UNIVERSITY OF ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING,
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING
INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT REPORT

AT GHANA WATER COMPANY LIMITED

FOR A PERIOD OF EIGHT WEEKS (4RD OCTOBER TO 26TH NOVEMBER)
BY: YAW ABOAGYE ASABERE
INDEX NO.: UEB1102218
PHONE: 233-501-149-636 / 233-559-582-143 / 233-200-025-646
EMAIL: geraldasabere3@gmail.com

1
 DECLARATION
I do hereby declare without any reasonable doubt that the work presented in this attachment report is
my own original and independent. No part of this report shall then be duplicated without my prior
consent. I further declare that I have strictly observed reporting ethics and duly discharged copy-right
obligation and properly referred all outsourcing of materials used in this report and nothing is
confidential in this report in respect of the company of my internship. I take the responsibility for all
legal and ethical requirements regarding this report.

NAME: YAW ABOAGYE ASABERE INDEX NO.: UEB1102218

SIGNATURE______________________________________DATE. __________________________

INDUSTRIAL SUPERVISOR’S NAME: ING. ENOCH MENSAH

SIGNATURE_______________ DATE______________ STAMP____________________

2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The internship opportunity I had with Ghana Water Company Limited was a great chance for learning
and professional development. Therefore, I consider myself as a very lucky individual as I was provided
with an opportunity to be a part of it. I am also grateful for having a chance to meet so many wonderful
people and professionals who led me though this internship period. Bearing in mind previous I am using
this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude and special thanks to ING. ENOCH MENSAH of Ghana
Water Company Limited who in spite of being extraordinarily busy with his duties, took time out to hear,
guide and keep me on the correct path and allowing me to carry out my project at their esteemed
organization and extending during the training. I express my deepest thanks to MR. JOHN SUGKRAA
YIRNUO from T&I Department and MR. JOSEPH ADAM BRAIMAH also from the T&I Department, for
taking part in useful decision & giving necessary advices and guidance and arranged all facilities to make
life easier. I choose this moment to acknowledge his contribution gratefully. It is my radiant sentiment
to place on record my best regards, deepest sense of gratitude to ING. DENNIS ASARE of Management
and Information System for his careful and precious guidance which was extremely valuable for my
study both theoretically and practically. I perceive as this opportunity as a big milestone in my career
development. I will strive to use gained skills and knowledge in the best possible way, and I will continue
to work on their improvement, in order to attain desired career objectives. Hope to continue
cooperation with all of you in the future.

Sincerely,

……………………………

3
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

COURSE SUMMARY

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Aims and Objective
1.2 Resources used
1.3 Company Profile
1.4 Organizational Structure
1.5 Departments Overview
1.6 Literature Review:
1.7 Study Area
1.8 Methodology

CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Body of the Report

2.1 Activities
2.2 Skills
2.3 Description of Activities
2.3.1 Formatting and installing software
2.3.2 Hardware
2.3.3 Client desk
2.3.4 Networking
2.4 Interaction with the Staff in the Institution
2.5 Challenges Encountered

CHAPTER THREE
3.1 Conclusion and Recommendation
3.2 Reference
3.1 Appendices
3.1.1 Appendix I

4
 COURSE SUMMARY

This report is compiled in partial fulfilment of Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Degree at
University of Energy and Natural Resources and it serves to provide an overview of what the student
learned during the attachment period at Ghana Water Company Limited for the 8-week training. The
sources used in writing this report includes; observations of underwriting materials that has been
carried out by the institution and readings from internet. The report gives a brief description of the
history of the institution and the functions performed. The institution’s complete range of activities
involved in T&I department. Institution’s hierarchy chart and brief introduction of T&I department
where the student was attached which is outlined. The duties that were assigned to the student and the
knowledge and skills that were acquired are explained in detail.

5
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This report is a short description of my two-month internship carried out as compulsory component of
the BSC COMPUTER ENGINEERING. The internship was carried out within the organization Ghana Water
Company limited (Sunyani) in 4th October 2021.

At the beginning of the internship I formulated several learning goals, which I wanted to achieve:

 To understand the functioning and working conditions of an organization;

 To see what is like to work in a professional environment;
 To see if this kind of work is a possibility for my future career;
 To use my gained skills and knowledge;
 To see what skills and knowledge I still need to work in a professional environment;
 To learn about the organizing of a research project (planning, preparation, permissions etc.)
 To learn about research methodologies (field methods/methods to analyze data)
 To get fieldwork experience/collect data in an environment unknown for me;
 To get experience in working in another country/with persons from another culture;
 To enhance my communication skills;
 To build a network.

This internship report contains my activities that have contributed to achieve a number of my stated
goals. In the following chapter a description of the Ghana Water Company Limited and the activities is
given. After this a reflection on my functioning, the unexpected circumstances and the learning goals
achieved during the internship are described. Finally, I give a conclusion on the internship experience
according to my learning goals.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

The aim of the internship program is to help students appreciate their program of study and also have a
fair idea of how jobs relating to their program of study operates in the job market.

This report is also to give an account of all the activities that took place during my days as an intern.

RESOURCES USED:
Research was mainly from the internet, pdfs, my internship notes as well as some opinions from people
who are well accommodated with knowledge pertaining to the daily running of the company.

6
 COMPANY PROFILE

Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is a utility company, fully owned by the state. The company is
responsible for potable water supply to all urban communities in Ghana.
GWCL currently operates eighty-eight (88) urban water supply systems throughout the country. Average
production is about eight hundred and seventy-one thousand, four hundred and ninety-six cubic meters
(871,496m3) per day (192 million gallons per day). Present potable water demand is estimated at one million,
one hundred and thirty-one thousand, eight hundred and eighteen point eighteen cubic meters
(1,131,818.18m3) per day (249 million per day).
Urban water supply coverage is therefore about seventy-seven percent (77%). With a staff strength of three
thousand, four hundred and seventy-six (3,476), GWCL serves Seven Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand, Five
Hundred and Seventy (748,570) customers, eighty-six percent (86%) of which are metered and fourteen
percent (14%) unmetered.

GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources is responsible for formulating water supply policy,
overseeing operations of GWCL, sourcing for funding from external support agencies and coordinating sector
investment plans.

Under the general direction of the Ministry, GWCL is governed by an eleven-member Board of Directors
which has overall responsibility for the setting of sector policies and control of corporate programmers. The
day-to-day affairs of the company are managed by a Managing Director and three Deputy Managing
Directors, one in charge of Finance and Administration, another in charge of Operations and the other in
charge of Special Projects.

The four leaders are assisted by 19 Chief Managers who head various departments at the Head Office. These
departments are as follows: Project Planning & Development, Human Resources & Administrative Services,
Legal Services, Public Relations & Communications, Corporate Planning, Technology & Innovation, Finance,
Materials, Commercial, Audit, Water Resources, Water Quality Assurance, Lands & Estates and Business
Development.

The 15 Regional Chief Managers are supported by Unit Heads (Line Managers). At the district level, the
District Managers supervise and control the various districts of GWCL throughout the country.

GWCL ENTERS THE PACKAGED WATER BUSINESS

Management of GWCL deliberated on the idea of producing bottled water following the re-organization of
GWCL, i.e. the merging of Ghana Water Company Limited and the Ghana Urban Water Limited (GUWL), in
2013.

7
The Special Business Unit (SBU) was established and charged among other things to help set up a water
bottling plant. In 2015, the Business Development Unit (BDU) replaced the SBU with the sole purpose of de

During this period, the water supply systems were managed by the Hydraulic Division of Public Works
Department. With time, the responsibilities of the Hydraulic Division were widened to include the planning of
water supply systems in other parts of the country.

LOCATION

Old Cemetery Rd., Sunyani, Ghana

GPS LOCATION

8MJ9+XJR, Sunyani

MISSION STATEMENT
We are committed to meeting the increasing demand for better service delivery through efficient
management of our core business of production and distribution of potable water and customer
management in urban areas of Ghana.

8
9
 DEPARTMENTAL OVERVIEW
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION DEPARTMENT

Responsible for providing services in relation to Metering and Instrumentation, Non-Revenue water,
I.C.T, Research and Development as well as Geographic framework for managing the distribution, customer
care operations. The Technology and innovation Department is considered as the department responsible for
driving change with respect to technological change in Ghana Water Company Limited.
Key Result Areas

 Metering and Instrumentation / Non Revenue Water

 Research and Development

 Surveying the GIS environment to identify changing trends and provide solutions to meet business
needs.

 Represent the company to initiate and engage in industry-wide geo-spatial data projects to ensure
Ghana Water Company is at the cutting edge of developments in the industry.

 Set up and maintain the Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) for the company via an integrated
corporate-wide GIS.

 Security and operations regarding the Company’s Internet of things and all ICT related Infrastructure.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS) DEPARTMENT

 Analyzing business data and processes.

 Implementing and auditing security controls.
 Managing users and data.
 Building dashboards and reports.
 Developing and administering databases.
 Designing and implementing algorithms.
 Ensuring the security of networks and devices.

CORPORATE PLANNING
Corporate Planning department is in charge of building a shared understanding of the corporate
plan among all stakeholders and developing guidelines and monitoring system to ensure the
timely preparation and effective implementation of the plan.
Key Result Areas

 Prepare annually the rolling 5-year business environment forecast to guide senior management
in the preparation of annual divisional/departmental business plan.

10
  Implement the internal performance assessment by the various divisions/departments and
subsequently prepare the corporate evaluation to inform management decision on review of
corporate strategy.
 Negotiate annual performance targets with SEC on behalf of the company in compliance with
statutory regulations.
 Provide guidelines for the annual budgeting process to be in conformity with the corporate
strategic plan.
 Undertake periodic consumer satisfaction surveys to know the level of satisfaction of consumers
of the services and products of GWCL and their problems, complaints and needs for redress.
 Establish linkages and negotiate with relevant MDAs, the utility regulatory agency (PURC) in
relation to legal and policy issues to ensure the practicability and relevance of legislations,
regulations and policies.
 Water Resources
 Lands And Estates
 Legal Services
 Internal Audit

WATER RESOURCES
Responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring of strategies, policies and procedures for
sustainable usage of water resources.
Key Result Areas

 Develop, monitor and review standard procedures for the operation and maintenance of the
structural operating mechanisms of impounded raw water reservoirs and intake works to prolong
sustainable usage.
 Plan and implement measures for water pollution control and management.
 Ensure availability of adequate quantity and quality raw water to meet expected production levels of
potable water.
 Collaborate with government organizations and other institutions/stakeholders, particularly Water
Resources Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, to implement policies, measures, and
programmes for improved access to safe drinking water through integrated water resources
management.
 Liaise with national and international organizations/institutions and other countries on shared water
use for the desired common benefit.
 Collaborate with organizations working on climate-sensitive development activities to minimize
impact of climate change on access to water.
 Materials
 Public Relations
MATERIALS
The Department is responsible for providing value for money purchasing and supply services to help the
company to achieve its strategic goals.
Key Result Areas

 Plan procurement requirements for the company

 Procure office requirements and collaborate with the relevant departments on the procurement of
operating capital assets and consumables to ensure uninterrupted operations in accordance with the
Public Procurement Act.

11
  Liaise with the Public Procurement Authority, Ministerial Tender Review Board and the Central
Tender Review Board for concurrent approvals of appropriate tenders.

LITERATURE REVIEW:
This report is mainly to give an account of all the activities that took place on my days as an intern at the
Ghana Water Company Limited.

STUDY AREA:
The Brong Ahafo region is located in south Ghana and bordered to the north by the Black Volta River
and to the east by the Volta lake and to the south by the Ashanti Region and to the west by the Ivory
Coast.

The region has 27 districts and the company operates in part of 10 districts and municipalities. The
current population for areas served by the GWCL is 915,972 (2010 census) but the water coverage is
estimated to be 52%.

The region produces treated water from six headwork’s namely Abesim, Acherensua, Dwomo, Berekum,
Biaso and Tanoso for domestic, commercial, public standpipes and tanker services.

Figure 2.1: map of study area showing various districts and treatment plants.

12
 METHODOLOGY:
During long vacations, students are supposed to engage themselves in internship programs in order to
have knowledge on how companies relating to their program of study operates.

I submitted my internship letter to the Ghana Water Company Limited (Brong Ahafo Regional Office)
and was gladly accepted to start interning in the early days of October.

The first week was basically for introductions and briefing on the day to day activities of the company.

13
 CHAPTER TWO

ACTIVITIES
 Registration
 Billing
 Invoice preparation
 Formatting and installing software
 Hardware installation
 Troubleshooting network and Software
 Hardware design
 Networking

SKILLS ATTAINED
 Knowledge on printers; dot matrix and Plotter and their functionalities.

 Advanced knowledge on Servers, Switches and routers and their configuration and use.

 Gained knowledge on the use and operation of various hardware devices and application
software.

 Good rapport and confidence in communication with the staff and the patients.

 Multi-Tasking / Prioritizing
 Stress management
 Negotiation skills
 Business etiquette
 Coping skills
 Importance of teamwork and cooperation.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES

a) Formatting and installing software

 Installation of antivirus software (Kaspersky Anti-virus 6.0) and updating it.

 Installation of Operating system (Windows 7,10, 8.1 and XP).

 Installation and Activation of Microsoft Office application program (Office 2010,2013,2016).

 Installation of outlook and its configurations.

 Installing Browsers (Firefox, Google chrome) and configuring it.

14
 Installing document reader (Foxit reader, Adobe Reader).

 Installing Printer drivers and Software.

b) Hardware

 Upgrading computers for example replacing CMOS battery and adding RAM

 Setting up a computer in a new location

 Replacing faulty peripherals for instance keyboard, mouse, monitors, UPS and their batteries etc

 Blowing of PC’s and Printers and cleaning them.

 Crimping Ethernet cables using RJ45 and CAT 6 twisted cables.

 Configuring Ethernet cables connections using cable tester.

 Replacing toners on various type of printers

c) Client Desk

 Providing support to users who have problems in network connections

 Helping users with problems in receiving emails, downloading and printing email attachment
files.

 Helping users with printer connection problems.

 Helping users to troubleshoot slow PC’s.

d) Networking

 Identifying problems in the network for example loose cables.

 Troubleshooting the problems of network cables.

 Resolving user login conflicts and IP address conflict.

 Configuring proxy settings.

 Monitoring the proxy server to ensure every user has access to the network

15
 INTERACTION WITH THE STAFF IN THE INSTITUTION.
I was able to interact with a good number of staff from various departments. Through them I was able to
learnt a lot from them through observation and sharing with them. I was also able to learn how to
approach and interact with customers while solving Computer problems in various departments. I did
interact with the staff members from various hierarchical positions within the company. I had an
opportunity to share with some them more about the institution and general life activities. They were
loving, caring and trustworthy.

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED DURING THE ATTACHMENT

 Awkward Introductions: So, I reached the office, and now is my orientation. I am introduced to
a lot of people. Actually, too many people to remember the names and their
department/designations. I politely say, hello but i don’t really know what to say next. So i
remain awkwardly quiet.

 Too Many Information Absorption: My orientation is not finished yet. I get a brief (not really
brief!) introduction to the company profile, what they do, and all the HR facilities/bindings. The
information comes at such a velocity that before even processing one part comes the other
parts. And the data gets jumbled on your head resulting in the ultimate perplexed expression in
your face. Moreover, when you’re asked, “are you clear on these?” I just simply give a hesitated
nod or a quick ‘yes sir’.

 No-Work: One of my main expectations as an intern is to do some work, some practical office
works. During the first weeks, I don’t get that much work other than some printing or scanning.
Yes, at least I learn the printing or scanning machine jobs but I am here to contribute much
more than that. Deprived of work is the main reason for my boredom in the internship.

 How to do the work: Finally, I have been assigned to some work, some real work. But how to
progress? I know a number of ways to do it but is there any particular way my supervisor
demands from me? I don’t get enough guidelines or directions.

 Should I ask? Whom should I ask? What shall I say when asking? My biggest hesitation lies in
asking questions. What if asking questions will create an impression that i don’t know anything?
Will they perceive me as silly? So many thoughts roaming through my mind. I am not even sure
which of my colleagues will help me or will they feel disturbed. I feel hesitant in interrupting
them.

16
 CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION:
The job scope and duties assigned focused primarily on hardware, software and networking. The work
was highly relevant to the field of study in Computer Engineering as it includes all computer aspects.
During the period of attachment, valuable knowledge was gained through active participation and
inquisitive learning. Knowledge on how to handle hardware devices for example repair, cleaning and
maintenance was acquired.
Use of Ghana Water System application software in water management was explored. Knowledge on
servers, LAN connection and IP phones was also gained.
Skills learned included build of good rapport with the staff and confidence in communication with
senior managers. This industrial attachment proved to have highly supplemented the student’s insight in
the computer engineering world. It was a beneficial and educating experience.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Require that all intern students be paid employees. In order to gain the maximum benefits of a work-
based learning experience, students need to be placed in a "real-world" situation in which they are
actual employees and subject to the same requirements, expectations, and conditions of their co-
workers. This also eliminates concerns regarding liability and other problems associated with having
non-employee interns at the work site. It should be noted that some governmental agencies and other
nonprofit organizations have formal volunteer internship programs which treat interns very similar to
paid personnel.

REFERENCES

 GWCL – Welcome – World Class Utility Company. GWCL Welcome. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16,
2021, from https://www.gwcl.com.gh/.
 Notes from my internship book

17
 APPENDICES
Appendix I

WEEKLY OVERVIEW OF INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES

Week 1 (4 OCT-8 OCT) - Installing and learning how to use kobotool box. Preparing for mobile data
collection. Designing a form. Collecting of market mapping data. Troubleshooting a network error.
creating a secure local area network (LAN)., re-crimping of damaged cable terminators (RJ-45),
replacement of internet cards on client’s systems, replacement of damaged switches. Attending to
minor internet issues

 Week 2 (11 OCT-15 OCT) –Troubleshooting a network error. CREATING A SECURE LOCAL AREA
NETWORK (LAN)., re-crimping of damaged cable terminators (RJ-45), replacement of internet cards on
client’s systems, replacement of damaged switches. Installing Printer drivers and Software. Installation
of Operating system (Windows 7,10, 8.1 and XP). Replacing faulty peripherals for instance keyboard,
mouse, monitors, UPS and their batteries etc. Upgrading computers for example replacing CMOS battery
and adding RAM. Attending to minor internet issues. Support the T&I team in maintaining hardware,
software, and other systems.

Week 3 (18 OCT-22 OCT) - GIS: working on map of the study area. Resolving user login conflicts and IP
address conflict. Monitoring the proxy server to ensure every user has access to the network.
Troubleshooting a network error. creating a secure local area network (LAN)., re-crimping of damaged
cable terminators (RJ-45), replacement of internet cards on client’s systems, replacement of damaged
switches. Assisting users in determining appropriate software solutions to meet needs

Week 4 (25 OCT-29 OCT) - Fixing hardware issues such as, replacing bad keyboards, replacing broken
screens, replacing damaged hard drives, replacing random access memory (RAM) and so many other
numerous hardware issues Setting up IT resources for employees. Installing Printer drivers and
Software. Upgrading computers for example replacing CMOS battery and adding RAM

Week 5 (1 NOV-5 NOV) -. Setting up IT resources for employees. Installing Printer drivers and Software.
Upgrading computers for example replacing CMOS battery and adding RAM. Installation of antivirus
software (Kaspersky Anti-virus 6.0) and updating it. Configuring proxy settings. Installation of Operating
system (Windows 7,10, 8.1 and XP). Installing Browsers (Firefox, Google chrome) and configuring it.

Week 6 (8 NOV-12 NOV) Configuring proxy settings. Installation of Operating system (Windows 7,10, 8.1
and XP). Installing Browsers (Firefox, Google chrome) and configuring it. Fixing hardware issues such as,
replacing bad keyboards, replacing broken screens, replacing damaged hard drives, replacing random
access memory (RAM) and so many other numerous hardware issues setting up IT resources for
employees. Installing Printer drivers and Software. Upgrading computers for example replacing CMOS
battery and adding RAM

Week 7 (15 NOV-9 NOV) - Replacing toners on various type of printers. Blowing of PC’s and Printers and
cleaning them. Configuring proxy settings. Installation of Operating system (Windows 7,10, 8.1 and XP).

18
Installing Browsers (Firefox, Google chrome) and configuring it Preparing for mobile data collection using
KOBOCOLLCT. Designing a form. Collecting of market mapping data

Week 8 (22 NOV-26 NOV) - Helping users with problems in receiving emails, downloading and printing
email attachment files. Fixing hardware issues such as, replacing bad keyboards, replacing broken
screens, replacing damaged hard drives, replacing random access memory (RAM) and so many other
numerous hardware issues

19