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EWSEWS WATER & SANITATION

PRESENTATION

18 SEPTEMBER 2018

PRESENTER:

MANDLA MALAKOANA

WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS!

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OUTLINE

Purpose of the presentation

Direction of the Unit

EWS Philosophy

Initiatives : A. Establishment of the Focus Groups and User Platforms.

B. Customer Services Charter

C. Service Level Standards

D. Suggestion Boxes and Electronic and Print Media Programmes.

E. Billboards

Conclusion

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PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION

To present on the information dissemination initiatives

for EWS to the Amathole, Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi

District Municipalities’ Delegations.

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DIRECTION OF THE UNIT:

Open two way communication with the community to foster active involvement of the citizens and to encourage their honest views to be expressed ( Public interaction).

People being able to influence our service delivery levels and activities.

Improvement of our service

Platform for people to raise concerns

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Receiving public feedback with a view to changing behaviour both internally and externally ( in terms of roles and responsibilities)

Increased public satisfaction

Accountability of government to the community

Facilitation of the ongoing dialogue with our community.

Ensuring better understanding of our customers.

ASSET

MANAGEMENT

(4)

NEW

SERVICES DELIVERY

(5)

CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT

(2)

REVENUE

MANAGEMENT

(3)HUMAN RESOURCES/SKILLS

(1)

EWS PHILOSOPHY

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INITIATIVES AT EWS:

A. CUSTOMER PERCEPTION ANALYSIS SURVEY/

ESTABLISHMENT OF FOCUS GROUPS

Customer service means exceeding consumer expectations

Perceptions of consumers/customers are based on experience, knowledge, influence, and interpretation

Perceptions of individuals are different from each other

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PURPOPSE OF THE PROJECT:

To understand customers’ view of services provided by EWS

To identify gaps/lacunae in customer satisfaction

To improve consumer relations.

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PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

Enhancement of the community’s consultation and input in the governance and service delivery programmes as provided by EWS.

Development of a better understanding of the consumers’ perception about the water and sanitation provision to develop better ways for the design and delivery of water and sanitation services.

Establishment of new and strengthening of existing community partnerships with government.

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FUNCTIONS OF THE FOCUS GROUPS:

Test ideas

What are people saying about us/ How is the market

responding to our initiatives?

Determine the perceptions that people hold about EWS

Influence the decision-making process of EWS

Foster good customer relations

Empower the customers with regards to their rights.

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PILOT PROJECT AREAS:

Area 84- Umlazi AA/BB

Area 40- KwaMashu

Area 11- Newlands East

ADDITIONAL AREAS:

Area 22- Clermont

Area 24- Westville/ Berea West, Chesterville and Reservoir Hills

Focus Group for the People with Disability

Focus Group for the People in the informal Settlements

Area 62: Hambanathi/Fairbreeze, Tongaat Beach,

Magwaveni, Gandhi’s Hill

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LONG TERM GOAL:

Empowerment of our citizens with information sothat they will truly be part of our decision-makingprocesses.

MEETINGS - QUARTERLY

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ISSUES RAISED :

FOCUS GROUPS

The question of illegal connections. What do we need to do?

Can we remove the illegal connections? How can we do it?

Do you think that 6 kilo liters of water is enough?

How can we increase it?

What is the best way to reach out to all customers in the eThekwini

Municipal Area/What areas do we need to improve on to get our message to the customer?

Student Water and Sanitation Conference.

Partnerships-Pavilion Shopping Centre.

Have you ever contacted the Engineering Services Contact Centre?

What is your impression about it?

What do you think of our meter readers?

Do you know how to read your meters?

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What do you know of different issues in the Water Policy?:

Water tariffs

Estimated accounts

Water Insurance

Debt Relief Scheme

Acknowledgement of Debt

Disconnection policy

Standpipe

Leak Repairs

How can we involve different stakeholders in the management of water?

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Woman In Water Awards Winner

2012

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USER PLATFORMS

Raising Citizens Voice Training (RCV)-Rights and

Responsibilities.

17 Zones-Each Zone comprising 6/7 wards

Training targets: Councillors, Ward Committees, Civil Society

Organisations (CSOs) and ordinary members of the public.

Set up User Platforms

Quarterly meetings.

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USER PLATFORMS CONT.

Awareness creation in water conservation

Ensure public accountability

Build partnership between government and civil

society

Closer liaison between Government,

Communities and Civil Society Organisations-

Ensure stakeholder involvement

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RAISING CITIZENS VOICE

TRAINING (2 DAYS)

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CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION

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MODULES COVERED

Basic legislations governing water and sanitation

provision

Water Policies

Water Conservation

Health, Hygiene and Sanitation

Wastewater Policies

Pollution and Water Quality

Tariffs, Billing and Affordability

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B. CUSTOMER SERVICES CHARTER

Ensure that EWS’ commitment to building a responsive service is expressed

Ensure that there is improvement in the manner that we deliver our services for the citizens in the eThekwini Municipality

Recognition that our customers deserve to be treated with dignity, integrity, honesty and respect.

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Render services in the manner that would ensure equity to

all citizens including those from the disadvantaged

background

Provision of the escalation processes in case of any

dissatisfaction on the side of the customer.

Consideration of the symbiotic relationship that exists

between EWS and the Customer.

Highlight the responsibilities of our customers e.g. paying

for the services rendered.

NB: Adherence to the Charter.

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C. SERVICE LEVEL STANDARDS

Want to match the public expectations of

service delivery with achievable and

measurable performance standards.

Enhance the relationship between the Service

provider, EWS, and the recipient of service,

the customer

Reduce areas of dissatisfaction

Conscientize the members of the public of

how to have access to EWS.

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Tool to track effectiveness and prevent bad customer relationships

Inform customers where to get service from, nature of the services provided at EWS and the timeframe which EWS commits itself to in resolving the query/complaint.

An empowerment that enables the customers to take us to task in case we, EWS, fail to deliver as per the dictates of the standards.

The Standards are used by the citizens to measure the performance of government.

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The Standards are a diagnostic tool in terms of identifying gaps and inequalities in service delivery and assessing citizens’ awareness of their rights and responsibilities.

They are used as a benchmark in tracking variations in the quality of service and activating stakeholder responsiveness and raising public awareness

D. Internal and External Communication. Suggestion Boxes

- Any strategic leader has three enormous tasks to ensure success

of his/her organisation:

i) Develop the big ideas for the organization.

ii) Communicate the big ideas to the entire organization so

that all and sundry will have profound understanding of the

organization’s vision.

iii) Ensure successful execution of the big ideas

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Electronic and Print Media Programs

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E. BILLBOARDS

Led by the Honourable Mayor-Drought

messages.

Strategically placed throughout the City.

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F. CONCLUSION.

Our purpose is to serve-Martin Luther King Jr.

We can never be healthy as long as millions are still ravaged by diseases

We can never pride ourselves of success as long as poverty stares us in our eyes-Mahatma Ghandi

No one at EWS can brag of being independent because we are all interdependent

Hence, our commitment to bettering the lives for all and bringing the message of hope to everyone.

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Our customers are not dismissed without being helped

Our attitudes are bias towards the customer

What we say to the people out there is the spirit that we live

internally.

Citizens are educated to understand issues so that they will

pay their bills and we will have mutual accountability.

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QUOTABLE QUOTE!

“ Great things are accomplished by talented people

who believe they will accomplish them”. Warren Bennis

Japanese Proverb:

“Vision without action is a daydream.

Action without vision is a nightmare!”. As quoted in

Civilization’s Quotations.

VISION WITH ACTION: Mandla’s Coinage

“ A vision with NO action at all, is nothingness.

Inversely, an action with no vision is

doom and gloom”

THANK YOU/NGIYABONGA

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END