14 out of 14 for Northern Cape MPAPs

Critical analysis of the progress made with MuSSA over the last 3 years has shown that many municipal water services entities are often taxed to positively harness the outcomes of the MuSSA, and a risk exists that below par performance will continue despite the exercise. What has become evident is that, in the current South African context, for such performance monitoring to be effective, the extension of the M&E component to include required in many instances to ensure the desired continual improvement cycle. Accordingly, DWS in interaction with SALGA has realised the need for and value of a complimentary “supported planning process”, termed Municipal Priority Action Plan (MPAP). DWS is presently rolling out a support programme under the Municipal Priority Action Plan (MPAP) and has targeted all WSAs in KwaZulu Natal (covering some of the 24 Priority DMs), Gauteng, Eastern Cape (covering some of the 24 Priority DMs), all NT 17 municipalities (metros and secondary cities) and other selected WSAs in the Northern Cape, Free State, North West and Limpopo.

In the Northern Cape, 14 out of 27 WSAs were targeted to be part of the MPAP process. The MPAP follows “a start-to-finish / continual improvement management approach” (e.g. “Plan-Do-Check-Act” framework). Initially the WSAs confirm their current situation and key vulnerabilities (via the MuSSA). Thereafter, WSAs agree to a set of strategies and associated actions to mitigate prioritised vulnerabilities through a workshopping process. The outcome of the process is a proactive, practical and agreed to set of actions that can be implemented to mitigate the identified vulnerabilities. The 14 WSAs of the Northern Cape did not only see the value of the process and enthusiastically participate, but all 14 obtained MuSSA and MPAP sign off by management. As the MuSSA and MPAP directly support the Master Planning and Water Services Development Plan (WSDP) process, both MuSSA and MPAP can now be included within their WSDP. In so doing, the WSAs ensure that the WSDP (which forms of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP)) includes an appropriate allocation of resources to systematically address the prioritized vulnerabilities. This will lead to an improvement of the overall water services business health of the WSA.

Northern Cape WSAs should be commended for this excellent effort and achievement.