Weak signals and wild cards in water and sanitation services – exploring an approach for water utilities

Abstract

Weak signals and wild cards are used to scan the environment and make systems more sensitive to emerging changes. In this paper, the applicability of weak signals and wild cards is experimented in a case of a highly reliable and conservative sector, water and sanitation services. The aim is to explore an approach suitable for water utilities. The paper discusses different theoretical and methodological approaches to weak signals and wild cards, and reflects these in relation to the chosen approach. It is argued that the process of weak signals and wild cards can serve as a communication and reflection exercise for an organisation like a water utility. Furthermore, incorporating weak signals and wild cards can be an essential part in futures thinking, challenge prevailing mental models, and make systems more open to sense and learn from their environment. It is recommended for water utilities to apply a loose approach on weak signals and wild cards and embed it as a part of their organisational culture. However, it should be remembered that the approach should always be chosen to match the overall objectives and context.

Time series study of weather, water quality, and acute gastroenteritis at Water Safety Plan implementation sites in France and Spain

“…Implementers of WSPs should be aware of potential pitfalls, such as “tokenism,” poor fidelity, or poor long-term adherence to the WSP program (Rondi et al, 2015; Summerill et al, 2010). A culture of iterative quality improvement and learning from “near misses” can support ongoing WSP performance (Bereskie et al, 2017; Takala and Heino, 2017). Periodic monitoring and evaluation should be built into programs to ensure public health and other goals are being achieved.…”

“…Still, public officials in high-income countries may not perceive drinking water quality as a prominent risk to health, despite the preventable nature of the disease, aging infrastructure, and periodic high-profile outbreaks. Historically, the infrastructure-heavy nature of the sector and technical industry culture have tended to favor reactive management approaches (Takala and Heino, 2017). A dense regulatory environment may further reduce willingness to develop site-specific water quality programs (Amjad et al, 2016).…”

The Application of the Customized Servqual Model for Career Guidance Training: Industry 4.0 Challenges

“…Nevertheless, the current knowledge about the competences required in Industry 4.0 is limited (Pejic-Bach et al, 2020). Entrepreneurs are endlessly adapting or readapting to demanding environmental circumstances, thus building the organisational capability to spot weak signals that are used to scan the environment and make systems more sensitive to emerging changes (Takala & Heino, 2017). Hence, it seems to be highly important to provide career counsellors with the tools for analysing trends and creating alternative scenarios for career development.…”

Can One Drink Informal Water Alternatives Directly? Using Mobile Phone to Establish Trust in Quality

“…The emergence of informal water supply service is a weak signal for the need for water sector reform. For that reason, this paper proposes for the use of a mobile phone device as a wildcard aimed at establishing trust on quality [37]. And the argument here is that a consumer with such quality information is likely to believe the trustworthiness of the water delivered by a vendor.…”