The Proposed New Approach

• Make benchmarking part of “normal, good business practice” that assists officials with their day-to-day operations and demonstrates economic benefits and value to the water services sector.
• Focus on hands-on support (“how do I do that?”).
• Create a support network and culture of information exchange between peers (“how did they do that?”).
• Use a web-based real-time data-capture and reporting system for tracking and measuring performance.
• Use a modular, tiered approach to benchmarking to encourage and enable all to participate, at a level aligned with their current capabilities and future aspirations.

Below are the proposed modules to be initially considered (in no particular order):

In the future, additional modules will be introduced (as requested). In addition, if the benchmarking of Water Services proves successful, the initiative could be expanded to other Municipal Services (e.g. roads, traffic). 

Participation based on the Water Services Institutions capacity to participate, Water Services Institutions will be guided to the appropriate entry level of initial participation and thereafter encouraged and supported to progress incrementally.  A key feature of the approach is the access to and use of existing Municipal data available on other databases to the benefit of Municipal Benchmarking.  This will reduce the need for need for Municipalities to input data (i.e. avoid duplication of effort).