the PROBE research project and contributed to the development of this course: UNESCO-IHE, The Netherlands, represented by Mr. Maarten Blokland Vewin/EBC, The Netherlands, represented by Mr. Peter Dane NWSC, Uganda, represented by Dr. Silver Mugisha CEPT, India, represented by prof. Dr Dinesh Mehta and prof. Dr Meera Mehta USP, Brazil, represented by prof. Dr Tadeu Malheiros REMARK: The PROBE research project was funded by DUPC, the programmatic cooperation between the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO-IHE. Reference Course N/A This set of course materials is provided as OpenCourseWare without support and interaction with lecturers. Assignments, groupwork activities, games and other interactive materials are included in this webpage to be used in replications of the face-to-face version of the course. If you wish to replicate the course as a capacity building activity in your own organization; you will find a suggested program for 10 days and a evaluation form at the end of this introductory section. This page contains the materials elaborated for the course: Benchmarking for improved Water Utility Performance as part of the PROBE- Benchmarking Pro-poor Water Services Provision research project. The course was originally planned as a face-to-face course. It included lectures, discussions, exercises, games and site visits. In this website you can download the PowerPoint presentations as well as other additional materials and follow the course at your own pace.

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    These open educational resources are part of the PROBE Project

  • Course description File
  • Proposed Course Program and Lesson Plans (10 days) - TO BE USED ONLY IN REPLICATIONS OF THE FACE-TO-FACE VERSION OF THE COURSE File
  • Evaluation form - TO BE USED ONLY IN REPLICATIONS OF THE FACE-TO-FACE VERSION OF THE COURSE File
• Lecture materials
  

  Lecture materials

  In this section you can download the power point presentations developed for the course as well as other additional materials. The lecture-based part of the course aims at clarifying the rationale for benchmarking consisting of performance assessment and performance improvement. The different sessions discuss the definition, objectives and classification of benchmarking and the different perspectives used in private and public sector benchmarking. The application of benchmarking to the water sector is discussed including their varying goals, objectives and limitations.  A variety of local, national and regional benchmarking initiatives as well as voluntary and mandatory benchmarking schemes are presented. The rationale for the selecting indicator areas is discussed as well as the selection of individual indicators. Particular attention is paid to the challenges of services provision in emerging economies, areas of deficient performance and the associated performance indicators. Challenges in the collection and processing of information and data are presented. The outcomes of the assessment process, their presentation and the follow-up in terms of performance improvement initiatives are presented. The latter will include both utility self-generated performance improvement and improvements encouraged by regulators. The last few sessions of the course are dedicated to the use of benchmarking in developing counties context. The aim of these sessions is to highlight the key aspects of watsan services in emerging economies that require attention in a benchmarking context, review a few attempts that have addressed these, identify problems in data management and reliability and focus on use of benchmarking to incentivize service providers.

  • Introduction to the course File
  • Introduction to Benchmarking File
  • Benchmarking in the Water and Sanitation sector File
  • Institutionalisation of benchmarking I File
  • Institutionalisation of benchmarking II File
  • Benchmarking perspectives File
  • Benchmarking performance indicators File
  • Methods for benchmarking File
  • Performance improvement File
  • Benchmarking in developing countries File
  • Performance measurement using SLB indicators File
  • Setting up systems File
  • Moving from measurements to improvement File
  • Additional materials

  • Lecture notes File
  • A review of performance benchmarking File
  • Performance measurement framework for urban W&S File
  • Performance Improvement Planning for Urban W&S File
  • PIP model File
  • References

  • van Dijk, M.P. and Blokland, M.W. (2016) ‘Introduction and reflection on benchmarking for the delivery of water and sanitation services to the urban poor’, Int. J. Water, Vol. 10, Nos. 2/3, pp.109–121. File
  • Nalwoga, M.M. and van Dijk, M.P. (2016) ‘Organisational performance measurement models, also for poverty alleviation’, Int. J. Water, Vol. 10, Nos. 2/3, pp.122–138. File
  • Diaz Villanueva, C.E. and Blokland, M.W. (2016) ‘Voluntary water utility benchmarking for collective learning: lessons from Europe’, Int. J. Water, Vol. 10, Nos. 2/3, pp.139-154. File
  • Murungi, C. and Blokland, M.W. (2016) ‘Benchmarking for the provision of water supply and sanitation services to the urban poor: an assessment framework’, Int. J. Water, Vol. 10, Nos. 2/3, pp.155–174. File
  • Murungi, C. and Blokland, M.W. (2016) ‘Assessment of tools in use by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation to improve water and sanitation services to the slums of Kampala, Uganda’, Int. J. Water, Vol. 10, Nos. 2/3, pp.192–212. File
  • Attari, J. and van Dijk, M.P. (2016) ‘Reaching the poor in Mashhad City: from subsidising water to providing cash transfers in Iran’, Int. J. Water, Vol. 10, Nos. 2/3, pp.213–227. File
• Games and exercises
  

  Games and exercises

  In this section  you can download the games and exercises part of the face-to-face course. In the OCW version of the course there is no contact with other participants or teachers. However these materials can be used if you are planning to organize your own course on benchmarking.

  • Water utility simulation game

    This is a multi-player simulation game for use in education and training. The game simulates the effects of decisions taken by utility managers on the technical, financial and commercial performance of a water supply company. The values of 18 KPI’s are calculated based on decisions and related budget allocations by the management of the company. The managers have a choice between 26 possible decisions and decide the amount set aside to execute the decision. The managers play a number of rounds representing financial years and each time the effects of their decision on company performance are calculated. Each year the management reviews the result of its decisions and prepares for decisions and budget allocations for the following year. The main goal of the game is to try to manage the utility company to achieve particular objectives that are set by the facilitator. These can be improving quality of service, revenue, expanding coverage, etc.. 

  • Introduction to simulation game File
  • Simulation game user manual File
  • Simulation game Chairman Manual File
  • Template for decissions File
  • Water utility game File
  • Group work - Benchmarking in a developing country context

    The objective of this group work is to reflect on how a benchmarking system can be established in a developing country context, what are the major themes around which indicators need to be considered, and whether such information would be readily available from utilities

  • Group Work File
  • Benchmarking exercise

    The benchmarking exercise is a serious game to be played in groups. Each group represents a virtual water utility and has to develop three assignments aiming at (I) Experiencing the main elements of a benchmarking exercise; (II) Understanding the difference between variables, context information, and performance indicators in practice and (III) Understanding the main components of a performance improvement plan.      

  • Benchmarking exercise File
  • Benchmarking exercise assignments description File
  • Benchmarking exercise manual File
  • Purewater dataset File
  • Nicewater dataset File
  • Goodwater dataset File
  • Cleanwater dataset File
  • Utility profiles
  • PI Comparison report File
• Case Studies
  

  Case Studies

  This section presents three particular case studies of Benchmarking use in the water and sanitation sector. In each case study the institutional set up and regulatory framework are presented, and internal reforms and performance indicators are analyzed. Materials in this section include for each case study power point presentations, background information, and practical activities. Important: Groupwork activities, assignments, and other interactive activities are included here only to be used in replications of the face-to-face version of the course. 

  • NWSC Uganda

  • Lecture - Case Study_NWSC_Uganda File
  • Assignment - Case Study_NWSC_Uganda (Instructions) File
  • Data set for activity 1 File
  • Dataset for activity 2 File
  • Dataset activity 3 File
  • Reader NWSC case study File
  • NWASCO Zambia

  • NWASCO case study (Zambia) File
  • Reader NWASCO case study File
  • NWASCO I File
  • NWASCO II File
  • NWASCO III File
  • NWASCO IV File
  • NWASCO V File
  • PNQS Brazil

  • PNQS Case study (Brazil) File
  • Complementary Information - Case Study PNQS, Brazil File
• Personal action plan
  

  Personal action plan

  The face-to-face version of the course includes a session in which participants are asked to develop a personal action plan. Personal action plans are useful to reflect and apply the lessons learnt during the course to the personal and actual work requirements.

  In this section you will find the materials needed to guide the development of a personal action plan. This materials are only useful if you are planning to replicate the face-to-face version of the course or develop your own course on Benchmarking.

   

  • Action Plan File
  • Complementary information Action Plan File
• Day 6 - Benchmarkign of urban water and sanitation in emerging economies is not available
• Day 4 - Benchmarkign exercise and Utility Simulation Game is not available
• Day 3 - Site visit is not available
• Day 5 - Utility simulation game is not available
• Day 8 - NWASCO case study (Zambia) is not available
• Day 9 - PNQS Case study (Brazil) is not available