“The rural water voice - Learning
through sharing for sustainable rural
water services management”
7/13/2017
Prepared by: DWSMF
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FORMAT OF PRESENTATION
 BACKGROUND TO THE DWSMF
Formation & Membership
Goals & Objectives
Activities
 PEER REVIEWS
Context & Objectives
Review Areas
Process
Outcomes & Benefits
 CONCLUSION
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Prepared by: DWSMF
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DWSMF:
Formation & Membership
 Formed in June 2004
 Is an information sharing and learning
network of water services Managers from
District Municipalities that are Water
Services Authorities
 Membership of 22 District Municipalities
(Eastern Cape, North West, KZN, &
Limpompo Provinces)
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DWSMF:
Formation & Membership
 Members share unique challenges
of ensuring the delivery of water
services in vast geographical areas
that are mainly rural, predominantly
poor and with huge service
backlogs.
 Sector Partners: DWA, WIN-SA/WRC,
COGTA, SALGA, DHS & NT
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DWSMF:
Goals & Objectives
 Learn from each other through
sharing of experiences when
implementing policy and legislation;
 Identify research support needs that
are of priority to them as they
respond to the challenge outlined
above;
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Prepared by: DWSMF
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DWSMF:
Goals & Objectives
 Minimise duplication of effort and the
likelihood of committing the same
mistakes, thereby improving overall
efficiency in the use of public resources
 Consult and formulate shared
perspectives on policy proposals and
development especially in as far as they
affect service delivery in our environments
 Propose relevant Professional
Programmes for DWSM
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DWSMF: Activities
 Development of a work/business plan
 Workshops three times a year:
Discuss & debate key topical Issues
Access Information that can be used to
improve service delivery arrangements
review progress in the implementation of the
forum’s work/business plan
Lobby for policy, legislation and strategy
reviews on water Services Issues that affect
the work of the WSA Managers specifically in
the District Municipalities
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Prepared by: DWSMF
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PEER REVIEWS:
Context & Objectives
 PEER REVIEWS two times a year
– Process wherein forum members and other
partners as ‘critical friends’ come together
to learn and advise in a non-judgmental
manner
– A learning platform where members of the
review team, through their experience and
knowledge, impart advice and best practice
as well as learn from the host WSA
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Prepared by: DWSMF
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PEER REVIEWS:
Context & Objectives
– Members of the review team learn in a real
and practical sense about how to best
manage water services in the climate of
transformation in the sector
– Self – assessment by the host WSA on how
it is performing against the 5 review areas,
which are used as a framework
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Prepared by: DWSMF
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PEER REVIEWS:
The 5 Review Areas
 Institutional Perspective
– Organisational & reporting arrangements, Section 78, WSP/WSA
Interface, performance measurement, policy compliance &
implementation, planning, reporting, staffing, gender
mainstreaming.
 Financial Perspective
– Water Services Financial Audit, investment planning &
financing, sustainability
 Strategic Asset Management
– Asset Management Register, transfer process, conservation &
demand management
 Service Standards
– Access to FBS, drinking water quality, impact n environment,
health & hygiene promotion
 Customer Perspective
– Customer charter, quality & reliability of services, accessibility
of customer interface
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WSA expresses
interest
to be reviewed
Forum and WSA
decide on review date
Facilitator puts together
a Review Team
Pre-Review Visit
is undertaken
Team Briefing and Document Review
Data Collection (Presentations by Host
on 5 Key Areas)
Assessment by Review Team
Feedback Presentation
Report
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Host WSA develops and implements an
improvement
plan
Prepared by: DWSMF
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PEER REVIEWS: Outcomes &
Benefits
Positive learning (benefits for other DMs)
What is working well?
What is replicable elsewhere?
Challenges (benefits to hosting DM itself)
What are the critical issues?
What lessons apply from elsewhere?
How can/will issues be resolved?
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Prepared by: DWSMF
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PEER REVIEWS:…..
 Peer Reviews has been conducted to the
following municipalities, amongst others are:
– Chris Hani
– Joe Qabi
– Vhembe
– Sekhukhune
– uMgungundlovu
– uMkhanyakude
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EC
EC
LP
LP
KZN
KZN
Prepared by: DWSMF
etc
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CHALLENGES
 Whereas there are clear indications that
members of the DWSMF see value and benefit
in participating in the forum activities thereby
confirming its relevance, the sustainability,
effectiveness and efficiency of the forum is
becoming a challenge.
 The forum’s effectiveness depends entirely on
members expressed interest in retaining the
group and how it can become self-sustaining.
Some of the challenges faced by the forum are:
CHALLENGES
 Funding: The forum does not charge
membership fees and therefore relies solely
on external funding to sustain its
programmes.
 Meetings: The forum has not been meeting
as frequently as it has planned to. This is
partly due to poor secretariat support and
poor responses from potential and existing
members.
CHALLENGES
 Programme of action: A programme of action
is largely responsible for attracting participation
in forum activities and marketing the forum as a
community of practice.
 Interaction with external stakeholders
(forums): DWSMF has not been visible and
known to other forums and external
stakeholders. Key to this has been the lack of
elevation of some policy and legislation issues
to other structures for debate and review.
SUPPORT
 Need the Municipal Political and
Administrative Support
 Need our Water Sector Partners Support
 Ready to Support the Government initiatives
in addressing Water Services challenges
 Financial support in order to can carry out
other learning programs for the DWSM
 DWSMF need to be involved in all water
services initiatives
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CONCLUSION
Lessons Learnt:
 Sharing of knowledge and experience in
a real practical context is an effective
learning mechanism
 Learning is also packaged as an outcome
of the process for use by others
 In the long term, we anticipate that the
peer review will assist WSA Managers to
sustain and improve performance.
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Prepared by: DWSMF
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THANK YOU
RO LIVHUWA
RE LEBOGA
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Prepared by: DWSMF
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