Evaluation of Water Service Delivery Efficiency by Johannesburg Water to Low-Income Areas

Author: Müller, Paul Johannes
Supervisor: Professor Pieter Steyn
Date: March 2009

Johannesburg is the largest metropolitan and industrial area in South Africa. The water reserves need to be distributed amongst its citizens evenly, but at the same time the role-out of the service has to be done in an orderly manner. Local governments do not have access to sufficient capital resources to fund their infrastructure programmes and have to use their available funds wisely.

It has become increasingly demanding on the limited financial and human resources to implement infrastructure projects. It has become very demanding to satisfy all the customers with limited resources. Johannesburg Water officials have therefore a responsibility for compiling the capital budget in a procedural approach when selecting the projects for that year.

The purpose of this research was to analyze the project and programme management capabilities and approach to service delivery efficiency by Johannesburg Water to low income areas.

In order to achieve the maximum benefit and use of project and programme management it was necessary to quantify the problems in the low income areas. Once the dynamics of these areas are understood then the use of project and programme management to implement water infrastructure may assist to change the communities’ perception about the willingness to pay for services.

To achieve the abovementioned it was necessary to investigate the project planning, management and life cycles of projects and programmes in Johannesburg Water and how it can be made more effective and efficient.

To make service delivery to low income areas more efficient and effective, it was necessary to investigate the Balanced Scorecard and performance management. This would assist personnel to deliver a higher standard of service to the low income areas and as such would change their perception of Johannesburg Water.