Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company

Peri-Urban Department

Job Description

of the Community Development Officer (CDO)

Job Title: / Community Development Officer (CDO)
Grade: / 5
Division: / Engineering
Department: / Peri-Urban Department
Section: / Peri-Urban
Region:
JIC No.:
Reports to / Accountable to: / Regional Manager
Based: / At the LWSC Regional Office
Number of people supervised: / Company staff: 20
Remark: / The CDO works closely together with the Foremen and with the Customer Services Assistants of the Local Offices.
Objective and General Description of the Position:
The main tasks and duties of the Community Development Officer (CDO) can be summarised as follows:
The Community Development Officer should be seen as a Company employee who works in the peri-urban areas directly for and with the residents. The CDO is the link (interface) between the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company on the one hand and the peri-urban communities, the Water Vendors and the Local Authorities on the other.
The CDO is trained in communicating with customers, with representatives of the local community (the RDC and other local organisations) and with the Lusaka City Council.
Residents should consider the CDO to be a LWSC staff member they can approach if they have queries, complaints or suggestions. Through the introduction of the CDO, the LWSC will be able to improve its (visible) presence in the peri-urban areas.
The CDO is able to design, organise, carry out and analyse customer surveys and other data collection exercises. The CDO should also be able to carry out group discussions and in-depth interviews with residents and their representatives.
The CDO should inform the Regional Manager on the water supply, sanitation and public health situation in the peri-urban communities found within his or her Region.
On the basis of the collected data and/or on the basis of decisions taken by the LWSC management, the CDO should carry out public information and sensitisation campaigns which focus upon such issues as: tariff adaptations, public health and the importance of consuming treated water, how the kiosk system works, etc.
The CDO works closely together with the Foreman and with the Customer Services Assistants (CSAs).
During public health emergencies, LWSC can ask the CDO to work closely together with representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Lusaka City Council.
The CDO is Responsible for the Following Tasks:
Communicating with the Peri-Urban Communities
· Ensuring that the mission, visions, programmes and interventions of the Company are known to the urban and peri-urban communities involved.
· Ensuring that the Company has detailed understanding with regard to the felt needs the views and proposals of the urban and peri-urban populations with regard to water supply and sanitation.
· Assuring good communication between the Company and the urban communities as well as good communication with role players from relevant organisations and institutions such as the Local Authority officials, the Residents Development Committees (RDCs), local clinics and hospitals and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Maintaining direct contacts with the RDC.
· Communicating and working together with the local communities on all issues relating to water supply sanitation and public health. Recording and communicating (within the organisation) customer queries, complaints and suggestions.
Customer Care and Customer Services
· Analysing and finding solutions for customer queries and complaints. Discussing customer complaints or suggestions with the management of the Peri-Urban Department.
· Providing advice to customers with regard to the proper use of water, payment systems applications, etc.
The CDO is Responsible for the Following Tasks (cont.):
Collection of Data
· Collecting and analysing detailed demographic, socio-economic and public health data, as well as data on water supply and sanitation on the peri-urban areas within the Region. These data should allow the Company to plan interventions and programmes in the peri-urban areas.
· Assisting the Peri-Urban Department in customer database updating.
· Ensuring that the Company has detailed information on the current water supply and sanitation situation of all urban and peri-urban areas of the centres serviced by the Company.
· Carrying out customer (satisfaction/opinion) surveys and (household) surveys aimed at collecting data on customer ideas and opinions on water supply and sanitation.
· Assisting the Peri-Urban Department staff in carrying out (household) surveys aimed at, for example, measuring the willingness and ability to pay for water, and improved service level, and (improved) sanitation.
Sensitisation of Peri-Urban Residents
· Designing and implementing, together with the management of the Peri-Urban Department, marketing, sensitisation, education and information strategies, programmes and campaigns. These strategies, programme and campaigns may address various issues such as health and hygiene education, the introduction of a new tariff, a new water supply or sanitation concept or any other message the Company wishes to communicate to its customers and/or other urban residents.
· Assisting the Peri-Urban Department and the CSAs in the sensitisation and education of customers.
· Providing advice to customers with regard to the proper use of water, payment systems applications, etc.
Peri-Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Concepts
· Developing and implementing, together with the management of the Peri-Urban Department, adapted peri-urban water supply and sanitation concepts.
· Overall monitoring of peri-urban water supply systems (such as the kiosk system) in the peri-urban areas supplied by the Company. Overall monitoring of the Water Vendors.
· Giving advice to the Management of the Peri-Urban Department on ways to improve the performance of the kiosk system.
· Introducing, together with the management of the Peri-Urban Department and the Customer Service Assistants, adapted water supply systems (such as the kiosk system) in peri-urban areas and if deemed necessary by the Company, in low-cost residential areas.
· Designing and implementing, together with the management of the Peri-Urban Department and the Customer Service Assistants adapted sanitation strategies and campaigns in the peri-urban areas.
The CDO is Responsible for the Following Tasks (cont.):
Internal Communication and Support
· Ensuring that all Departments and Sections of the Company are aware of the need to put an emphasis on peri-urban water supply and sanitation and on serving the poor.
· Assisting and training the Customer Services Assistants (CSAs).
· Perform any other duty as may be required by the Regional Manager.
Residents-Initiated Water Schemes:
· To promote the concept of community participation and instil civic and community responsibilities in the residents and enhance awareness in the residents, for the sustainable running of the water supply system.
· Design educational campaign materials for residents as well as plan and implement strategies for regular education campaign to the residents in collaboration with RDC and design measures for feed-back in the communication strategies
· To co-ordinate water supply scheme related activities among various actors involved such as Lusaka City Council, non-governmental organisations and the Residents Development Committees (RDCs).
· To ensure all activities by the RDC are recorded for reference and evaluation purposes.
· To design and organise community surveys in such a way that the results reflect the actual situation in the areas. Undertake consumer and service level surveys and analysing the data collected.

Relevant Documents

The Peri-Urban Department will make available to the CDO, all relevant documents which can assist the CDO is the successful fulfilment of all his or her tasks and duties.
See for more information on the Peri-Urban Department also the attached document entitled:
“Mission, Objectives, Function and Organisation Structure of the Peri-Urban Department.”

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List of Abbreviations

CDO: Community Development Officer

CSA: Customer Services Assistant

LWSC: Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company

RDC: Residents Development Committee

LWSC Job Description/Community Development Officer June 2006