The Authority has embarked on its productivity mainstreaming exercise that is geared towards helping in the effective discharge of its mandate. The program entails improved efficiency and effectiveness through reduced operation cost, re-engineered processes that will result in high quality projects, great positive impact to the community and high overall productivity.
The National Productivity and Competitiveness Centre CEO, Dr. Nahashon Moitalel, graced the productivity mainstreaming workshop of the Authority, where he urged the team from NWHSA to embrace productivity not only for attaining performance contract targets but for improved service delivery. He added that the development of productivity metrics, collection and analysis of data is a diagnostic process that will help identify challenges that will inform a strategy for improvement.
NWHSA’s Ag. CEO Eng. John Muhia thanked the NPCC team for taking the Authority’s team through the mainstreaming process. He said the exercise is instrumental in the effective discharge of the Authority’s mandate noting that the Authority has existing internal controls and quality assurance measures which the exercise strengthen and enhance for improved service delivery.
Productivity measurement refers to the process of quantifying the efficiency and effectiveness of production or work activities in an organization. It measures outcomes achieved vis-á-vis the utilized resources.
Public Sector Productivity Measurement therefore refers to the process of collecting, analysing and reporting on information regarding productivity of a public organization. The Overall Labour Effectiveness (OLE) on the other hand measures the utilization, performance and quality of the workforce and its impact on productivity. These include the percentage of time employees spend making effective contributions, the amount of product delivered and the percentage of perfect or saleable product produced.
The metrics developed will drive the strategy and direction of the Authority by providing focus and basis for decision making thus driving performance and productivity. It helps in aligning people and systems to the organizational goals.
While developing the metrics, the Authority considered key features that will make the exercise successful. These are:
- Clarity of purpose. What aspect of productivity are you trying to measure or improve? Ensure that the target relates directly to this purpose.
- Measurability. Productivity metrics should be based on data or observable outcomes.
- Alignment with objectives.
- Relevance to operations. It should provide insights into the efficiency or effectiveness of those operations.
- Specificity. Avoid vague or overly broad targets that are difficult to interpret or act upon.
The exercise was led by a team from the National Productivity and Competitiveness Centre whose team leader was the Assistant Director Mr. Edward Owenga. Mr. Owenga emphasized the importance of the exercise in ensuring improved, timely and quality service delivery, lower operational costs, improved work safety and overall effectiveness thus increasing customer satisfaction. The Authority is committed to continuous improvement for enhanced competitive advantage in water harvesting, storage and flood control.
