Irrigation management project : midterm evaluation report

External evaluation covers the period 1985-5/89. Despite serious technical and staffing constraints, progress in implementing both SMD and IMC has been remarkable. A great deal of credit belongs to certain dedicated and important staff members who are concerned with promoting participatory irrigation management. Unfortunately, the overall quality of TA support has not been commensurate with this high level of commitment. The SMD is conducting activities in two sites: the Sirsia-Dudhaura system in the Terai and the Hande Tar system in the hills. The first intervention will establish joint Department of Irrigation/farmer management, while the second will be completely handed over to farmers. Efforts to establish water user associations have made much progress, and the associations have developed skills in mobilizing resources and resolving conflicts. Until now, operations and maintenance activities have concentrated on essential structural improvements due to the significant physical deterioration of the irrigation systems at both sites. Monitoring, evaluation, and feedfack efforts were initiated only recently, and are insufficient for the project's information requirements. Initial projections for developing the IMC were unreasonably high, and the center has not yet been institutionalized. IMC is currently located in temporary quarters at Pokhara, and construction of a permanent facility is about to begin. Staffing problems have been constant, and the core staff needs to be strengthened considerably in order to perform as expected. Nonetheless, overall results have been encouraging. Between 3/88 and 3/89, IMC organized 21 in-country training activities for 300 participants and provided 20 short-term overseas training activities for 64 irrigation professionals. IMC research activities have also been ambitious, albeit constrained by insufficient staff size. The pressure to complete the 14 committed studies has resulted in an emphasis on quantity over quality. The Government of Nepal's Sector Program and other irrigation sector developments have qualitatively changed the environment in which the project operates, as well as the demands made upon the project. It is recommended that the project be redesigned and extended to at least 10 years to take advantage of these new opportunities.