Presentation of the

1. Presentation of the WATER OPERATORS PARTNERSHIP AFRICA Levi Zulu WASAZA

2. Contents • Background • Vision, Mission and Guidelines • Institutional Structure of WOP Africa • Work Plan of WOP Africa • Priority Themes • Current Status and Way Forward

3. BACKGROUNDNairobi and Johannesburg Meetings The Nairobi meeting of Senior managers of 37 water utilities in Africa took place from 6th to 8th December 2007. The meeting was a Capacity building workshop organized jointly by the UN-DESA and the UN-HABITAT in Nairobi, Kenya. The workshop served as an important step in following up the implementation of CSD-13 decisions, and also the recommendations from the UNSGAB (United Nations Secretary General Advisory Board) especially those related to improving the performance and effectiveness of water utilities in provision of sustainable water and sanitation services.

4. BACKGROUND (cont) The next step was the Johannesburg Workshop organized jointly by UN Habitat and WSP from 25 to 26 April 2007 which defined guiding principles and an action plan for the further development of the Africa branch of the WOP designated as WOP Africa. WOP Africa is supported by African WSS utilities, their associations and their partners.

5. MISSION, VISION AND GUIDELINES • The objectives, vision and mission of WOP Africa have been defined as follows: • Overarching goal: WOP Africa will support African countries in their efforts to achieve universal coverage for water and sanitation services with the MDGs as a common benchmark.

6. MISSION, VISION AND GUIDELINES • Vision: WOP AFRICA is a program owned and driven by utilities and open to all stakeholders engaged in water and sanitation services. The ownership by utilities will be realized by placing the WOP Africa Program (WOP Africa P) under the structures of the African Associations and by the fact that specific sub-programs and projects will be anchored in utilities. • Mission: WOP Africa will foster the development and the improvements of WSS services through increased collaboration between water operators for advocacy, learning, networking and support partnerships among peers.

7. MISSION, VISION AND GUIDELINES The guiding principles that emerged from the Johannesburg meeting on the implementation of the program are as follows: • Bringing together and supporting existing networks, partnerships and organizations, with a prime focus on utilities. • Fostering systematic and structured knowledge-sharing drawing on regional and global experience and involving peer-support partnerships.

8. GUIDELINES • Responding to the expressed needs of participating utilities and stakeholders. • Bringing stakeholders together and organizing activities at the most appropriate levels considering commonalities and cost effectiveness. • Commitment to the development and mobilization of regional capacity, in particular, resource centers and learning and research institutions in Africa. • Ensuring transparency, accountability and effectiveness in interactions among partners.

9. GUIDELINES • Ensuring transparency, accountability and effectiveness in interactions among partners. • Ensuring a not-for-profit financial structure that uses sound business practices consistent with the principles of the Global WOP. • Ensuring a coherent financing plan that addresses the continuity of the Secretariat and provides the visibility necessary for sound planning.

10. INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF WOP Africa The WOP Africa Program will be a joint undertaking of AfWA and ESAR/IWA. It will be governed by the following Organs: • An interim steering committee comprising AfWA, ESAR-IWA,WSP, UN habitat, AfDB and two Utilities from each of the three sub-regions. • The Secretariat or Programme Coordination and Support Unit (PCSU) based at Rand Water, Johannesburg. It will comprise AFWA, ESAR-IWA, and a Programme Coordinator • The Programme Committee, an organ of the RC established to oversee and support the PCSU. • The Regional Council comprising of the PCSU, Regional Organisations (AMCOW, AfDB/AWF), Regional NGOs (water Aid, ANEW), International/Regional Actors (WSP, UN Habitat, EU) and Activity-specific Utilities.

11. WORK PLAN FOR PREPARATION OF WOP Africa The Action Plan for the preparation of the WOP Africa will unfold along two streams: • Stream 1: Participatory assessments of strength and needs leading to three sub-regional meetings where participating utilities would review the outcome and identify the most promising areas for learning and exchanges. These meetings would also offer opportunity for utilities to identify peer support opportunities based on manager-to-manager contacts. • Stream 2: Further preparation of the WOP Africa structures, operational capacity and funding arrangements.

12. WORK PLAN FOR PREPARATION OF WOP Africa (Contd) • These activities will be coordinated by UN-Habitat and WSP under the oversight of Interim Steering Group. It is expected that work will be completed by early 2008 for review by the Regional Council (May-June 2008).

13. Priority Themes WOP Africa identified five Priority themes in the April 2007 Johannesburg workshop: • Management information systems • Service to the poor : Pro-poor policies & strategies • WSS/MDG Roadmap • Human Resource Development and Capacity Building • Infrastructure Development & Asset management.

14. CURRENT STATUS AND WAY FORWARD • Recruitment of Consultant for a period of six months : Done • First meeting of steering Committee: 7-8 November 2007 in Johannesburg. • Conduct self assessments : Deliverables by 15 January 2008. • Sub-regional reports and regional synthesis by 15 February 2008. • Launch of WOP Africa at AfWA Congress – Cotonou – 25-28 February 2008 • Two-day Workshop for North and West (Senegal): 19-20 February 2008 • Two-day Workshop for Southern Region (Lesotho) : 15-16 March 2008. • Two-day workshop for Eastern and Central Region (Uganda) : 22-23 March 2008 • Reports from Workshops: 30 April 2008 • Formulation of WOP Africa’s three year plan: 31 December 2007.

15. Questions? THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND GOD BLESS.