The “Transformation Agenda” comes at a time when Nkana Water and Sanitation Company the Corporation is faced with increased demand for water and sanitation services, due to the increased urbanization and expansion of its mandate. This notwithstanding, the Company faces a number of challenges that have impeded efficient service delivery. These relate to aged/ inadequate infrastructure to meet the demand, high debt, deteriorating work culture, and inadequate funds to meet the Company’s operational and investment needs.
As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”. We therefore have to put on a new mind if we are to succeed in our search for solutions.” This statement summarizes the predicament of increasing expectations and demands that the Organization is currently faced with.
The Transformation Agenda, therefore aims at gearing the Organization for transformational changes in its operational mandate. In its formulation, due cognizance was given to the history of the Corporation that has defined its current status, the existing Strategic Plan (2022 – 2026) aspirations, and the various stakeholder expectations.
In summary, the Transformation Agenda is premised on the four (4) perspectives of the Balance Score Card, namely: Financial, Customer, Internal Process, and Learning and Growth. The strategic focus areas comprise; water production, water supply, sanitation, customer care, organization effectiveness, commercial viability and brand repositioning.
It is envisaged that the Transformation Agenda will be operationalized and streamlined through the Annual Budgets and respective Directorate/ Departmental Annual Action Plans. The activities will further be cascaded to the various areas of operation in a bid to ensure collective responsibility and effectiveness. This will be undertaken through tactical Performance Improvement Programmes (PIPs).
As is always the case, growth and development come at a cost. Therefore, the Company will explore different financing options to ensure it fulfills its goals and objectives in the Transformation Agenda. Furthermore, the Organization envisages enhanced collaboration with various stakeholders to ensure harmony and effectiveness in the implementation of its activities.
It is my firm conviction that these renewed efforts will bear fruits that will see Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation Company grow in leaps and bounds.
Eng. Dr. Steven Mwale
Managing Director
Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation Company (NWSC) has initiated a “Transformation Agenda” aimed at strengthening the Company’s ability to tackle current challenges and establishing itself as a leading water and sanitation provider in Zambia.
Over the next three years, management’s efforts will be focused on seven strategic areas, which, are believed to have far-reaching impact on the Company’s performance and service delivery. These include:
- Water Production
- Water Supply
- Sanitation
- Customer Care
- Organizational Effectiveness
- Commercial Viability
- Brand Repositioning
Management has developed a number of initiatives that espouse elements of infrastructure expansion, customer-focused services, operational restructuring and enhanced collaborations with various stakeholders in a bid to create synergies for sustainable socio–economic development and environmental protection. These initiatives will be implemented in a phased manner and have been categorized into short-term (August – December 2024), medium-term (2024 – 2025) and long-term (2024 – 2026).
The strategic actions have been summarized into seven (7) corporate goals, which are aligned to the Strategic Direction outlined in the Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026. These include:
- Increase production from 141,000 m3/day to 194,000 m3/day.
- Reduce water losses from 58% to 50%.
- Increase sanitation coverage from 75% to 85%.
- Increase monthly billing revenues from K15 million to K23 million.
- Improve collection efficiency from 67% to 100%.
- Improve staff productivity from 9 staff per 1000 connections to 7.
- Improve the Customer Satisfaction Index from 80% to 85%.
As an overall strategy, the activities to be undertaken will be aligned to the four perspectives of the Balance Scorecard, namely: Business Processes, Customer, Financial, and Learning. This system strikes a balance between all aspects of the Corporation’s business.
To ensure effective implementation of the Transformation Agenda, the deliverables and milestones under each directorate/ department will be translated into Department/Directorate Performance Agreements and Budgets, which, will be championed by the heads of directorates/ departments. In addition, a transformation committee has been formulated encompassing a wide range of staff from the different functions to oversee the progress of the various milestones.
The projected annual financial requirement of the Transformation Agenda is estimated at ZMK286,610,161. This covers both operational and capital expenditure, and will be funded through internal resources, support from the Government and Development Partners.
INTRODUCTION
Background
Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation Company Limited was incorporated in 1998 under the Companies Act Chapter 388 of the Laws of Zambia (Amended as Act No. 10 of 2017) pursuant to Section 9 of the Water Supply and Sanitation Act No. 28 of 1997.
The Company is wholly owned by the Kitwe and Kalulushi Local Authorities, with Kitwe City Council holding a 70% stake and Kalulushi Municipal Council owning 30%. The Company’s mandate is to provide water and sanitation services in the urban and peri-urban areas of Kitwe, Kalulushi, Chambishi and Lufwanyama.
About Nkana Water and Sanitation Company
Customer Base
Nkana Water and Sanitation Company operates across four towns: Kitwe, Kalulushi, Chambishi, and Lufwanyama. The Company serves a customer base of 76,453 water connections and 51,000 for sanitation. This translates into a water service coverage of 96% and sanitation coverage 75%.
Our Employees
Nkana Water and Sanitation Company has a workforce of 509 employees comprising 416 male and 93 females. The Company’s employees are endowed with a diverse range of skills and the staff productivity currently stands at seven (7) staff per a thousand.
Our Products & Services
The Company’s core business is the provision of water and sanitation services in Urban and peri-urban centers. The Company extracts raw water from various sources (dams and rivers). It is subjected to various treatment processes to ensure it complies with the required standards (Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) before it is distributed to our customers. Currently, the Company produces 180,000 cubic meters of water daily.
The Company also collects wastewater from its customers, and ensures that it is treated before being discharged into the environment. Sewerage services include wastewater collection systems that comprise a network of pipes, pumping stations, and appurtenances that convey sewage from its point of origin, to a point of treatment and disposal. Currently, the company treats approximately 65,000 cubic meters of sewage per day.
Our Strategic Outlook
Vision
To be a symbol of excellence in the provision of quality water and sanitation services.
Mission
To provide quality water and sanitation services innovatively and sustainably on the Copper Belt, Zambia.
Values
a. Customer First
b. Innovativeness
c. Teamwork
d. Integrity
e. Transparency
f. Excellence
g. Commitment
Strategic Priority Areas
To achieve the overall strategic vision for the Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026, five strategic priority areas were selected:
a. SD1: Increased revenue generation and enhanced cash flow management to assure commercial viability
b. SD2: Improved hard and soft infrastructure through regular maintenance and upgrades for quality service provision
c. SD3: Enhanced customer focus and stakeholder engagement
d. SD4: Develop new infrastructure for products and services for new customers
e. SD5: Improving organizational effectiveness and efficiency through continuous innovation to ensure sustainability.
Context of the Transformation Agenda 2024 – 2026
The Transformation Agenda builds on the rising need of various stakeholders to see the Company transition from a low-performing Utility, to a well-managed and high performing utility. Based on this call, a number of reforms have been undertaken, yielding limited or no performance improvements. The Company however, still faces a number of challenges, which affect its performance and impede efficient service delivery. Some of the critical aspects relate to the need for commercial viability, Organizational efficiency, asset management, customer care, and brand repositioning.
The Transformation Agenda is therefore a strategy for change aimed at facilitating the emergence an efficiently managed utility, capable of transforming the sector and economy. In order to arrive at the areas of focus, management undertook an exhaustive introspective view and analysis of issues and organizational inadequacies, and the activities have been categorized into Short-term (first 6 months), Medium Term (2024 – 2025), and Lon-term (2024 – 2026). This is to take care of the continuous attributes of the transformation process.
