IN PREPARATION for Guyana’s hosting of the 26th Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association Conference and Exhibition in October this year, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) hosted a two days training workshop in Research Methodology for the company’s Regional Managers and other staff members.The event, which commenced on Thursday at GWI’s boardroom, Vlissengen Road, Bel Air Park, Georgetown, was facilitated by Dr. Colwick Wilson.

Wilson said participants will be challenged to use their creative energies to think in a systematic and scientific way in daily research. He said peer reviews will be done to give feedback about the quality and content of their work to benefit others.

Chief Executive Officer of GWI, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles, in his feature address, said in the 21st century Guyana is moving into a new economic phase and social development, which is part of the knowledge economy.

“Knowledge will be a key determinant factor in organisational and economic success or failure; the most effective organisations in the knowledge economy will be those which recognise and best harness the crucial role that knowledge plays both inside and outside the organisation,” he said.

He said research is a critical component and in some cases not funded as a mainstream activity in organisations. As such, in every region there must be a component for research because this will provide useful information to the board of directors in its decision and policy-making.

Meanwhile, the CEO said that the wastage of water has resulted in the company zoning the entire country, which will now assist them in being more specific in targeting areas to promote better service. “Our managerial decisions have to be based on knowledge, we want to decentralise and delegate the decision-making in our system. So at a managerial level, decisions will be made to bring greater effectiveness in terms of the mission of the organisation,” he said.

Customer service staff throughout the country must be equipped with the skills and competencies to be able to conduct the customer satisfaction surveys. This can help managers organise to enhance and deliver better services for the company.

“There is no one solution for any one region in the country; we have different combinations and underpinnings that have to be taken into consideration in preparing a more effective organisation,” the CEO noted.

He said GWI will be launching a journal in January, 2018, which will place the company on an international level.