Fifth Annual Work Plan (October 2023 - December 2023: Fiscal Year 2024)

The primary objective is to improve operational performance, achieve full cost recovery, and financial sustainability. The IWSSTA activity has been ongoing since 2000, with the Government of Egypt (GOE) implementing wide-ranging reforms to provide reliable and expanded water and wastewater services. The establishment of HCWW, its subsidiary WWCs, the Egyptian Water Regulatory Authority, and measures to enable these entities to perform their duties have been key components of these reforms. However, profound political and economic changes between 2011 and 2013 halted this momentum. The GOE has since reinforced reforms to comply with multilateral (International Monetary Fund) conditionalities. The IWSSTA activity has completed activities in the past year (FY23) that have strengthened the financial and operational capacity of the WWCs. The aim of the current Annual Work Plan (AWP) is to cover the last 3 months of the IWSSTA contract's no-cost extension (NCE), October till December 2023, in supporting the WWCs and ensuring that the Asset Management software is fully embedded in the WWCs and that final delivery and training of lab equipment in Assiut are carried out. The proposed activities for the current AWP focus on three outcome areas: Asset Management, Cost Recovery, and Quality of Service. Under Asset Management, IWSSTA will oversee the integrated asset and maintenance management system. In Cost Recovery, IWSSTA will provide oversight to billing functions and follow up on the rollout of mobile reading. For Quality of Service, IWSSTA will focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation, follow up on the SAP application, and support the Assiut central water laboratory. The IWSSTA activity will continue to monitor and assess the viability of each activity as implementation progresses. The proposed activities are designed to support the WWCs in achieving full cost recovery and financial sustainability, while also improving operational performance. The IWSSTA activity has a strong organizational structure, with Tetra Tech ARD serving as the implementing partner. The activity is led by Ahmad Alkasir, Project Manager, and Patrick Ward, Deputy Project Manager. The IWSSTA team includes staff with expertise in water and wastewater management, asset management, and financial sustainability. The IWSSTA activity has a robust monitoring and evaluation framework in place, with regular progress updates and assessments. The activity is also committed to transparency and accountability, with clear reporting requirements and regular communication with stakeholders. The proposed activities for the current AWP are designed to build on the progress made in the past year and to support the WWCs in achieving their goals. The IWSSTA activity is committed to delivering high-quality results and to making a positive impact on the water and wastewater sector in Egypt.