A one-day participatory workshop was organized by Asian Consulting Engineers &Ramboll Denmarkon “Comparative Analysis of Business Model Operations for Municipal Service Delivery mechanisms at Sialkot and Sahiwal” at a local hotel on Wednesday.
Asian Consulting Engineers in joint venture with Ramboll Denmark are implementing the Operational Design & Business Model component of the “Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Program – PICIIP” funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It is envisaged that this participatory workshop would help promotea sense of belongingness, genuine contribution and ownership towards set goals and outcomes of the project, which would ultimately help benefit improve municipal services at the grassroots level.
Project Director of the Project Management Unit Muhammad Hamza Salik said that the purpose of the participatory workshop was to devises ways, means and systems for optimum, efficient, cost effective and sustainable service delivery mechanisms of municipal services in Sialkot and Sahiwal through application of best applicable business and financial models. He said that the approach of the Operational Design &Business Model is to work with the relevant stakeholders, especially the personnel of the local governments and allied departments, who will be implementing the preferred models after Punjab Government’s necessary approvals.
The participants carried out situational analysis, comparative assessment of potential options, operational design & business model, institutional framework & strengthening and monitoring & evaluation to ensure quality municipal service delivery mechanisms. Based on the industrial scan, options, analysis and comparisons, Operational Design &Business Model developed a framework, approach and methodology so that municipal corporations could develop improved operations and enhanced resource for water & sanitation, solid waste management, clean green environment and upkeep of better open spaces in both the cities.
Representatives of the ADB, local governments of Sahiwal and Sialkot, WASA, LWMC, LDA, PHED, LDA, EPA Punjab and PHA attended the participatory workshop. PICIIP is a six years’ project financed by to improve efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness of urban services including capacity building of local govt, water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, urban transport and open spaces in te districts of Sahiwal, Sialkot, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Muzaffargarh.