The Public Assessment of Water Service (PAWS) was created as a tool to strengthen the monitoring activities of the MWSS Regulatory Office. It aims to independently monitor, evaluate and report on the performance of the Concessionaires to the MWSS and other stakeholders, including the public.
Primary data gathered directly by the PAWS, such as Consumer Survey and Service Performance Network Quality are used for performance measurements. Results of the PAWS are influence factors that assist the Regulatory Office in its decision-making process, provide the Concessionaires with valuable operational and business planning information and increase public awareness and participation in the assessment of the level of water service.
The PAWS promotes transparency, Accountability and Results-Oriented water service.
Evolution of the PAWS
The PAWS originated from the World Bank assisted Public Performance Audit (PPA) Project in 2000. Starting in 2003, the MWSS Board of Trustees approved a full scale and regular implementation of the PPA, which later on came to be known as the Public Assessment of Water Service (PAWS).
The PAWS completed in 2011 its assessment of residential water services in all of the Metro Manila barangays covered by the two Concessionaires. All qualified barangays in Rizal and Cavite were also covered. Barangays sampled in previous years were revisted in the fifth year of implementation.
Performance Concerns of the Stakeholders
The customers of water service or the public in general, indicate an expectation that the delivery of water service will improve at a result of the privatization. On the other hand, the general concern of the sector that is being regulated sows a different perspective From apprehension of being a tool for finding faults, the Concessionaires later on accepted the PAWS as a partnership tool and use the information to increase efficient operations of the system and improve the service they provide.
PAWS is a Performance Indicator System, which utilizes three major performance categories: Network Quality, Water Quality and Service Quality. The system allows elaborating three performance ratings. The first is associated with the Consumer-Level, the second involves Service Performance Level, and the third merges the two into a combined indicator for each major performance category and for overall performance.
PAWS Public Information and Disclosure
PAWS assessments and other information are communicated to the different stakeholders through the following:
- PAWS Data Viewer at the MWSS-RO
- Barangay Roadshows
- PAWS Information Displays in Concessionaires’ Business Areas
- Internet Web Presence: PAWS Information Website at http/:paws.up.edu.ph
Operation of the PAWS
The NationalEngineeringCenter of the University of the Philippines (UP-NEC) is the Executing Agency of the PAWS. It serves as the independent/third party assessor of performance, operating through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with MWSS-RO.
Public Assessment of Sewerage and Sanitation (PASS) was also developed in 2010 by the UP-NEC through a World Bank grant under the on-going Global Environment Facility-Manila Third Sewerage Project (GEF-MTSP).
It is envisioned that the PASS will be incorporated into the regular PAWS exercise in the next assessment year.
