Jobsinghana.com
 

Data collection and visualisation system development for a public sector water provider Western Region, Ghana

JOB SUMMARY

Company WSUP Ghana
Industry NGO/IGO/INGO
Category W.A.S.H.
Location Western Regio...
Job Status Contract
Salary GH¢ 
Education Qualified
Experience N/A
Job Expires Jun 15, 2023
Contact ...
 

Company Profile

Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) is a not-for-profit company that helps transform cities to benefit the millions who lack access to water and sanitation.

We were created in 2005 as a response to the urban explosion that has left many cities unable to provide basic services, such as access to a toilet or drinking water, to low-income communities.

We work alongside local providers, enabling them to develop services, build infrastructure and attract funding so that they can reach low-income communities.

We work in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, supported by an office in the UK. As the urban specialist in water and sanitation, we are committed to sharing evidence and approaches so that our innovations can enable change around the world.

Since inception we have helped over 30 million people access improved water, sanitation and hygiene services.

To learn more about our values, please see www.wsup.com/about/work-with-us/

For more information about WSUP's vision and approach, see www.wsup.com

Job Description

About Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA)

CWSA has initiated a policy reform since 2017, to expand its mandate to include the management of piped water systems in rural areas, and thus in effect become a rural utility. The reforms seek to improve operational efficiency and sustained water service delivery of piped supplies in rural communities and small towns. Some progress has been made in the reform process, but much remains to be done in order to become a viable rural utility.

Background of the Project

With funding from the Hilton Foundation, and in partnership with IRC, Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) and Safe Water Network, the Rural Water Utilitization Project (RWUP) project is supporting CWSA’s reform as an effective rural and small-town water utility. Geographically, the project focuses on equipping CWSA with a model approach in the Western Region, with strengthened capacity at the national level, which will then allow good practice to be replicated across the country, transforming water service delivery in rural Ghana.

Specifically, the project seeks to:

  • Support CWSA’s internal organizational change management process to drive the transition towards a rural utility.
  • Improve the operational efficiency of management of water systems in the Western region.
  • Develop infrastructure for delivering safely managed water
  • Support sector strengthening and learning

Services Required Under this Assignment

WSUP is looking for a consortium to carry out data collection in 5 Western Region water schemes with the objective to;

  • Map the existing assets and households of 5 water schemes and carry out a customer satisfaction survey.
  • Survey ground assets and analyse technical data to understand the NRW situation and institutional management capacity in each of the 5 water systems.
  • Conduct an energy audit of above ground assets for the 5 Water Schemes.
  • Advise how best to reduce physical and commercial losses in the 5 water systems alongside how best to reduce energy consumption including any potential innovations and necessary maintenance.
  • Provide capacity building for CWSA staff through the delivery of this assignment by working closely with select staff to enhance internal capacity to taking forward the data collection in the future.

Objectives and key tasks  
Objective 1: Asset mapping of 5 water schemes
The consultant is required to set up a data collection and data visualisation system and associated process for CWSA, piloting under 2 Water Schemes. WSUP intends to use the mWater platform designed and managed for this purpose Therefore mWater setup and designedmust be easily useable and understood by CWSA so they can continue data collection and management after the assignment is completed and rolling out of the system to other Schemes. Data needs to be collected about existing water connections, assets and customer perspectives within 2 selected (Asiama and Japah schemes) CWSA Water Schemes from the Western Region, Ghana.  Specifically, the following tasks are required.
a) Assess the needs of CWSA and existing data management systems

Interviews and discussion with CWSA and WSUP. Determine what data is required, when, by whom and for what purpose.

b) Design the data collection

i) Identify two (2) water schemes (areas identified in Annex 1) to pilot the data collection and visualisation system in:

  • Set up a data collection process in mWater
  • Design a customer satisfaction survey to find out what services the customers would like.

ii) Data collection design must include ways to collect the following information:

a) GPS / addressing of physical infrastructure and WASH items such as

  • Location and type of existing connections and unconnected properties (check against CWSA map)
  • Location of above and below ground assets

b) The customer expectations of the newly formed CWSA organisation

  • Services customers currently use (including water consumption, source of water etc)
  • Services that they would be willing for or expecting in the future

c) Conduct the survey

  • Survey every household in the two Water Schemes.

NB: WSUP will provide data list to guide mapping of the scheme at inception meeting.

  • Analyse the data and produce easy-to understand visualisations of the data and/or graphics

d) Build capacity of the CWSA team, and document process

I\) Provide tablets and the necessary software to carry out the data collection

a) Train CWSA staff on the use of the software/platform
b) Train CWSA staff on analysis of the data and mWater dashboard usage and management

ii) Document process

a)A complete training manual with a competency matrix for future data collection
b) A full report on the methodology, findings and recommendations on future CWSA asset mapping efforts and management using the system going forward
c) A final presentation to CWSA explaining the findings and recommendations

Objective 2: Non-Revenue Water assessment in 5 water schemes

a) Desk review to assess NRW strategies, policies and SOPs within CWSA

The Consultant is required to undertake assessment of existing policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in relation to NRW management at the 3 levels - head office, western regional and the 5 water schemes. The consultant shall carry out the assessment based on the thematic areas below and cross reference WSUP NRW guide in this link https://www.wsup.com/insights/a-guide-to-non-revenue-water-reduction-how-to-limit-losses-strengthen-commercial-viability-and-improve-services/ (Refer to the rosette on page 5).

  • Historical and current NRW Practices
  • NRW Management and Planning
  • Information Systems
  • Water Balance Practice
  • Apparent Loss Management
  • Real Loss Management
  • Monitoring and Analysis

b) Assess CWSA Institutional NRW management capacity

The Consultant is required to assess CWSA’s institutional NRW capacity in the following ways:

  • Current institutional NRW management capacity with focus on 5 schemes in Western Region namely; Bepoh, Japah, Asiama, Wassa Akropong and Adjakamanso
  • Based on the above, propose core areas for staff capacity investment for reducing NRW.

c) Assess NRW of target schemes

The consultant will be required to conduct analysis of billing and collection efficiency in relation to NRW in the 5 water systems in Western region. The assessment shall include but is not limited to;

  1. Calculate Water Balance from consumption, physical and commercial losses for each target scheme
  2. Conduct analysis of billing and collection efficiency in the 5 schemes to assess the commercial losses including but not limited to these;
  • Collection ratio and underlying factors
  • Arrear/debt management
  • Metering and billing
  • Payment policies and gaps

3. Assessment of the physical losses with respect to;

  • Leaks
  • Water quality
  • Pressure
  • Response to leak repairs
  • Bulk and consumption meter reading accuracy and functionality.

Objective 3: Conduct energy audit

The consultant is required to conduct a comprehensive energy audit for each of 5 water schemes, to clearly identify efficiency improvement opportunities. The consultant is expected to employ the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 3 levels of energy audit where applicable. The consultant will also ensure that test results meet Ghana Electrical Wiring Regulation Standards and Ghana Standards Authority regulations. An assessment of the individual equipment/machinery’s performance on the scheme’s overall energy efficiency with special attention to wiring systems, insultation systems, retrofits etc. must be considered. The specific tasks are as follows:

NB: WSUP may add another scheme on a hybrid system in Central region during inception meeting.

a) Desk review and analysis energy consumption data and costs from the 5 water schemes

The consultant shall review monthly technical reports on energy consumption data and costs at all 3 levels – head office, regional office and the 5 water schemes namely: Asiama, Bepoh, Japah, Wassa Akropong and Adjakamanso in the past 12 months to establish main reasons for energy inefficiency and pointers for the energy audit in these schemes.

b) Carry out field audit of energy equipment/machinery

Using results of the asset mapping, inspect and examine energy equipment/machinery and:

Compare the operating efficiency with design efficiency
Check the age and lifespan of the equipment and identify improvement opportunities.

The consultant must conduct efficiency testing using internationally accepted methodologies and required calibrated instruments.

c) Assess energy equipment/machinery operating procedures

How energy equipment and machinery are operated directly impacts energy consumption and costs. Is the equipment optimally operated? Are they operated more frequently than necessary? Can operation be better planned? The consultant must examine current equipment operating procedures, especially pumps and treatment plants, and determine their effect on energy consumption and lifespan of the equipment/machinery. This shall include but is not limited to;

  • Operating procedures
  • Competency of operators
  • Maintenance schedules and spares
  • Energy consumption and lifespan

Objective 4: Develop improvement plans to reduce non-revenue water and energy consumption

Based on the findings from the assessment, the consultant is expected to develop improvement plans to reduce non-revenue water and energy costs for the 5 water systems as part of the assessment report. The improvement plan shall include costings for network repairs and rehabilitation of relevant equipment for the target schemes. The consultant is expected to demonstrate cost effectiveness of implementing the efficiency enhancements proposed – whether the increase in efficiency resulting from the proposed techniques will ensure positive return from the investment. Additionally, the consultant shall prepare an energy efficiency monitoring plan for consideration by CWSA.

The consultant is expected to identify barriers relating to human and financial resource and institutional and regulatory barriers for improving energy efficiency.

Consultancy period

The evaluation is expected to take an estimated maximum period of 14 weeks between June 2023 and August 2023.

Table 2:  Milestones/Deliverables with Dates

No.

Milestone/ Deliverable

Suggested timeframe

1

An inception presentation highlighting initial findings, approach and workplan

1 week

2

Provision of tablets for 11 schemes and western regional office

1 week

3

Draft survey data on customer satisfaction and asset mapping

6 weeks

4

Presentation on findings of the data collection - NRW and energy efficiency initial findings, customer satisfaction

4 weeks

5

Draft data collection/assessment report

1 week

6

Draft improvement plan and presentation on NRW and Energy efficiency

1 week

7

Final data collection and assessment report (including improvement plans) and presentation

1 week

8

Training report and presentation – asset management capacity building

1 week


The consultant should propose their own suggestion of feasible timelines based on the suggestions above and should expect one full round of feedback from WSUP on each deliverable, allowing 1 week for comments following submission.

 

Required Skills or Experience

To achieve desired quality and efficiency  WSUP seeks to engage a consultancy with the following profile:

  1. Expertise with specialist training in Non-Revenue Water
  2. Experienced Electrical engineers
  3. Demonstrable experience in water network design
  4. Track record of undertaking similar surveys, data collection and assignments in each of the 3 areas within the water sector. Experience in Ghana water sector will be an added advantage;
  5. Demonstrated experience in presentations and report development preferably for donor funded projects;
  6. Excellent skills in GIS, with particular experience in mWater MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint

It is highly recommended that bidders submit examples of previous work to demonstrate skills, alongside CVs of core team members, and the financial information specified in section (4.1). In addition, core team members will be expected to demonstrate:

How To Apply

Sorry, job has expired.

 
Note

Please note, employers receive numerous applications per posting and will only shortlist the most qualified candidates. Also Jobsinghana.com is not involved in any decision made by an employer/recruiter and therefore does not guarantee that applications sent will result in a candidate being shortlisted/selected for that position.
 
 
To Top