The International Water Association (IWA) and SeeSaw have agreed to collaborate on a survey of developing country utilities to see how they are already adopting ICTs in their operations and what they see as the scope for other adoption is. We are also interested to survey what is “out there” in terms of options (i.e. the state of the market – both demand and supply). The backdrop to this is the expanding usage of ICT systems in other sectors (e.g. energy) and the purported potential for developing country water utilities to ‘leapfrog’ their Northern counterparts by adopting ICT systems (e.g. using cellphones to replace expensive handheld devices or SCADA systems, or to improve billing etc). A short lunchtime meeting – during the IWA’s 3rd Development Congress in Nairobi, Kenya - was held to kickstart consultations, get input into key questions and get feedback on how to go about such a survey.

2. Internet
Apps
Call
GPS
SMS
Normal
Smart
Data
base
USSD
Photo

3. ‘traditional systems’
• linear and closed flow of information

4. ‘new systems’
• new ICT tools allow radical changes

6. Poor services
Poor services
Deterioration
Deterioration
of assets
of assets
Weak
finances
Weak
finances
Customer
Customer
dissatisfaction
dissatisfaction
Low revenue
collection
Low revenue
collection

7. Quality
services at a
fair price
Investment in
new assets
Strong
finances
Customer
Satisfaction
Better
Better
revenue
revenue
collection
collection