:: ITRC Projects ::
Rapid Appraisals and Benchmarking
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
