Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water and Sanitation Services Companies Network (KPWSSCN)Chairman: CEO-WSSP , Dr. Hassan Nasir (elected by all CEOs of WSSCs)
Background
In 2014 the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP) took a bold decision to introduce paradigm shift in urban water and sanitation sector in the province. The government decided to establish Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) by introducing functional amalgamating of existing municipalities/institutions in the metropolitan city – Peshawar – the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The staff, assets and functions of 4 Town Municipal Administration (TMAs), Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) and Public Health engineering Department (PHED) wing operating in Peshawar was transferred to WSSP. WSSP was established as Pakistan’s 1st corporate governed, professionally managed, autonomous yet accountable to Board of Directors (BoD) and ring- fenced utility to provide world class services of water, sanitation, and solid waste to citizens of urban Peshawar.
The GoKP, being impressed, by the performance of WSSP introduced another paradigm shift by replicating the WSSP model in six divisional heed quarters of the province. BY mid to end 2016 the province had in addition to WSSP following new water and sanitation corporate utilities:
- Water and Sanitation Services Company Mardan (WSSSCM) in Urban pockets of Mardan city
- Water and Sanitation Services Company Kohat (WSSSCK) in Urban pockets of Kohat city
- Water and Sanitation Services Company Abbottabad (WSSSCA) in Urban pockets of Abbottabad city
- Water and Sanitation Services Company D.I Khan (WSSSC DIK) in Urban pockets of Mardan city
- Water and Sanitation Services Company Swat (WSSSCS) in Urban pockets of Mingora city
- Water and Sanitation Services Company Bannu (WSSSCB) in Urban pockets of Bannu city
All seven corporate utilities are passing through infancy stage and are on the learning curve to deliver quality services to citizens.
This concept note lays out the rational to establish a network of these seven utilities to foster the learning, knowledge sharing and flow of information between these utilities. KPWSSCN will closely work with national level utility network – Pakistan Water Operators Network PWON to learn from its experience, draw its linages with international partners through P-WON global linkages and contribute to the sector in KP and Pakistan.
Donors Engagement
Currently donors are working with these WSSCS to improve their performance by investing in soft ad hard ware components. A list donor projects and their partner utilities is given below:
| Donor Agency | Project Name | Recipient Utility |
| Swiss Development Agency (SDC), | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water Governance Program (KP-WGP) | WSSP
WSSCM |
| Asian Development Bank (ADB) | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Intermediate Cities Improvement Project (KPICIP)
|
WSSP
WSSCM WSSCA WSSCK |
| United States Agency for International Development (USAID) | Municipal Services Project (MSP) | WSSP |
| UNICEF | WASH Program | WSSP
WSSCM |
| United States Agency for International Development (USAID) | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governance Project (KP GP) | WSSCM
WSSCK
|
The nature of technical assistance and infrastructure investment vary from utility to utility but the objective of all projects is to strengthen the service delivery capacity of WSSCS – which is dire need as nearly all WSSCs are passing through a critical phase and need this support. Four WSSCs, out of seven, are recipient of donor’s technical and infrastructure support and few are common in all donor project. The tune of fund of these projects varies from couple of million $ to over US$ 300 M.
Rational
The GoKP and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the WSSCs and independent sector experts are of the view to converge the technical assistance program for these utilities through establishing a dedicated plat form. The idea is to have a platform that promote knowledge, solutions and best practices, results and achievements of donors and self-propelled program for maximization of utility specific gains, replication, scale up and internalization. This approach will largely benefit all utilities but surely those who has yet to receive any donor’s assistance program. The idea of establishing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water and Sanitation Companies Network (KPWSSCN) is being floated in recent meetings and received encouraging response from government, utilities and donors.
Objectives
The overarching objective of KPWSSCN is to contribute in strengthening of WSSCs transforming them into professional, efficient, responsive and world class utilities. The specific objectives are:
- Provide a platform for discussion, sharing, learning and raising common voice on sector issues;
- Leverage finances and knowledge for maximization of common gains;
Formal exchange of knowledge, ideas, solutions through joint R&D, exchange visits, seminars and knowledge produce development
Operationalization of Network:
The network will be operationalized by further discussing the operational, administrative and technical aspects of network at CEOs and other level. It is expected that high level meetings will be organized of concerned stakeholders to thrash various aspects of network leading to operationalization.
The network will work and reach to all staff of WSSCSs (senior management, middle management and lower operational staff) and customers to make sure they are serving all without any discrimination.
The network will formulate its bye-laws, governance structure, operational, financial and administrative strategy/plans to run it on sustain and efficient basis.
The network will focus on technical, operational, financial, social
Operationalization of network will also require a part time experienced coordinator to run and manage day to day affairs of network.
Network Finances
The network will require finances to bear the administrative and program cost to deliver objectives of network. The potential streams of finances are
- Regular contribution of WSSCs
- Donors technical and financial support
- Private sector contribution
In initial discussion SDC and UNICEF have shown strong interest to support administrative and programmatic cost of network. Once established network will also reach out to other donors specially ADB who has high stake in WSSCs thorough its new investment project. SDC will be requested to finance the establishment and operation cost for initial 14 months (under KP-WGP). In this period the network will work on its establishment, setting up work plans and bye-laws. An experience coordinator will be hired to run the network operations under a governing body that will comprise of CEOs and other sector experts. The governing body will also reach out to UNICEF and ADB to finance programmatic cost like research, seminars, knowledge product publications, experts talk series on common topics, formulation of sector strategies for GoKP approval, advocacy material and exposure visits.