Strategy, structure, processes and incentives

The book describes the operational strategies of three large canal irrigation systems in India and examines how the structures, processes and incentives have been shaped by the context. Faced with the crisis of sustainability, all the systems have adopted the option of decentralized management to varying degrees. This variation has led to differences in performances- both in irrigation as well as in recovery of irrigation fees. The study demonstrates that understanding of the internal dynamics of the irrigation department and various actors are crucial for constructive policy transformation process. Understanding the incentives of the key stakeholders and managing the incentive structure would help bring about the change in irrigation organizations, which many government organizations are eager to introduce.