Strengthening the MENA Water Sector through Regional Networking and Training (ACWUA WANT)

Overview of the Action

ACWUA WANT program is a regional capacity development program to ACWUA and its members, develop instruments & standards to enhance the commercial and technical performance of water utilities and to promote & advocate their application in pilot utilities and across the region through a blend of dialogue, training & professional networking (WANT: Water Networking and Training). ACWUA WANT project is implemented by ACWUA secretariat in Amman with its members (more than 106 members from 22 Arabic Countries) and ensure that it is properly executed.

Objectives of the action

Developing guidelines, manuals, training materials under the guidance of the ACWUA Technical Working Group - Capacity Building and Training (TWG-CBT) and other relevant ACWUA TWGs and Task Forces on special themes, e.g.: Quality Management System/ Technical Sustainable Management (TSM), Energy Efficiency (EE), and Benchmarking (BM), Public Awareness (PA) and E-learning. Conducting capacity building and training program to enable the experts to implement the technology as pilot projects in the region.

Results of the action (Outcomes & outputs)

Developing manuals and guidelines in:
Quality Management Systems (QMS):
 Inventory of quality management and related standards, incl. TSM in ACWUA member utilities.
 TSM-Arab draft developed jointly with HCWW, incl. review by TF-TSM and peer review (on demand by DVGW, DWA).
 Piloting TSM-Arab in 2 member utilities (tentatively Tunisia and Jordan), incl. awareness top management workshops, capacity building of staff, training of inspectors, pre-audit, final audit.
 Final TSM-Arab guidelines approved and dissemination at regional conferences by the TF-TSM.
 Roll out of TSM-Arab amongst other ACWUA members: inspectors training, auditing.
Energy Efficiency (EE):
 ACWUA EE-Audit guidelines (or equivalent EE-checks and EE-analysis) were developed, approved, and tested by an ACWUA pool of EE-Auditors in two pilot utilities (ACWUA members).
 Good practices for energy efficiency management (EMS) in ACWUA member utilities were developed, documented, and disseminated in relevant ACWUA regional conferences.
Public Awareness (PA):
 Continuation of the PA working group efforts in developing the PA flash news covering updates and news from ACWUA utility members in quarterly basis.
 Assisting the Public Awareness Technical Working Group in disseminating information and promoting topics related to ACWUA WANT activities:
1. Issuing bi-annual ACWUA newsletters with special emphasize on Energy Efficiency, TSM-Arab, Benchmarking, and e-learning.
2. Promoting energy efficiency, TSM and e-learning at ACWUA members.
3. Assisting the ACWUA secretariat in promotional actions at regional conference.
During the time frame of the project, several training courses and capacity building programs were conducted and directed to participants from the Water Utilities in the Region for the aim of developing their knowledge in the subjects a above (Energy Efficiency, Technical sustainable management, and Benchmarking etc...)