In the pursuit of its core objective of regulatory capacity development, ESAWAS successfully conducted its third in-person regulatory training in “Performance Benchmarking of WSS Service Providers”, held from 25th to 28th March 2025 in Nairobi-Kenya under its flagship WSS Regulation Training Centre.
Co-facilitated with World Bank NewIBNET, the training brought together over 45 participants from 15 countries across Africa, including 15 women and 23 youth. This was a deliberate promotion by ESAWAS to support regulatory capacity development for youth and women as enshrined in its strategies. Participants included representatives from regulatory institutions, ministries responsible for water and sanitation, as well as utilities.
The four-day training delivered with support from the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) of Kenya, practical knowledge in performance evaluation and comparative analysis, a core regulatory tool to enhance the performance of WSS service providers. The high level of engagement and overwhelming testimonies from participants proved the significance of the training.
“The training was very interesting and useful. We got new information that will help us in our field of work and we would recommend the organisers to continue such trainings and include more participants across Africa”, Osama Mahdi Mohammed Bekhit, South Sudan Urban Water Corporation.
The programme kicked off with an overview on basics of WSS services and regulation to ensure that all participants have foundational understanding of basic aspects of WSS service provision and objective of regulation prior to exploring the technicalities and intricacies of performance benchmarking, covered under the following modules:
- Introduction to performance benchmarking
The module discussed the need and importance of benchmarking in WSS service provision, providing understanding of performance benchmarks, areas of performance and Key Performance Indicators used in WSS service provision.
“The training was very important to me, I have learned a lot even from other participants that will help me to improve my work” Cecilia Fernando, Instituto Regulador dos Serviços de Electricidade e de Água (IRSEA), Angola.
- Formulation, interpretation, analysis of Performance Indicators
This module discussed in details, the definition, calculation and data required for each of the ten Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) grouped into three categories – Quality of the services, Economic efficiency and Operational sustainability. Composite indicators for performance ranking were also discussed. Participants were engaged in practical exercises as worked examples to deepen the understanding in performance analysis and interpretation.
- Data collection, management and visualization
The module looked at data requirements – Commercial, technical, financial and personnel data. As a practical case, WARIS system of WASREB was used to demonstrate how data are collected and analyzed. The NewIBNET platform was also presented as a system that allows for performance comparison among utilities from across the globe.
The training programme concluded with the presentation of different performance reports for the participants to appreciate how regulators and ESAWAS report on utilities performance, deepening the understanding of performance analysis and interpretation of the results using real data.
“This has been an opportunity for us to learn. As you know, there is no training college for regulators and this platform is the first for most of us. It has given us more insights to our work as regulators”, Ssemakula Isma, Water Utility Regulatory Department, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda.
Worth noting is that participants to this training included returning attendees that continuously participated in ESAWAS training programmes, underscoring the growing impact and value of the Association’s capacity development initiative.
“When ESAWAS WSS Regulation Training Centre was launched, I thought it is something that will die soon on paper but I am a living testimony of what has been offered in the shortest period of time. Having gone through the 3 in-person trainings of ESAWAS so far, has given me confidence in my work. The knowledge we received will guide us in the process of reviewing our laws and establishing an independent regulator. All the three courses are equally important as each discussed a different aspect and I would highly recommend them especially to regulators to improve their operations”, Phideria Clara Moyo, Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Malawi.
For the upcoming courses, check our 2025 training calendar
