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. The program is focused on supporting the efforts of Papua New Guinea (PNG) to increase electricity access to 70 percent of households by 2030 through its National Electrification Roll Out Plan (NEROP). As part of this effort, SRUC is providing technical assistance to Papua New Guinea Power Limited (PPL), PNG's fully integrated, state-owned electric utility. The SRUC Work Order technical assistance 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. Component 1 of the SRUC Work Order involves the review and cleansing of PPL's post-paid Large Customer database, with a focus on Commercial and Industrial (C&I) customers, to identify gaps, issues, and misalignments. This component has three sub-components: Review and Database Cleansing, Customer Registration and Data Entry Training, and Advisory on Data Collection and its Management. Sub-component 1.1, Review and Database Cleansing, has three deliverables that build upon each other to ensure sustainable data integrity for PPL. Deliverable 1.1.2, Customer Information Survey Methodology, was developed in conjunction with the business processes and database review efforts and is the result of analyses of existing PPL processes and consultations. The Customer Information Survey Methodology report aims to support the proposed business processes recommendations through the improvement of the quality of the information contained in PPL's postpaid customer database system, Gentrack. The survey and data verification process proposed in this report will help establish an up-to-date large consuming customer database that will be capable of providing accurate information. The methodology for the customer information survey involves prioritizing and phasing utilizing customer segmentation, selecting customer data for collection, and ensuring the availability and functionality of all systems. The survey will help identify gaps, issues, and misalignments in PPL's post-paid Large Customer database and provide recommendations for improving data quality and management. The SRUC Team developed and customized this document according to PPL's operational environment so that PPL can begin the survey process immediately and then continue with updating the entire customer database to ensure accuracy. The report is the second deliverable under Component 1, Deliverable 1.1.2: Customer Information Survey Methodology.