UZBEKISTAN TASHKENT WATER AND WASTEWATER MODERNIZATION PROJECT. Stakeholder Engagement Plan (DRAFT)

Transcription

1 UZBEKISTAN TASHKENT WATER AND WASTEWATER MODERNIZATION PROJECT Stakeholder Engagement Plan (DRAFT) June 2018

2 Page 2 Table of Contents Page 1 INTRODUCTION 4 2 DESCRIPTION AND CONTEXT OF PROPOSED PROJECT 4 3 REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS 4 4 OTHER REQUIREMENTS Key Principles Stakeholder Communication and Complaints Records 5 5 SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 6 6 IDENTIFICATION OF STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNICATION METHODS 7 7 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION DURING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION PHASE 7 8 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME Public Consultation during Design and Construction Phase Stakeholder Engagement and Communication during the Operations Phase 10 9 PUBLIC GRIEVANCE MECHANISM Public Grievance Mechanism during Construction Phase Public Grievance and Complaint Mechanism during Operations Phase CONTACT INFORMATION 14

3 Page 3 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS EBRD FGD LTIS PIP PRs SEP SuvSoz WS WW WWTP European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Focus Group Discussion Long Term Investment Strategy Priority Investment Programme Performance Requirements (EBRD) Stakeholder Engagement Plan State Unitary Enterprise for Water Supply and Wastewater Services Water Supply Waste Water Waste Water Treatment Plant

4 Page 4 1 INTRODUCTION This document is the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) for the Tashkent Water and Wastewater Modernization Project, which is planned by the State Unitary Enterprise for Water Supply and Wastewater Services (SuvSoz) and financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The overall objective of the SEP is to define stakeholder engagement and public information disclosure activities for the project and thus presents the specific stakeholder engagement activities that SuvSoz will undertake before and during the project s construction phase and during operations. It highlights the way in which SuvSoz plans to communicate with local residents and other stakeholder groups who may benefit from, be affected by or be interested in project activities. It also explains the grievance mechanism, through which stakeholders can raise any concerns and other comments. The SEP takes into account best international practice in relation to information disclosure and outlines the general engagement principles that SuvSoz will adopt. The SEP will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. If activities change or new activities relating to stakeholder engagement commence, then the SEP will be updated and shared with project stakeholders. The SEP is available in Russian and English languages. 2 DESCRIPTION AND CONTEXT OF PROPOSED PROJECT The project s objective is to rehabilitate and extend the wastewater infrastructure in priority areas identified by SuvSoz as well as increasing the efficiency of the water supply in certain areas. The feasibility study has suggested prioritized investments at USD 30 million. The project is mainly located in northern part of Tashkent in the rayons (districts) of Yunusabad and Almazar, where the City Administration expects a steady growth and where there is a considerable need for investment in wastewater and water supply infrastructure. A feasibility study was carried out in 2018 and resulted in a Priority Investment Programme (PIP). A proposed Long-Term Investment Strategy (LTIS) has also been developed. This SEP relates to the design and construction activities of the proposed EBRD-supported PIP, which will be implemented from 2018 to 2021, and the subsequent operations. The PIP is summarized below. Table 1: Content of PIP Geographical Area City of Tashkent Description Improved water supply through installations of automatic control valves and pressure regulators for variable conditions as well as laboratory equipment and automated valves for several water treatment plants. Improved sewerage services by constructing a new relief collector with a pump station and improving three other wastewater pump stations including supply and installation of equipment. Further, improvement of the wastewater network in selected areas. Improved wastewater treatment by training the staff at two existing wastewater treatment plants in a broad spectrum of crucial subjects including industry pre-treatment, finance, trade waste, etc. 3 REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS Procedures for consultations with the public, disclosure of information and grievances relevant for this project are covered under the existing Uzbek legislation.

5 Page 5 Decree 491 of 31 December 2001, On the Approval of the Status of State Ecological Expertise in the Republic of Uzbekistan, states that the Statement on environmental impact includes results from public hearings; while the Statement of environmental consequences includes adjustments of proposed design and measures taken as a result of public consultation (Article 11). However, the Decree does not specify how or when the public consultation process should take place nor does the Decree specifically refer to project-affected people with regard to any consultations that should take place. The Decree thus appears to put the burden on to the public to initiate any public consultation process, rather than requiring the project proponent to facilitate such public consultation/participation. The Law On the addresses of physical persons and legal entities (new edition), 11 September 2017 regulates relations for application of the right of every citizen as well as non-citizens and legal entities to address grievances to state authorities and other organisations. It states that inquiries and grievances should be considered and resolved within fifteen days from receipt. This can be extended to one month when there is a need for additional investigation, documentation and/or verification. The complainant should be informed about the required extension within ten days. 4 OTHER REQUIREMENTS EBRD s Performance Requirement on Information Disclosure and Stakeholder Engagement is to be fulfilled. The current SEP is formulated in accordance with this. Details on the mentioned Performance Requirement is included in EBRD s Environmental and Social Policy, which can be found on: Key Principles The key operational principles of effective stakeholder engagement are summarised as follows: Providing meaningful information in a format and language that is readily understandable and tailored to the needs of the target stakeholder group(s); Providing information in advance of consultation activities and decision-making; Providing information in ways and locations that make it easy for stakeholders to access it and that are culturally appropriate; Respect for local traditions, languages, timeframes, and decision-making processes; Two-way dialogue that gives both sides the opportunity to exchange views and information, to listen, and to have their issues heard and addressed; Inclusiveness in representation of views, including ages, women and men, vulnerable and/or minority groups; Processes free of intimidation or coercion or incentivisation; Clear mechanisms for responding to people s concerns, suggestions and grievances; and Incorporating, where appropriate and feasible, feedback into project or program design, and reporting back to stakeholders. 4.2 Stakeholder Communication and Complaints Records Communication records will be maintained by SuvSoz s information department, when this is established and, prior to this, by its billing department. Records will be maintained of communication activities in relation to various stakeholder groups and of key incoming communications (i.e. general questions, complaints, etc.) and the response to these.

6 Page 6 Stakeholder engagement activities conducted by contractors and complaints received by the contractors will also be recorded and reported to SuvSoz to be included in its stakeholder engagement and complaint tracker. 5 SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES Currently there is no customer information department in SuvSoz, but this is planned to be developed during As it is now, the billing department is distributing information to customers. SuvSoz s main customer contacts have been decentralized through district service centres that corporate with the rayon administrations. There is a service centre located in each district (11 in all). Previously each centre had 7 administrative staff and 30 inspectors/tariff collectors (these mainly collected payments and facilitated communication with customers). This has been reorganized, so that now there are 3 administrative staff in each centre, with a prospect of increasing the number of staff with inspectors. SuvSoz customers can pay for their water and waste water services at the customer centres in each rayon and in the bank. Furthermore, a system to collect tariffs online is under development. Tarif regulations has, according to the government regulations, to be announced 15 days in advance of a planned tariff increase through the mass media such as newspapers, TV, website, and public message boards. The district customer centres provide information about the calculations of the new tariff levels are calculated will go to the customer centres and these will later help the customers understand the new levels. Twice a year SuvSoz performs major technical work on the water supply line. SuvSoz informs customers seven days in advance about service interruptions. The water supply can be switched off for up to 24 hours. If the interruption is longer, SuvSoz has to provide bottled water to affected customers. Service interruptions are informed through the same channels as mentioned above for tariff increases. With regards to public hearings and suggestions from citizens, Suvsoz coordinate with the city planning department and tries in this way to get a clear picture of the needs of the public. However, it is not a common practice in Tashkent to involve civic stakeholders in development planning, hence Suvsoz does not hold public hearings on major construction projects. However, when a construction project is carried out, Suvsoz will usually have information on site, e.g. banners, hotline information etc. Furthermore, Tashkent has, a weekly TV program where all communal services, including SuvSoz, are represented and answer questions from people who phone in. This initiative is related to the state initiated IT platform covering all communal services in Uzbekistan, as part of a plan to improve the communication between citizens and officials. By Presidential Decree, a centralized complaints mechanism (online portal) was opened in 2017 for all public utility providers. SuvSoz also receives complaints collected by the city and rayon administrations. When receiving a complaint, Suvsoz has a response time of three days. Most of the complaints come through the new portal, with a majority from female customers (about 70%). It is also possible for customers to call in or visit the district customer centres in each rayon to deliver and discuss their grievances with SuvSoz staff. Participants in focus group discussions (FGDs) indicated that the decision to lay off the inspectors/tariff collectors previously employed at the district service centres created an information vacuum as many customers would rely on the inspectors/tariff collectors to convey news from SuvSoz and receive their complaints and inquiries. FGD participants reported, though, that they did receive information about SuvSoz s water supply and wastewater services through the mass media (television and newspapers) and the internet.

7 Page 7 6 IDENTIFICATION OF STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNICATION METHODS SuvSoz s current and potential customers, including households, commercial businesses as well as state organisations and enterprises, are the main stakeholders. The mass media, local organisations such as the women, youth and local mahalla committees are other important stakeholders. The City Council, Tashkent City Administration and rayon administrations also need to be kept informed. To the extent possible, the methods of communication suggested and preferred by participants in the FGDs will be used during the design and construction periods and during SuvSoz s future operations. Participants (both women and men) mentioned the following preferred communication channels: Communication directly with SuvSoz staff, through inspectors/tariff collectors or service centres; Live broadcast via radio and TV-channels; Internet (this is preferred among the younger FGD participants); Through community institutions such as mahalla (community) committees. Both SuvSoz and FGD participants mentioned the newly established state initiated IT platform as an increasingly important platform for communication between all stakeholders, so this communication channel will also be used. Likewise, information will be posted on Tashkent City Administration s website Further communication channels may be identified. Particular efforts will be made to ensure that low income families in Tashkent are reached with communication activities and that both women and men receive information and are consulted. The following chapters on disclosure of information, the stakeholder engagement programme, and the public grievance mechanism contain more specific details on the communication methods that will be used. 7 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION DURING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION PHASE Before the construction of the new relief collector and pump station starts, SuvSoz will provide information to citizens of Tashkent and other stakeholders. The main contents of this information are outlined in the table below. Detailed information will be distributed in all geographical areas of the City, but with a particular focus on Almazar and Yunusabad rayons, which will benefit most from, and be most affected by, construction activities. The initial information will be distributed through press releases and brochures with contents similar to those outlined in the table below. Information on the project, the time schedule, and opportunities for public comments will also be presented through local media such as newspapers and/or TV and on the online customer service platform. In addition, information will be available upon request from all stakeholders.

8 Page 8 Table 2: Outline Contents of Project Information Headings Main organisations Main project components Outline content SuvSoz is the organisation overall responsible for the design, construction and operational activities. It is also responsible for stakeholder engagement and communication activities during the design and construction phase. The PIP includes the following improvements to the wastewater and water supply services: Improved water supply through installations of automatic control valves and pressure regulators for variable conditions as well as laboratory equipment and automated valves for several water treatment plants. Improved sewerage services by constructing a new relief collector with a pump station and improving three other wastewater pump stations including supply and installation of equipment. Further, improvement of the wastewater network in selected areas. Improved wastewater treatment by training the staff at two existing wastewater treatment plants in a broad spectrum of crucial subjects including industry pretreatment, finance, trade waste, etc. Time frames City areas to benefit / be affected Opportunities and benefits Impacts during construction as a consequence of project activities and expected notification of mitigation actions to be applied Announcement of planned public hearings when a first draft of the final design of the subprojects is available Review and approval of the project General grievance procedure during construction Local and site-specific information All areas of the city, but especially Almazar and Yunusabad rayons; particular attention will be given to the households and private entities, who will be temporarily affected during the construction of the Karakamish relief wastewater collector pipe. The main benefits Improved wastewater services in especially Almazar and Yunusabad rayons Improved water supply generally in Tashkent city Improved quality of the environment Improved health of the population Temporary traffic disruptions and interruption of the wastewater services: Announcements and signs for temporary diversion of the traffic Announcements on temporary interruptions of the wastewater services A description of the public hearing process in the context of the project, including: Place and time of the public hearings (to be decided later) Time frame: 2 weeks for provision of comments, complaints and proposals from the public Time frame: 1 month for authorities to react and consider complaints and proposals A description of the final review process by other external authorities and approval of the project Time frame: 1 month for review Description of the grievance procedure Organisation to contact: SuvSoz State Unitary Enterprise Attention: Receptionist: 2, Fidokorlar street, Mirobod Rayon Tashkent City Telephone: ; suvsoz2013@gmail.com Local information will be distributed through the rayon administration in corporation with local mahalla committees for local and site-specific information.

9 Page 9 Table 3 below shows how information will be disclosed. Table 3: Means of Disclosing Information Institution Responsible Means of Information Disclosure Target groups City s State Unitary Enterprise (SuvSoz) Brochure with contents as described in table 2 Announcement in local media such as newspapers, TV and on the online customer service platform. Internal and external stakeholders and the general public, including organisations such as the women s, youth and local mahalla committees SuvSoz information department / billing department through district service centres SuvSoz information department / billing department through district service centres and with assistance from rayon administrations and mahallas Distribution of brochure Information through community meetings Response to local inquiries Notification of affected streets and households in affected neighbourhoods at the beginning of construction works: Reminder of traffic changes and parking restrictions in streets where works will commence and the time schedule for the works Contact telephone number for SuvSoz office in case of emergencies or grievances to be posted close to works sites Women and men in all parts of Tashkent and from all socioeconomic groups Local residents and businesses SuvSoz Overall contact point for information during implementation of the project and on request distributor of information on progress of work as described in approved reports and minutes of meetings During construction responsible for structured responses to grievances (see section on grievance procedures) All stakeholders 8 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME 8.1 Public Consultation during Design and Construction Phase It is anticipated that around four public meetings will be held. The specific dates and places for the public meetings, with presentation of details of the project, will be decided when the first draft design of the project is available. The hearings will be arranged with the purpose of giving residents and other stakeholder groups an opportunity to discuss the project and provide feedback at the design stage where adjustments can still be made. At these hearings, all types of project-related questions and proposals can be raised, including on tariffs. Relevant information will be compiled in hand-outs and distributed through responsible persons in SuvSoz, rayon administrations and mahallas. Information will also be available on request. The conclusions of the public meetings will be agreed during the meetings and recorded. In addition, the public will have two weeks after the date of the hearing to provide written comments to the planned activities.

10 Page 10 SuvSoz has one month after the deadline for public proposals and comments to assess and clarify the relevance of all recorded material from the hearing process. All justified comments and proposals will be addressed and incorporated in the final design of the project before the start of the construction activities. At the end of the consultation process, a summary note of all relevant issues raised will be prepared and published, including explanations of the implementation methods during the construction phase. The activities, specifications, means of communication and outputs of the consultation process are shown in the table below. Table 4: The Public Hearing Process and Outputs Required Activities Specifications Means of Communication and Outputs Announcement of the public hearings Location, date and time will be announced in the local media and on the bulletin boards at the SuvSoz customer centres at least one week in advance of the meetings. Information is provided to the rayon administrations and mahallas. Announcement on local radio and TV channels as well as various internet platforms Rayon administrations and relevant mahallas provide information to residents Holding public meetings and encouraging written proposals and comments to the project design Preparation and distribution of response to comments and proposals received during the hearing process Meetings and discussions are arranged Deadline for submission of written comments and proposals (2 weeks after the hearing) SuvSoz prepares a summary response report Deadline for reporting (1 month after the hearing) Conclusions from public meetings are agreed at the end of the meetings and recorded Written comments and proposals are received Summary response report available at SuvSoz information dept. / billing dept., rayon administrations and relevant mahallas, as well as on the City Administration website. The draft project design proposal, including comments on proposals from the public hearings, will be submitted through SuvSoz to relevant authorities and internally in SuvSoz. The relevant authorities and SuvSoz entities include: Yunusabad Rayon Administration Almazar Rayon Administration Tashkent City Administration Ministry of Communal Services Management of SuvSoz Labour Union at SuvSoz Information Department / Billing Department at SuvSoz A review period of one month followed by discussions of any further changes will serve as the background for the final approval of the project and will be confirmed by the signing of a Memorandum of Common Understanding. 8.2 Stakeholder Engagement and Communication during the Operations Phase As mentioned earlier, four focus group discussions were conducted as part of the feasibility study for the project. Participants in these mentioned that they would like more information from SuvSoz, which is reflected in the following key topics for SuvSoz s communication and consultation during operations:

11 Page 11 Future connection possibilities to the sewerage network; How the water supply and wastewater tariffs are calculated and why it is important for customers to pay their utility bills; Advantages related to water meters for measuring household water consumption; Tariff increases; Future communication and customer service efforts from SuvSoz; SuvSoz s plans to improve its water supply and wastewater services, including repairs; The quality of the water, including results of water quality tests; Interruptions to the water supply, both time and reason. To the extent possible, the methods of communication suggested by participants in the focus group discussions during the feasibility study will be used during Suvsoz future operations. These are listed in chapter 6 above. 9 PUBLIC GRIEVANCE MECHANISM 9.1 Public Grievance Mechanism during Construction Phase For the purposes of this project, SuvSoz will establish a specific grievance mechanism for any concerns and complaints to be handled in a systematic way. During the construction phase, all communication on grievances from the public will be channelled through SuvSoz usual customer grievances mechanism, including the online complaints portal. All grievances from the public will be handled through one mechanism, including all water and wastewater related complaints and other complaints that may arise during the construction works such as noise, dust, traffic problems, access to schools or businesses, problems for disabled and elderly people. Complaints that may be raised by the households and private entities, who will be temporarily affected during the construction of the Karakamish relief wastewater collector pipe, will be channelled through the same mechanism. At the construction sites/work places, the responsible person will be determined by SuvSoz. Responsible persons will be trained on the implementation of the procedures. To keep track of the grievances about the work of the contractors an individual handbook will be opened for each contractor and complaint records will be kept in this handbook along with the date of receipt. Grievances will be sent directly to the contractors in written form and they will be asked to give written information about the status of the problem within seven days. The responses will be registered in the handbooks together with the dates. The issues will also immediately be discussed with the contractor representatives in informal meetings to speed up the process. SuvSoz will provide a grievance and complaint mechanism for contractors workers, enabling them to report any grievances they may have at their work place. At the start of the different contractors work, Suvsoz will inform the contractors workers about this grievance mechanism and provide the name and contact details of the relevant SuvSoz contact person, for any grievances about their working conditions. Furthermore, SuvSoz will ensure that it is easy for workers to submit their possible grievances through the SuvSoz contact person, who in turn will ensure transparent feedback without any retribution. If the workers wish so, their complaints will remain anonymous. Workers will be encouraged to submit complaints in writing, but they can also be submitted orally through the SuvSoz contact person. The grievance mechanism to be applied as described in the figure below. All grievances will be registered, along with the status of the investigation into the problem and its resolution, as appropriate. Keeping the timeframes for response to complainants, as shown in the figure, will be the criteria used to assess whether the grievance mechanism is implemented successfully.

12 Page Public Grievance and Complaint Mechanism during Operations Phase SuvSoz has a mechanism for public grievances and complaints for its operations. It will strengthen this, based on the experience of implementing the mechanism described above for the project construction phase. During its operations phase, SuvSoz will continue with a grievance mechanism for the workers of its contractors, similar to the mechanism described above for the project construction phase. Flowchart for Processing Grievances Record the date in the Grievance Register Acknowledge all complaints within 7 days. YES Immediate action enough to satisfy complaint NO Record the date in the Register Figure 1: The Grievance Procedure For each case of grievance, a record sheet shall be filled in, either by the complainant in cases where the complainant appears personally, or by the SuvSoz contact person if receiving a complaint by phone, , post or through the complaints portal. SuvSoz will review the public grievance form included below before the start of the project.

13 Page 13 Public Grievance Form It is possible to submit an anonymous grievance. If you wish to submit an anonymous grievance, you should not submit your contact information. Submitting an anonymous grievance means you will receive no response to your grievance. Reference No: Full Name Contact Information Please mark how you wish to be contacted (mail, telephone, e- mail). By Post: Please provide mailing address: By Telephone: By Preferred Language for communication Uzbek Russian Description of Incident or Grievance: What happened? Where did it happen? Who did it happen to? What is the result of the problem? Date of Incident/Grievance One-time incident/grievance (date ) Happened more than once (how many times? ) On-going (currently experiencing problem) What would you like to see happen to resolve the problem? Signature: Date: Please return this form to: SuvSoz State Unitary Enterprise Attention: Receptionist: 2, Fidokorlar street, Mirobod Rayon Tashkent City Telephone: ; suvsoz2013@gmail.com

14 Page CONTACT INFORMATION SuvSoz is responsible for stakeholder engagement during design and construction and during operations. The relevant contact information is: SuvSoz State Unitary Enterprise Attention: Receptionist: 2, Fidokorlar street, Mirobod Rayon Tashkent City Telephone: ;