SHUKALB Finalizes Successfully the D-LeaP Water Safety Plan and Crisis Management Program

During June -July 2024, SHUKALB successfully delivered the D-LeaP Water Safety Plan and Crisis Management Program to the Regional Water Supply and Sewerage companies of Berat, Shkoder, Vlore, Gjirokaster, and Elbasan. The delivery of the program this year was jointly supported by the Danube Learning Partnership (D-LeaP) as well as the Regional Capacity Development Network (RCDN).

The overall objective of the program was to enhance the capabilities of regional water supply and sewerage company staff, focusing on identifying harmful operations, planning, preparing, and responding swiftly to incidents, and recovering from crises and disasters.

The program included three in class training workshops and on the job training and field visits conducted at each of the participating water utility companies. The workshops were delivered by Pirro Cenko and Elton Hasanaj, both trainers with SHUKALB.

Participants were introduced to essential topics like Water Safety Planning, Crisis Management, drafting flow and organizational charts, and identifying and analyzing various risks. They worked diligently on completing the Water Safety Plans for their respective water utility companies, focusing on enhancing control measures and developing effective Monitoring Plans.  The field visits, conducted to critical points of the system, provided them a comprehensive understanding of the system description and risk analysis.

At the last training workshop, with assistance from the trainers, the participants were able to simulate the role of crisis manager and the other key positions in the case of responding to a crisis situation, mastering the 60 ‘framework of situation assessment and decision making. In addition, they completed and presented the draft Water Safety Plan and the draft Crisis Management Plan of their respective utilities.

As the next and final steps of the program, the water utilities will finalize the Water Safety Plan and the Crisis Management Plan and will officially approve them through the Supervisory Council as internal documents to be used and referred to in case of a crisis event.