by: Widiyarti, ST. MT.
The Center of Information and Regional Studies (PATTIRO) with partners, the Water Integrity Network (WIN), the international centre for water management services (CEWAS), and PDAM Kota Malang conducted a workshop with the theme of Integrity Management Implementation in the Local Water Tap Company or Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM) in Malang City on October 31st to November 1st, 2014. This workshop was attended by a member of the Supervisory Board of PDAM Malang, two from the Board of Directors and seventeen from top-level management (consist of manager, expert staff and assistant of manager). All attendees were actively involved in this event. The workshop was opened by Miftahul Munir, SE., MM., the Director of Administration and Finance and closed by Ir. Teguh Cahyono, MAB., the Technical Director of PDAM Malang.
The background to this two-day event was a lack of efficiency in the provision of water and sanitation services, often rooted in shortcomings regarding good governance and integrity. Utilities are particularly exposed to such issues due to the high complexity in the relationships with their environment and limited transparency of technical operations and procurement. Consequently, utilities face integrity risks (both as drivers and as victims) at all stages of the water sector value chain and towards partners, governmental institutions as well as customers. Yet, there is little practical and systematic guidance for utilities to tackle these problems.
In this context, an Integrity Management Toolbox was developed to help water sector stakeholders to understand a) what specific integrity risks they face; b) in what way these integrity risks threaten their business model and thereby their efficiency and effectiveness and c) how these specific risks can be tackled by implementing Integrity Management Instruments.
Tackling the most pressing integrity risks allows water sector stakeholders to benefit from a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that puts them ahead of the competition for project owners that consider integrity a deciding factor when awarding contracts, lower costs and high margins, increased reputation and customer loyalty, decreased business uncertainty and market distortion, lower risk of prosecution and black listing and increased performance of staff.
The goal of the Integrity Management Toolbox Workshop PDAM Malang is to serve as a pilot for the toolbox’s implementation across Indonesian PDAM. The output from this workshop took the form of a workshop report, concrete road map for the implementation of integrity instruments in PDMA Malang, initiated Integrity Change Process and a Framework for coaching and monitoring of the Integrity Change Process.
As mentioned in the workshop, there are focal points that will be involved in all processes of change management. One of the focal points has already been mentioned above, that is, the change agent. The other focal points are the Integrity Management Coach (IMC) and consultants. The IMC for implementation in PDAM Kota Malang is Widiyarti, ST., MT., Water Services Specialist from PATTIRO. She will work together with two other local facilitators from PATTIRO Malang, Asiswanto Darsono and Anisatul Mardiyyah. The consultants supporting the IMC to bring about the integrity change process are Johannes Heeb, Michael Kropac and Sarah Achermann from CEWAS.
Frank van der Valk, Executive Director of the Water Integrity Network, commended the partners, PATTIRO, PDAM Malang and CEWAS on a very efficient and productive workshop. He expressed confidence for the implementation phase, and is eager to learn of the results that it will produce.
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