The ITRC Rapid Appraisal Process (RAP) for irrigation projects was created in 1989 as a tool to quickly provide valuable insight into many aspects of irrigation performance including project design, engineering, operations and management.  ITRC has performed dozens of appraisals for water districts and agencies throughout the western states, as well as for UN FAO and World Bank projects in over ten countries, including Pakistan, the Philippines, India, Mexico, Vietnam, and China.

The RAP is a one-week process of collection and analysis of data both in the office and in the field.  A RAP examines external inputs such as water supplies, and outputs such as water destinations, and provides a systematic examination of the hardware and processes used to convey and distribute water internally to all levels within the project (from the source to the fields).  The organization and content of the RAP provides a systematic project review that enables an evaluator to provide pragmatic recommendations related to hardware and management for the improvement of water delivery service.

A RAP is designed to:

• Identify specific and immediate actions that could be easily taken, with a minimum of investment, to improve operation and water management

• Quickly critique options that have been proposed for major future investment

• Provide a fresh look at the whole system, with the goal of being able to provide suggestions for new ways to improve the overall irrigation distribution system