ASIKUMA ODOBEN BRAKWA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE WATER SERVICES CLUSTER MANAGER (WSCM)
ENGAGEMENT OF WATER SERVICES CLUSTER MANAGER (WSCM)
SMALL TOWNS PIPED WATER SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY STRENGTHENING
SUPPORTED BY
GoG-UNICEF WASH COUNTRY PROGRAMME (2012-2017)
FACILITATING AGENCY:
COMMUNITY WATER AND SANITATION AGENCY
CENTRAL REGION
March, 2017
Contents
1. Job Summary
2. Background
3. Justification
4. General Objective
5. Specific objectives for the engagement of the Water Services Cluster Manager
6. Scope of Work
7. Time-frame
8. Mode of Operation
9. Diagram of the key initiatives under the pilot
10. Expected deliverables/performance targets
11. Minimum Qualifications and Experience
12. Terms of Payment and Performance Criteria
13. Reviews and Evaluation
13. Reporting and Accountabilities
14. Evaluation of the Pilot Initiatives
16. Special Terms and Conditions (to be provided by CWSA and MMDA) in line with GoG regulations
1. Job Summary
Title / Water Service Cluster Manager (WSCM)Expected Compensation / 10% of Gross Revenue (will be tied to performance post-pilot)
Location / Central Region/Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District
Duration / 1 Calendar Year
Start Date / April, 2017
End Date / March, 2018
Reporting directly to / Water and Sanitation Management Team (WSMT) Chairmen of the Pilot Piped Schemes
Reporting indirectly to / District Coordinating Director through the WASH Focal Person of Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District
Technical support and oversight / CWSA, Central Region
2. Background
Ghana has made significant progress in the design and construction of piped water services in rural communities, small towns andperi-urban settlements. Per CWSA’s 2015 Statistics on National Water Coverage, there were 132 Small Community Piped Schemes (SCPSs), 350 Small Towns Piped Schemes (STPSs), and 224 Limited Mechanised Piped Schemes (LMS) summing up to 706 Piped Schemes in the rural and small towns sub-sector of Ghana.
3. Justification
As a national strategy, CWSA adopts the Community Ownership and Management (COM)concept for ensuring service sustainability for both Point Sources and Piped Schemes.
The sustainability assessment conducted into the selected piped schemes for the pilot revealed that theyhave all been under community management from the start of operations. Thus, Water and Sanitation Management Teams (WSMTs) have been constituted, mainly as community volunteers, trained and supported by CWSA Regional Offices and District Assemblies to manage the systems on behalf of the communities. In some instances the WSMTs have supervised a team of operational staff usually comprising System Manager, Technical Operators (usually two TOs), Accounts Officer, Revenue Collector, Security Officer(s) and Water Vendors, often selected from the community. The approach was designed to enhance community ownership, while building upon available management capacity. In general, the WSMTs have discharged this responsibility over the years, with varying degrees of success.
That, notwithstanding, several assessments conducted into the sustainability of piped water services by CWSA and other Sector Partners have consistently pointed to weaknesses in the management of operation and maintenance of the piped systemsparticularly in the areas of cost recovery and financial management as well as governance resulting in declining service levels.In many instances, small town and other piped water services have not been able to meet system rehabilitation, extension, upgrade and replacement needs. Consequently, these systems have not been able to adequately respond to the need for major repairs and rehabilitation, nor have they been able to respond effectively to increased demand for water from the growing populations.
Having benefitted from the lessons from the community management model for over 22 years in Ghana, the proposed management review and optimisationexerciseseeks to professionalize the management of the piped water services by introducing Water Services Cluster Manager (WSCM) to assume full responsibility for managing a cluster of piped water systems under the pilot by ensuring the provision of adequate, affordable and reliable safe water for the population.
It is against this background that UNICEF is supporting the Central Regional Office of CWSA and the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District to pilot this model which seeks to professionalize the piped water services through private participation in service management with stronger regulatory and oversight responsibilities from CWSA and the District Assembly.
This terms of reference is designed to source for qualified individuals or small/ medium scale enterprises (through suitable, designated individuals), to provide professional management support for clusters of small town/ rural community piped water schemes.
4. General Objective
The main objective of this initiative is to demonstrate the potential of professional private management model (Management Contract type of PPP) forachieving the sustainability and resilience ofsmall towns piped water services in Ghana, which will create the internal capacity for rehabilitation, extension, expansion and replacement of the water supply infrastructure.
5. Specific objectivesfor the engagement of the Water Services Cluster Manager
- Professionalize the management of water services in rural communities, small towns and peri-urban settlements to further enhance service effectiveness and sustainability.
- Promoteprivate participation in the management of water services as an alternative means of improving efficiency and to deepen transparency and compliance of services at the decentralised level.
The initiative is also aimed at providing an anchor for responsibility/accountability and other related sustainability strengthening initiatives.
6. Scope of Work
The specific responsibilities and obligations of the Water ServicesCluster Manager include the following:
1)Deliver safe, adequate and reliable water supply to the population
2)Coordinate the activities of the Water Safety Team and implement Water Safety Plans
3)Manage the Operating Staff to ensure efficient discharge of duties
4)Keep accurate and up-to-date record/data on the operation and maintenance management of the water supply service
5)Submit data on key performance indicators to the District Assembly and CWSA on monthly basis
6)Ensure timely deposits into the mandatory WSMT accounts, including the Replacement Account, Operational Account and Sanitation Account and also ensure the transmission funds from the Replacement Account to the Pooled Capital Reserve Fund.
7)Devise and implement strategies to expand service use and increase water consumption by the population to improve revenues, health and hygiene.
8)Devise and implement strategies to reduce indebtedness on the part of water vendors, institutional customers and private connection owners and overall system revenue losses
9)Adopt and track key Performance Indicators including:
- Water rationing (happening or not?) – proxy indicator for water availability/adequacy
- Operating Cost Coverage Ratio
- Revenue Collection Efficiency
- Downtimes
- Savings and Investments
- Good governance (e.g. Separate Accounts rendering to the WSMT and the entire community) and
10)Prepare and present report on the water supply services at Sustainability Platform Sessions, as necessary/ on request.
7. Time-frame
The Water Services Cluster Manager will have a one year appointment which will start from April, 2017 and end in March, 2018.
8. Mode of Operation
The Water Services Cluster Manager will work for the WSMTs using the existing operating staff. He will be monitored and supervised closely by the technical staff of CWSA Regional Office as well as the District Assembly. He/she can however appoint new staff or re-align existing roles in consultation with the WSMT.
He/she will work directly and remotely with the Operating Staff to ensure that services run smoothly and performance targets achieved as planned. He/she may visit the water services in the cluster once or twice a month or as many times as may be practically and financially feasible.
9. Diagram of the key initiatives under the pilot
10. Expected deliverables/performance targets
The key deliverables/performance targetsfor the Water Services Cluster Manager are:
1)Water services under the pilot are being managed professionally along with detailed documentations
2)Water services under the pilot are recording >95% Revenue Collection Efficiency
3)Unaccounted-for water in the pilot water services in the range of 10% to 15%
4)Operating Cost Coverage Ratio consistently meet the benchmark of ≥2
5)Pooled Capital Reserve Fund for the piped water services created in the Central Region and being managed by a Professional Fund Manager
6)Maximum downtime of≤3 days achieved
7)The Water Services have Office Assistants who are keeping the WSMT offices functional every working day
11. Minimum Qualifications and Experience
The prospective Water Services Cluster Manager is required to meet the following qualification criteria:
- Must have at a minimum, Higher National Diploma or First Degree from a recognised institution in relevant fields e.g. Development Planning, Sociology, Business Management, Project Management, or WASH related Disciplines
- Have a demonstrable experience in working with the District Assembly and Community Leaders/Structures
- Have a demonstrable experience of setting up and managing Small and Medium Scale Business Enterprises
- Experience in Ghana’s WASH sector, particularly in the management of piped water supply will be a clear advantage
12. Terms of Payment and Performance Criteria
The Water Services Cluster Manager will be entitled to 10% of the Gross Revenue.
Performance assessment would, however, be based on the efficient recovery of operational and capital maintenance cost, timely reporting to key stakeholders and achievement in terms of the key Performance Benchmarks outlined above (See Section 10).
13. Reviews and Evaluation
The Sustainability Platforms at the District level will be used primarily to review the pilot initiatives in terms of progress against expected targets and outcomes, including documentation of successes and lessons.
However, it will be seen if a review could be organised for the main government agencies participating in the pilot:
1)CWSA Central Region
2)CWSA Head Office
3)Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and
4)Participating District Assemblies
The timing, venue, facilitator and participants of this special review will be decided after the necessary consultations.
13. Reporting and Accountabilities
The WSCMs will be accountable simultaneously to the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District Assembly, who will act on behalf of the WSMTs, with technical support from CWSA CR.
The Water Services Cluster Manager will report directly to the WSMT Chairmen of the Pilot communities and the District Coordinating Director through the District WASH Focal Person of the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District. He/she will also be required to copy all reports to the CWSA Central Region, which will be providing direct technical support and oversight to the PWSCM.
In the context of professionalizing the management of the piped water services, the following reporting and accountability actions will be encouraged:
- accurate and up-to-date records keeping by the Piped Water Services Cluster Manager
- Monthly and Annual Report preparation for submission to WSMTs with copies to the AOB DA and CWSA, CR Office.
- Self-reporting of key performance monitoring indicators/data to the AOB DA and CWSA Central Regional Office every month.
- Facilitating the organisation of the District-level Sustainability Platform Sessions
- Reporting at the Sustainability Platform Sessions for the Piped Water Services.
14. Evaluation of the Pilot Initiatives
The pilot will be evaluated internally by key stakeholders and actors at the regional level (Central Region) on a date and venue to be agreed by stakeholders. This evaluation will involve sober reflection on the achievements, failures, strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, threats, lessons and successes. Progress well be assessed against the baselines of key targets/outcomes of the pilot piped water supply sustainability strengthening initiatives.
15. Submission of Proposals
Prospective WSCMs will be required to submit a brief Proposal (maximum 3 pages) to:
1)demonstrate how he/she hopes to structure the entity/operations
2)manage community engagements and customer relations and
3)present a brief Plan of Operation
16. Special Terms and Conditions (to be provided by CWSA and MMDA) in line with GoG regulations
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