Benchmarking performance in the irrigation and drainage sector: A tool for change

With increasing pressure on available water resources, irrigation systems in many countries are having to find ways to improve performance. As often the main consumptive user, irrigation systems are having to release water for other uses and to produce "more crop per drop". Benchmarking is a valuable tool that has proven itself in the business and commercial sector, as well as in public sector enterprises. This paper describes and defines the benchmarking process, and goes on to outline its current application in the irrigation and drainage (I&D) sector. The paper highlights the difficulty of benchmarking in the I&D sector given the complexity and site-specific nature of irrigation and drainage systems, and emphasises the need for careful identification of which processes to benchmark. Preliminary benchmarking indicators are discussed, and attention drawn to efforts currently under way to apply and test this preliminary set. Emphasis is placed on the effort and resources required to bring about the required changes identified by the benchmarking exercise, and the role of change management as an integral part of the benchmarking process. The paper concludes that benchmarking provides a feasible mechanism for performance improvement in the I&D sector, but requires the active involvement of motivated individuals with support from the wider environment, encompassing an enabling socio-political environment and support from key stakeholders. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.