News

Putting members first

Over the past year, the WISA board has been hard at work to translate WISA’s vision of inspiring a passion for water into actions that make a difference for both its members and society at large.

WISA and its members are facing numerous challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The poorly performing economy and government policies exacerbated by the resultant lockdown have had a significant impact, despite water being an essential service. The potential also exists for a significant impact on the operational continuity of water services provision should large numbers of essential water services staff require isolation or hospitalisation due to Covid-19.

Addressing members at the recent virtual WISA AGM, outgoing chair Achim Wurster noted, “Business continuity in the water sector is important, since water plays a critical role as an essential service and remains highly relevant under the current constrained economic and health conditions.”

The WISA head office was quick to adjust to Covid-19 regulations and operations have continued, with an ongoing focus on providing benefits for members.

Responding to member feedback Three most recent WISA membership survey revealed three key themes: 1. Improving opportunities for WISA members to gain knowledge and interact with other members. 2. Playing a role in the public discourse on relevant water issues and thereby becoming an active voice for members. 3. Improving the scientific and engineering skills and knowledge of members and the sector. The WISA board annually reviews the results of the WISA membership survey and adjusts the WISA strategy accordingly. According to Wurster, the themes above all fall under one of the existing six WISA strategic goals.

In line with these goals, the WISA board and head office completed, among others, the following tasks over the past year: • further embedded good corporate governance within WISA • increased training opportunities and courses on offer through WISA • established the WISA technical committee tasked with being WISA’s technical voice in the public discourse on matters that affect members and society at large • increased WISA’s capacity to respond to media through the appointment of a media and public engagement consultant • resolved a perceived

conflict of interest with SACNASP over professional registration • established a volunteer rewards programme • held a successful initial meeting, together with other professional associations in the water sector, with the Ministerial Advisory

Committee of Water Experts from the

Department of Human Settlements,

Water and Sanitation to foster closer interaction with the department and resolve issues affecting the water sector and WISA members. The Volunteer Rewards Programme will be implemented in 2020 as a small way of showing volunteer members how valuable they are to WISA and highlighting the important role that they play in the organisation and its participation structures.

Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA, noted that the institute’s annual performance survey indicated that most members are happy with the services provided by WISA, but that a similar level of service should be rolled out to smaller and more remote areas.

WISA, together with sector patrons and stakeholders, is trying to fulfil this objective by ensuring that all branches are more active. The institute is also working to expand beyond South Africa toward achieving the goal of serving the entire Southern African water sector.

WISA 2020 Covid-19 has also disrupted planning for the biennial WISA 2020 Conference. Originally planned for June 2020, the conference has been rescheduled to take place from 6 to 9 December 2020. The conference will be going ahead in December as planned, either as a virtual or hybrid conference, depending on the Covid-19-related restrictions in place at the time.

“We are confident that this conference – in virtual or hybrid virtual form – will pave the way for new event formats that will serve the water sector and our members. As a learning organisation, WISA is learning every day during this pandemic, and we hope to leverage these lessons to improve our future offerings,” says Goldman.

The conference, which is scheduled to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, is calling for #AllHandsOnDeck to address the ongoing water crisis. The conference will focus on six sub-themes, designed to read as a to-do list: 1. Reduce water demand and increase supply. 2. Manage resources for a capable ecology. 3. Manage and monitor effective water and sanitation services and infrastructure. 4. Govern and regulate the sector. 5. Improve raw water quality and management. 6. Develop skills and technology innovations and disruptors. According to Wurster, the WISA 2020 organising committee is likely to include a new session in the programme and will issue a call for submission of papers relevant to Covid-19 and water.

“The WISA 2020 Conference remains highly relevant and we encourage everyone active in the water sector and related activities to attend,” he said.

WISA board Wurster stepped down from his position on the board and his seat was filled by Dr Harrison Pienaar. The new board comprises the following members: • Chair: Mr Dan Naidoo • Vice chair: Dr Inga Jacobs-Mata (strategy committee chair) • Stakeholder engagement committee chair: Dr Harrison Pienaar • Finance, audit and risk committee chair:

Mr Gorden Walters • Technical committee chair: Professor

Mike Muller • Director: Ms Natasia van Binsbergen • Director: Dr Nezar Eldidy • Director: Mr Sanele Mazibuko • Director: Dr Lester Goldman (CEO). “This ends six years of serving on the WISA board. I thank all the WISA members and the various fellow board members along the way for the opportunity to serve; it was both a great pleasure and a great learning opportunity for me,” says Wurster.

“I am looking forward to seeing the new ideas and passion of the current and future board members grow WISA as an organisation. We have come a long way; yet, looking forward, there is also still a lot to do that requires #AllHandsOnDeck.”

Good governance Goldman reports that WISA has remained consistently on track with its strategic objectives over the 2019 financial year.

After the strategic objectives and constitutional changes agreed on in 2018 were determined to still be critical and relevant, WISA has concentrated on improving and embedding them within the organisation and sector. These included the acceptance of the new WISA MOI and related documents.

WISA’s continued commitment to good governance helped ensure an unqualified audit report, with very few minor housekeeping suggestions from the auditors. WISA also maintained its ISO certification during this review period.

“The stable membership statistics, with slow growth and increasing activity in our participation structure, is a clear indication that our members and stakeholders have supported our constitutional updates and are comfortable with the practical aspects related to our activities,” says Goldman.

Goldman thanks the WISA board, committees, participation structures and head office team for their individual and collective efforts, as well as the WISA members for their continued support.

“We appreciate and applaud the work you do in the sector and want to empower and support you in any way possible. Despite facing tough times as a country, I am reminded by Leonard Cohen singing, ‘There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in ’.”