Many countries are facing the challenge of attempting to improve the performance of irrigation systems with fewer financial and human resources. Although there are a wide range of strategies for meeting this challenge, they almost all have one thing in common: the adoption of a management approach that includes a greater responsiveness to current and potential levels of performance. Tipically, three elements of performance-oriented management are: better and more timely access to data, an improved capacity to process the data into meaningful information on performance, and a capacity to identify causes of less than desired performance and potential solutions. This paper describes the development, introduction and use of an improved Management Information System in the Mahi Kadana Irrigation System in Gujarat, India. It represents the outcome of the first two phases of a collaboration between the Gujarat Irrigation Department, the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) at Anand, Gujarat, and the International Irrigation Management Institute (ILMI) which has its headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In undertaking this colaboration, each of the three elements of performance-oriented management has been addressed in a sequential set of activities.

Research results: performances assessment; Research results: design and operation of irrigation systems; Research results: policy, institutions, and management; Research results: health and environment; Training and institutional strengthening; Conclusions: outputs, impacts, and future directions.