The Namibia Water Corporation (Namwater), a commercial entity that supplies water in bulk to industries, municipalities and the Directorate of Rural Water Supply in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, has appointed Pragma Africa as its physical asset management partner for a high-priority project to be delivered over the 2012/13 period.

Says Karl Nepgen, Partner Consultant of Pragma: “We won the contract by tender and will start with the 'Development of Maintenance Management System for Namwater' project immediately. The project will be managed in three phases. Phase 1, also referred to as 'Setting the Scene', is due to kick off [in April] and is planned to be completed within four months. It will entail an assessment of Namwater's Water Supply asset management maturity, using our proven Asset Management Improvement Plan (AMIP) framework and methodologies, followed by the development of the asset management charter consisting of policy, strategy and a master plan.

“Following completion and acceptance of the first phase, Phase 2 (Developing the Maintenance Management System (MMS)) will focus on detailed reviewing and improvement of asset care activities, standards and procedures, as well as the critical evaluation and specification of an appropriate computerised maintenance management system from an IT point of view. The final phase (Implementing the MMS) will then round off the groundwork, with the development of detailed plans, schedules and budgets for the 2013/14 financial year. The overall outcome of the project will ensure that Namibia obtains optimal return on its investment to keep bulk water flowing from source to client.”

Nepgen continues: “We have great expectations of this project, thanks in no small measure to an excellent Terms of Reference statement by the Namwater team, whereby they wisely view the maintenance management system in its larger context of people, processes, technology and data.”

Pragma will be partnering with Aurecon on the delivery of this project. “The project partnership will ensure that Namwater receives the best of both physical asset management processes, as well as the relevant civil engineering specialist services,” concludes Nepgen.