National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) rolled out a new performance management system that focuses on individual performance and accountability.
This comes after the successful launch and implementation of its Corporate Plan 2021- 2024 anchored on the country’s strategic plans, namely: NDPIII, Government Manifesto and Vision 2040.
The system will focus on a number of strategic priority areas namely; Industrialisation, Infrastructure Development, Skilling and Work Force Development, Private Sector Involvement and Organisational Health Sustainability.
By June 2023, the Corporation says it will have hit the 1.2 million total connections target, serving over 18 million Ugandans, with plans to serve over 25 million customers by 2026.
According to the NWSC Managing Director Dr. Eng Silver Mugisha, the system has been designed to bolster performance in line with the utility's corporate plan.
"We are counting on our staff to help us achieve our water and sanitation agenda. Previously, we have been specializing in group work, giving incentives to staff as teams. By doing so, many have been free riding," he said.
Dr. Mugisha noted that the Corporation is going a step further to quantify the effort of each individual toward the its goals and objectives.
He added that the top utility is rolling out an individual performance system that focuses on individuals, and targets will be assessed quarterly.
"We are now meeting supervisors and staff to understand this new system. The results will also help us classify staff performance into A, B, C and D, with key performers ranked at A+. The same system will also help us encourage the low-performing staff to step up, aid the contract renewal process, among others, recognize and reward the top percentile, and identify key performers, among others."
Dr. Mugisha explained that staff ranked A and B will be identified for promotion whilst C and D will receive feedback to improve and caution.
He also revealed that the system creates fairness in promotions, rewards, and incentives, and further inculcates a culture of hard work for better service delivery to the people of Uganda.
"Free riding by anybody in any organization is a form of corruption. The system will further aid a value for money and a fair system for promoting and rewarding staff. Lack of a fair system can create speculation and unfairness," he said.
These and more tools in the pipeline are part of the Corporation's plans to improve performance and subsequently achieve vision 2040.
Dr. Mugisha urged customers to boost the Corporation's plans by paying bills on time, which according to him helps the utility abstract water, and pay for chemicals, power, and repair materials among other water production inputs.
Plans for the Future
Dr. Mugisha shared plans to evacuate more water from the new Katosi Water Treatment Plant and stabilize water supply in the Kampala Metropolitan Service Area, build service infrastructure, extend its pipe network, build new water treatment plants in Lyantonde, Kalungu, Bushenyi, Tororo, Soroti, Moroto, Arua, Kasese, Parombo, Adjumani, Kyankwanzi, a new plant at Kaazi to supply the Entebbe- Mpigi- Wakiso service area, extend sewers and piped water networks to the newly created cities and municipalities, strong emphasis on customer service, among others.
He apologized to customers inconvenienced by the ongoing e-billing pilot project.
"We are working to better our service offering in the new digital era. We are addressing all your feedback, whilst innovating solutions to the issues that you share," he said. "Customers can now access their bills through sms, emails, or physical bills at our branch office."
