Sector Reform and Utility Commercialization (SRUC) Task Order (TO): Support to Papua New Guinea Power Limited (PPL) on Data Management, Metering, and Customer Engagement

The SRUC TO aims to promote utility commercialization and equitable, effective reforms that will enhance the financial viability and long-term sustainability of developing countries' electricity systems. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the SRUC TO is providing technical assistance to PNG Power Limited (PPL), PNG's fully integrated, state-owned electric utility, to improve its operational and financial performance. The SRUC Work Assignment is focused on helping PPL improve its engagement and relationships with its 8,000 largest customers, which represent 77 percent of its current revenue. Specific activities pursued will help expand and improve PPL's capacity to effectively manage customer information, strengthen business processes related to the collection and management of customer data, and utilize PPL customer information for billing and collections. The Scope of Work for the "Support to Papua New Guinea Power Limited (PPL) on Data Management, Metering, and Customer Engagement" Work Assignment has four components, including Customer database cleansing/realignment/improvement, and development of procedures for improving entry and management of data entry in the future. Component 1 involves the review and cleansing of PPL's post-paid Large Customer database, with a focus on commercial/industrial customers, to identify gaps, issues, and misalignments. Three sub-components are associated with this activity: Sub-component 1.1 Review and Database Cleansing, Sub-component 1.2 Customer Registration and Data Entry Training, and Sub-component 1.3 Advisory on Data Collection and its Management. Sub-component 1.1 Review and Database Cleansing has three deliverables which build upon each other to ensure sustainable data integrity for PPL: Deliverable 1.1.1 Business Processes Impacting Data Quality, Deliverable 1.1.2 Customer Information Survey Methodology, and Deliverable 1.1.3 Database Review Report. The review of PPL's business processes for managing data from customers, meters, and billing records includes an analysis and assessment of PPL data sources and existing processes. The review was conducted in close collaboration with members of PPL's Retail Division and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department as well as local Deloitte staff. A specific focus of the review was on identifying gaps and inconsistencies and confirming that the key information for each customer is accurate, such as customer identification, distribution network information, specific location, tariff categorization/payment, meter readings, consumption amounts, and payment and credit details. PPL has a fractured and siloed set of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems that support independent parts of its core business, including its commercial functions. Currently, those commercial functions utilize three different systems: i) the Suprima prepayment vending system, ii) the Gentrack business application for post-paid customers, and iii) a Help Desk Ticketing system for customer service. A majority of PPL's approximately 152,000 customers are primarily residential customers that use the Suprima prepaid system (approximately 138,000). However, the 14,000 large commercial (approximately 8,000) and industrial (approximately 6,000) customers in the Gentrack post-paid system make up more than three quarters of PPL's revenue stream. The efforts under this sub-component focus exclusively on the Gentrack system and associated processes. The review identified several business processes that impact data quality, including the Gentrack Application and Support, Gentrack Interfaces, Standard Operating Procedures, Organizational Alignment, and Meter Reading and Billing. The review also identified the need for effective task allocation and the development of new forms to support meter connection processes. The report provides recommendations to improve data integrity, including implementing new business processes, procuring Gentrack training and support, and amending meter reading and billing processes.