Taiz, Ibb and Hodeidah:
Introduction of GIS-based Operations Management Systems (OMS) in three local water/ wastewater utility corporations

Disciplines

  • GIS – Geographical Information Systems
  • Sanitation

Companies

Dorsch International Consultants

Client

German Agency for Technical Coorperation (GTZ)

Duration

From 2003 to 2006

Project Activities

  • Preparation of base data ( data conversion of existing maps into GIS structure, updating of maps using satellite imagery), collection of all relevant business information network maps, etc
  • Assessment & analysis of all relevant business processes, human resources and available data.
  • Development of appropriate solutions (all software applications are fully arabised: English is spoken by very few of the staff), programming, procurement of equipment, training programmes, recruitment of key personnel.
  • Implementation of the proposed solutions and coaching on-the-job.
  • Performance monitoring and dissemination to other interested local corporations

Contact

Dorsch International Consultants GmbH

München (Headquarters)
Landsberger Str. 368
80687 München
Germany

Phone: +49 89 5797-0
Fax: +49 89 5797-800
E-Mail: info@dorsch.de

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Description

GTZ, within its Technical Assistance Programme to Yemen, is supporting the Ministry of Water and the National Water & Sanitation Authority (NWSA) in its drive towards decentralisation and corporatisation.

The OMS project is to introduce GIS-based tools to support the newly formed Local Corporations (LC) to improve efficiency and professional management.

Besides the preparation of digital maps, training of staff and introduction of modern information management systems, the most relevant business processes will be analysed and streamlined.

The tasks described above are covered by a multidisciplinary team of advisers.

The limited funding requires an intermittent assignment approach and rotation of the experts across the three project towns.

Background

NWSA has started to decentralise and corporatise its regional branches throughout Yemen. The branches were responsible for the operation and maintenance of all water supply and wastewater disposal systems.

Politically, the corporatisation process was implemented very rapidly, but the preparation and training of the management and staff in the LC’s did not follow with the same speed.

The delegation of power granted more managerial and financial freedom to the respective LC, but added as well a much higher degree of responsibility, as they are obliged to achieve full cost recovery in a relatively short period of time. To address this imbalance, GTZ and NWSA agreed on a technical support programme.

Implementation

Modern management of water & wastewater utilities can greatly benefit from computerised, integrated information management tools on the basis of Geo- graphic Information Systems (GIS), if consistently built-in to the regular, traditional business processes.

Short-term efficiency gains can be realised particularly in water loss reduction, customer management and operations control.

The complete lack of modern management tools, low level of staff qualification, very limited use of electronicdata processing and outdated mapping information requires a staged approach, but parallel activities with a multidisciplinary team of predominantly Arabspeaking experts.

The end product will be an integrated, GIS-based information management system, fully adjusted to the language conditions, run by qualified local staff, partly weenabled, combining technical, operational, commercial and financial data for efficient management and controlling of the business in the respective LC’s, producing the reports and information needed by supervisory bodies, auditors and donors and, most importantly, satisfies the customer needs and expectations in all respects