Presentation by Brian Jensen at Colorado WASH Symposium 2020, on the use of the free mWater platform for improving water service delivery. Includes case study from the USAID Haiti Water and Sanitation Project, implemented by Development Alternatives International (DAI) and mWater.

1. Using data to improve piped
water services
ColoradoWASH Symposium 2020

2. The problem:
Insufficient revenue
Service quality
decreases
Subscribers invest in
private infrastructure
instead
Revenue decreases
Many utilities are stuck in a “Spiral of Decline”

3. UtilityTurnaround
• Decrease Non-Revenue Water
• Increase efficiency in operations and
receipt collection
• Increase metering
• Improve service efficiency and
management through data driven decision
making
• Increase revenue and improved financial
management attracts investment
Result: Higher level of service increases
demand and revenue
WB’s Water UtilityTurnaround Framework

4. Asset management
Monthly monitoring system
Context
Nov Jan Jan Jan
2018 2019 2020
Develop
Train
Assess
needs
Evaluate
and modify
Develop
Focus on
key systems
Train
• USAID’sWATSAN project implemented by DAI
• 5 Communes of Haiti
• Water interventions
• Sanitation interventions
• Reinforce government data management capacity
• National
• Regional
• Water utilities
Evaluate
and modify
Evaluate

5. Utility Data Management
Summary
reporting
Technical
Commercial
Financial
Technical Commercial Financial
Summary report components
Specific objectives:
• Increase data visibility and actionability
• Increase accountability
• Improve data quality
Objective: Institutionalize a standardized utility
reporting system which:
• Generates high level insights to inform
strategic actions and guide investment
• Provides utilities with clear summary of their
performance over time
• Show how management activities impact
overall outcomes

6. Summary reporting-Data collection
• General information
• Technical operations
• Water production, storage,
consumption
• Chlorine treatment and
testing
• Asset summary
• Leaks identified/repaired
• Stock inventory
• Commercial
• Receipts
• Arrears
• Tariffs
• Connections/meters
• Coverage/access
• Complaints
Free Mobile or Web app
Survey form
Finance
Bank account
Expenses
Income
Debt
HR

7. Data consumption
“…improve data quality”
Approvals- Allows for a standard QC process for
each approved report
Utility 1
Utility 2
Utility 3
Utility 4
Utility 5
Utility 6
Utility 7
Utility 8
Utility 9
Legend
Green = Finalized
Grey = Not finalized
Red = No report

8. Data consumption
Visualizations- Displays
aggregate data for many utilities
and/or many months
Subscriber growth
Financial Integrity
“…Increase data visibility and actionability”

9. Data consumption
Profit & Loss
“…Increase accountability”
Shows how management
activities or investments impact
overall outcomes
Expense profile

10. Summary reporting- Next steps
• Expanding to a national, harmonized system
• Improve reporting
• Increase visibility of late reporting
• Improve data quality
• Improved quality checks
• Focus on key indicators
• Improve detailed data systems which feed into the report
• Data driven management
• Monthly indicator review
• Capital improvement program prioritization and tracking
• Invest in the utility’s data management capacity

11. Utility Data Management
Summary
reporting
Technical
Commercial
Financial
Register assets
Installations,
pipes,
connections
Monitor Assets
Condition,
status, WQ,
flow rate
Intervention
Tracking
Leaks, rehabs,
extensions,
connection
Connection
Tracking
Type, status,
meter reading
Technical components
Specific objectives:
• Increased collection efficiency
• Decreased NRW
• Improved customer relations
• Improved service delivery
Objective: Institutionalize data management systems to improve
performance. This system should:
• Provide detailed data to inform daily management activities
• Harmonize data systems
• Informs the summary report

12. Asset management
Iteration cycle
Overall Utility Priorities
Identify needs
or changes
Develop
or modify
Train &
Equip
Operate &
Maintain

13. Register assets
• Existing data import
• New collection
• Smartphone
• Optional Bluetooth
GNSS receiver
Map pipesMap installations
Surveyor interface for managing
water system assets

14. Leak reporting
Multistep workflow:
1. Technician identifies a leak
2. Supervisor delegates the leak to
technician
3. Leak is repaired by technician
4. Supervisor approves the quality of
work
High priority
Low priority
Legend

15. Meter reading
• Meter reader searches for
the customer via name, ID,
or proximity to their current
location
• App automatically
calculates consumption
which adds the charge to
their account
• Seamlessly connects to
commercial and financial
system

16. Complaint management
Multistep workflow:
1. Receive complaint
2. Update complaint
3. Delegate
4. Resolve (and contact
customer)

17. Challenges and Solutions
Challenges Solutions
Summary report data quality depends on the quality of the
base systems
Help utilities improve the base systems
Too much data can be paralyzing Focus on key indicators and track them closely
No utility is ready to implement all proposed based systems Concentrate on their priorities and build on that
Reporting delays are common National level staff will generate a quarterly report, thus
pushing the regional staff to be up-to-date

18. Getting started
• www.mWater.co
info@mwater.co
1. Go to:
Portal.mwater.co/#/resource_center
2. Click on: “Case Study-Asset Management”
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