Track problems and repairs with issues

The Water Project - Using mWater Issues for O&M of wells and boreholes

Introduction

The Water Project (TWP) Western Kenya Regional Service Hub (based in Kakamega County) is currently servicing over 250 hand-dug wells and boreholes. TWP uses the mWater Issues feature, in combination with surveys and consoles, to track repairs and monitor the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) process.

M&E Visit or Phone Call

TWP relies on both in-person visits and phone calls to identify wells that need repair. Enumerators from both the Regional Service Hub and network partner organizations monitor all wells quarterly (3 in-person visits and 1 phone call per year). Community members are also equipped to report breakdowns using a toll-free number affixed to every well in the TWP network. 
An mWater survey is used to capture all of the data from in-person visits and phone calls. A calculation embedded in the survey determines functionality: multiple survey answers are scored to determine whether wells are functional, partially functional, or non-functional. 
Excerpt from the TWP Water Point Survey. These questions and more are used to determine whether or not a well needs repair.
Excerpt from the TWP Water Point Survey. These questions and more are used to determine whether or not a well needs repair.

Open Issues

Once the survey is submitted, an issue automatically opens for any partially functional or nonfunctional water points. New issues are automatically assigned to relevant O&M staff through the mWater surveyor app. Managers can see a list of currently open issues and access more information about the repairs needed from an mWater console. For monitoring purposes, resolution time tracking starts when the issue is opened. Non functional wells are considered high priority and mechanics are required to respond to an open issue by conducting a repair visit within 72 hours.
Example of an open issue, generated automatically after a water point survey is submitted. Open issues are easily accessible to O&M staff through the mWater surveyor app.
Example of an open issue, generated automatically after a water point survey is submitted. Open issues are easily accessible to O&M staff through the mWater surveyor app.

Resolve Issues

The O&M team responds to the open issue by visiting the water point and conducting a technical assessment. The mechanic diagnoses the reason for breakdown and documents it by completing the resolve step of the issue survey in mWater. If the mechanic has the necessary spare parts, they will make the repair following diagnosis. If more equipment or parts are needed, they document the repair plan and select the date they plan to return then submit the resolve step on mWater .
Excerpt from the resolve step of the issue survey. Mechanics diagnose the issue and document any repairs needed.
Excerpt from the resolve step of the issue survey. Mechanics diagnose the issue and document any repairs needed.
Example table from the console: a list of outstanding nonfunctional water points showing number of days since issue has been opened, issue status, expected well repairs, and whether or not the issue is still within the 72 hour response time window.
Example table from the console: a list of outstanding nonfunctional water points showing number of days since issue has been opened, issue status, expected well repairs, and whether or not the issue is still within the 72 hour response time window.

Close Issues

Once the repairs are complete, the mechanic submits the close step of the issue survey on mWater Surveyor. In the close step, they document repairs made, parts used, the cost to complete repair, and community contribution. Data from the close step of the issue survey is visible on an mWater console, making it easy to track O&M activities and their costs. 

Hand pump mechanics learning how to diagnose issues during a training hosted by the TWP Western Kenya Regional Service Hub
Hand pump mechanics learning how to diagnose issues during a training hosted by the TWP Western Kenya Regional Service Hub
Excerpt from the close step of the issue survey. Mechanics repair the water point and document parts used and cost to complete the repair.
Excerpt from the close step of the issue survey. Mechanics repair the water point and document parts used and cost to complete the repair.
O&M team reassembling the pump following well pad reconstruction.
O&M team reassembling the pump following well pad reconstruction.

Program Impact

The ability to track repairs using the mWater issues survey has been integral to the success of our O&M program in Western Kenya. The key indicator that we use to evaluate the effectiveness of our O&M program is response time, and the issue survey has helped us calculate response time in a straightforward and accurate way. Each step of the issue survey is timestamped, making it easy to track the time from when an issue is opened to when it is closed.
Example plaque with mWater ID and toll-free line. The mWater ID helps enumerators select the correct water point when completing monitoring surveys. The toll-free number is used to report breakdowns to the TWP Western Kenya team.
Example plaque with mWater ID and toll-free line. The mWater ID helps enumerators select the correct water point when completing monitoring surveys. The toll-free number is used to report breakdowns to the TWP Western Kenya team.
Response time and other indicators, such as repair costs (see examples below), are tracked and visualized on a console. Consoles are accessible to all staff involved in the O&M process. The visibility of this data helps to facilitate day-to-day operations like inventory tracking and accounting. It’s also helped us drastically reduce response time. Our current goal is to repair breakdowns within 72 hours. In 2022, approximately 85% of issues were closed within 3 days, and 77% were closed in one day or less. The mWater issue survey is not only allowing us to measure our current goal achievement but also to identify specific and measurable indicators that enable new goals to reduce our response and repair times, which will result in greater uptime of water points and more reliable water access.
Summary of 2022 response time numbers. Approximately 77% of open issues were closed in one day or less and 85% were closed within 3 days.
Summary of 2022 response time numbers. Approximately 77% of open issues were closed in one day or less and 85% were closed within 3 days.
Table from the console showing the ten wells that required the most repair visits in 2022 and the total cost of parts and materials needed to complete repairs (in Kenyan Shillings).
Table from the console showing the ten wells that required the most repair visits in 2022 and the total cost of parts and materials needed to complete repairs (in Kenyan Shillings).
Figure of repairs completed in 2022 from the console. The most common repair was parts replacement, followed by “other” (e.g. welded parts, unblocked spout) and flushing the well.
Figure of repairs completed in 2022 from the console. The most common repair was parts replacement, followed by “other” (e.g. welded parts, unblocked spout) and flushing the well.