Service Level Guarantees and Agreements
NWASCO has set certain desirable targets for the water sector in Zambia, which are in line with the MDGs. In order to avoid deterioration of service and ensure continuous improvement and sustainability, service providers are required to sign Service Level Guarantees and Agreements with NWASCO.
SERVICE LEVEL GUARANTEE
To ensure maximum consumer surplus, service providers are required to guarantee a specific service standard that is obtaining on the ground. This may differ among the various service providers and service areas within a particular provider due to geographical location and the differences in the state of the inherited infrastructure
The service level guarantee is signed at the time of licensing and stipulates the minimum expected service from the providers on which the ruling water tariffs are set. Service providers are therefore mandated to make the service level guarantees public and inform both the consumers and the regulator should they fail to offer the guaranteed service.
SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT
Service providers are expected to progressively improve their guaranteed service towards the Required Service Standard. Service Level Agreements are therefore signed between NWASCO and the service providers for the period of 3 years, in which service providers commit themselves to meeting certain targets with stipulated means, within the specified period. These are signed within two months of receiving a license. Future tariff adjustments maybe based on the progress made by service providers in meeting their targets.