3. Institutional mapping to assess capacity needs for the development of water boards at district level in Egypt

By
Eng. Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmoud
WATER BOARDS PROJECT
Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, EGYPT

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to provide a background description of the policy of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) to increase water user participation in water management at different levels. This means that several pilot activities to increase farmers’ participation are ongoing at all levels of the irrigation and drainage systems. Farmers’ participation at the tertiary level (Mesqa), branch canal drains (water boards) and districts (district water boards) is considered in the implementation of several projects and programmes.

Regarding the remaining policy goals, since 1995 experiments have been carried out under different projects that promote farmer’s participation at the secondary level through the establishment of water boards and branch canal water user associations.

Based on initial experiments carried out under various projects, since 1999, the water boards project has studied the possibility of participatory water management at the secondary level in support of the formulation of new laws and amendments to existing legislation. These experiments all encountered serious legal limitations in making these organizations functional as desired. Nevertheless, it is considered national policy that they be applied nationwide.

Water boards were successfully established at the branch canal level, canal water boards (CWBs), which represent the different conditions in the Egyptian irrigation system from Upper Egypt to the Delta area. The water boards project as a result perceives the establishment of district water boards as a necessary and immediate next step towards participatory water management in Egypt at the district level (see Annex 3.1). If set-up correctly, the district water boards could well fill the identified gaps found during institutional mapping and the related stakeholder consultations analysis, which recently has been carried out by the water boards project.

INTRODUCTION

The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is the governmental agency in Egypt that is responsible for water resources management. As such, it is mandated to plan, construct, operate, manage and maintain irrigation and drainage networks. The MWRI distributes irrigation water to Egypt’s ‘old lands’ by diverting water at various points from the Nile River to main canals, which in turn feed a complex network below ground surrounding farms. Here farmers are required to lift water (using pumping devices) from the watercourse supplying their farms.

Increasing population growth, a desire for agricultural expansion and higher demand for potable water, together with Egypt’s fixed water share from the discharge of the River Nile, warrants the need for improved water management.

Over the years, various activities and tasks were added to the existing activities of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to improve water management. For example, the Drainage Authority started as a project. Irrigation improvement evolved from a project to a sector within the Irrigation Department, then a Central Department for Telemetry was established for remote collection and processing of data from water levels throughout the irrigation and drainage networks. Not all new tasks and functions added were brought into line with those that were already is existence. Currently, some tasks and responsibilities within the MWRI are overlapping or contradicting. Hence, the notion of ‘who is doing what’ is difficult to understand.

To ensure the most effective management of water resources, the MWRI has adopted a policy to increase the participation of water users in water management and operation and maintenance of the irrigation and drainage systems.

The success of water user participation depends on establishing the appropriate institutional structure, clarifying relations with existing authorities and other user organizations and issuing the necessary legal regulations. MWRI realized the importance of adopting the privatization process in water management, where several initiatives were implemented to pave the way for this approach.

The concept of improving water management through (increased) user participation is considered a major step forward. At the tertiary and (branch) canal level, user participation is currently being implemented through CWBs. A comprehensive picture is needed of the actual situation of water resources management in order to develop a structure for user participation at a higher level.

To introduce the concept of district water boards, the water board project (WBP) entered a new phase. Briefly, the institutional piloting of district water boards, in the initial phase includes the following activities/tasks:

• inventory and analysis of the institutional set-up and legal provisions;
• stakeholder consultations at the ministry level;
• stakeholder consultations in the selected pilot areas; the districts Abu-Homos and Bustan in the governorate of Beheira; and
• design a structure for the district water board.

Therefore, the project has, as a first step, embarked on an institutional mapping of the water resources and irrigation sector in Egypt. This is to provide an overall view of the functioning and relationships of institutions (ministerial and other public institutions) and non-government organizations (WUAs and CWBs) in order to know ‘who is doing what’ in the water resources and irrigation sector.

Institutional mapping was carried out mainly to establish the appropriate structure for the district water boards and to review the efforts of MWRI towards development of user participation in water management.

DEVELOPMENT OF WATER USER INSTITUTIONS IN EGYPT

Traditional forms of user participation

Given the long history of irrigated agriculture in Egypt, the different methods of farmer participation provide a good background for formal private water user associations.

Traditional modes of participation include the munawaba and mtarafs system, the saqia ring for collective pumping of water, the concept of Haq ul Arab and the important fact that for many years the mesqa, or micro delivery system is a farmer’s private property by law.

Water use and management project (Egypt Water Use Project (WUP) 1977-1984)

In 1981 the MWRI initiated the irrigation management systems project (IMS), which was amended in 1984. The recommendations of that project relate to farmers’ participation in irrigation management and state that farmers should be:

• involved in improvements to the water delivery system;
• should play a role in ensuring more efficient operations, improved maintenance and protection of physical works; and
• become involved in water management.

The recommendations also state that there is a need for a special well-trained cadre of the Irrigation Advisory Service (IAS) professionals to generate new farmer responsibilities related to water delivery, water use and to organize farmers to train others in these skills. In addition, continued farmer involvement is essential to ensure improved operations, water scheduling, mesqa improvements and renovations of branch canals.

Irrigation Improvement Project

In Egypt, the Irrigation Improvement Project (IIP) was another landmark in water participation. Under the IIP, 6 000 water user associations have been established. These serve as an excellent example of the effect of user involvement and cooperation in system management. The concept of stakeholder involvement in decision-making is emphasized during the various stages of planning and implementation. When the user is involved at an early stage, it is obvious that they will accept the proposed improvements and be able to operate and maintain them easily afterwards. Moreover, conflicts are automatically resolved between themselves because they share a common resource.

The main functions of water user associations can be summarized:

• participation in planning, design and construction of improved mesqas;
• operation, maintenance and follow-up of improved mesqas;
• improvement of water use activities on the mesqa level;
• identification of roles and responsibilities of the head of the mesqa and establishment of rules to resolve conflicts;
• establishment of linkages for coordination with other agriculture and irrigation concerned agencies and other water user associations;
• development of financial resources of the association in order to improve operation and maintenance; and
• participation with higher-level organizations of the branch canal and cooperation with the district engineer.

Irrigation Advisory Services

In order to achieve the user involvement objective, a department for water advisory services was established under the irrigation improvement sector. The main functions of this department are to:

• help farmers and irrigators through provision of information and illustration in setting up the association;

• help at all stages of planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the improved mesqa;

• help transfer the management of the mesqa to farmers and help them resolve conflicts and problems;

• provide farmers with new technologies such as laser-levelling of fields and new water distribution gates; and

• encourage farmers to develop better links with agricultural production agencies such as the agricultural extension service, the agricultural investment bank, agricultural cooperatives, irrigation and drainage districts, pump maintenance companies and local authorities.

Branch canal water boards

Since 1995 water user participation at the branch canal level has been developed through different projects and programmes. These have been included in the policy of the ministry, starting with two pilot branch canal water boards. In Fayoum governorate around 200 water boards had been established by 2004.

The water boards project was formulated to develop an approach that would be generally valid throughout the diverse irrigation and drainage systems in Egypt. The project capitalized on existing experience both in Egypt and internationally to develop a structured and participatory step-by-step approach for the selection, planning, design, implementation, handing-over, guidance and monitoring of user controlled water management.

This approach has been tested in a few areas (ten pilots representing five governorates from Upper Egypt to the Delta region). The pilots represent a fair cross-section of water management conditions and types of organization. These will be promoted by regular feedback from policy-makers through to stakeholders’ consultation workshops, ‘look and learn’, field visits, training sessions and concise reporting to facilitate the formulation of a nationwide programme to decentralize water management in Egypt. The first element of the process of preparing a national policy on water management is the development of a sustainable approach for the establishment of water boards at the branch canal level, which includes:

• development of participatory water management (PWM) process;
• development and testing of legislation; and
• establishment of water boards in selected pilot areas.

This approach will take into account:

• socio-economic issues;
• gender perspective; and
• environmental issues.

The above will be supported by the following activities to encourage public support:

• development of a training strategy for the MWRI staff and water boards committees;
• development of a strategy for monitoring the establishment of water boards; and
• development of a strategy for monitoring the functioning of water boards.

Through the Water Board Project, Government staff and staff of collaborating projects will increase their skills in guiding and monitoring the establishment of users’ organizations on an expanded scale. In addition, users will be empowered and trained to take on management responsibilities and monitor performances.

The project developed a step-by-step methodology to facilitate the establishment of a sustainable water board at the branch level. However, these steps are only in the pilot phase and were developed by the Central Department of Irrigation Advisory Service (CDIAS) for application during the establishment of branch canal water boards.

FIGURE 3.1 Step-by-step methodology for the establishment of water boards

A water board is an organization comprised of, and led by, the users of irrigation and drainage water (farmers, residents and others) in a defined command area that works for the benefit of the users. The water board operates in close cooperation with the MWRI and other institutions to represent the interests of the water users within its area. To do this effectively, the water board is mandated by the MWRI to perform major water management functions and is based on a structure that ensures comprehensive representation of the water users in its command area.

The water boards are mandated by Ministerial Decree No. 33/2001 to:

• manage irrigation and drainage functions and infrastructure at the branch level within the water board command area;
• represent all water users within the command area vis-à-vis outside parties;
• build up and maintain itself as a sustainable organization; and
• enhance participation and equity among its members.

INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING

Background

After success with the pilot water boards at the canal level, through various projects and programmes, the ministry decided that the immediate next step would be to develop the concept of district water boards.

In August 2003, in response to the assignment to introduce the concept of district water boards, the Water Boards Project (WBP) entered a new phase. Briefly, the institutional piloting of the district water boards, which, in the initial phase, included the following activities:

• inventory and analysis of the institutional establishment and legal provisions;
• stakeholder consultations at the ministry level;
• stakeholder consultations in the selected pilot areas; the districts Abu-Homos and Bustan in the Governorate of Beheira, and
• design of a structure for the district water board.

Because a comprehensive picture is lacking, of the functioning and relationships of institutions (ministerial and other public institutions) and non-government organizations (WUAs and CWBs), little insight exists with regard to the question ‘who is doing what’ in the water resources and irrigation sector. The project has, therefore, as a first step, embarked on an institutional mapping of the water resources and irrigation sector in Egypt.

Objectives

The immediate objectives of institutional mapping are to:

• gain insight into the activities, responsibilities, functions and relationships between all public institutions - where relevant, farmer’s organizations - currently playing a role in the management of Egypt’s water resources and irrigation sector;

• identify overlaps, gaps or voids with regard to the activities, responsibilities and functions of the public institutions - where relevant, farmer’s organizations - in the management of Egypt’s water resources and irrigation sector at the relevant administrative levels; and

• derive ideas or concepts on how to fill the gaps to arrive at an improved management of the sector especially at those levels where participatory water management could lead to:

  - building of coalitions or partnerships between providers and users;
  - enhanced awareness of (future) water scarcity and water quality; and
  - improved efficiency in water allocation and water use.

Approach

To provide an insight into the allocations and distribution of the tasks and responsibilities, along with actual performance in the execution of tasks and responsibilities at the various administrative levels in the water management sector, an institutional map was drawn to provide a complete overview of all relevant institutions involved in water management in Egypt. The mapping identified all relevant institutions involved and described their formal mandate and actual performance. For this purpose the tasks and responsibilities were identified in the fields of policy-making, planning and implementation. These were broken down into expansion, water distribution and operation, rehabilitation, water allocation, maintenance, water quality, standard setting and enforcement.

The mapping exercise concentrated on irrigation, drainage, groundwater, water quality, agriculture and user participation (Branch canal water board, water user associations). An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses were carried out to indicate possible improvements.

The result of the institutional mapping is a clear and structured overview of the institutions, mandates and actual performance at the relevant administrative levels and will reveal strengths and weaknesses in actual (integrated) water management in Egypt. The results presented in a structured database indicate tasks and responsibilities per institution at the relevant administrative levels and revealed strengths and weaknesses (illustrated by graphs). Schematically the work approach used is portrayed in Figure 3.2:

Figure 3.2 Approach used in the development of water boards

Methodology

The methodology applied for the institutional mapping of water management in Egypt comprises a number of logical steps:

1. Identification of all ministerial and public institutions involved, including farmers’ organizations. This required obtaining and reviewing all ministerial decrees related to the establishment of farmers’ organizations at the different levels.
2. An identification of main fields of activities (irrigation, drainage, groundwater and water quality management) was achieved through complete scanning of all institutions belonging to MWRI and drawing the up-to-date organizational structure of every institution.
3. An identification and classification of 18 functions performed (e.g. policy-making, planning, water allocation, expansion, rehabilitation, communication, participation, etc. (Figure 3.3).

FIGURE 3.3 Main fields of activities, functions and levels of administration/operation, as applied in the institutional mapping

FUNCTIONS, ACTIVITIES AND LEVEL OF ADMINISTRATION

The functions and relationships obtained are recorded based on four main fields of activities and the 18 identified functions. The important subjects of agriculture and water user participation were also included.

For each main field of activity, the involved institutions and their functions are ordered and displayed.

4. An identification of mandates (tasks and responsibilities and functions performed); job description sheets for all positions inside MWRI starting with recently recruited engineers up to Under-secretary of State to Head of Sectors, Chairs of the Irrigation Department, M&E D, Egyptian Public Authority for Drainage Projects (EPADP) to identify the role of each person involved in water management so as to understand the responsibilities of the different institutions within and exterior to the Ministry.
5. A systematic analysis of the institutions involved their respective mandates and functions in combination with the levels of operation, e.g. levels of administration at which these tasks and responsibilities are carried out;
6. Graphics of institutions involved, tasks and responsibilities, functions performed and levels at which these functions are executed are displayed to provide a comprehensive overview of ‘who is doing what’ in water resources and irrigation management in Egypt (see Figure 3.5).

Surveys to collect the required information for institutional mapping include:

1. Interviews

A ‘checklist’ of questions and important points were developed before conducting the interviews to enable a structured gathering of information.

2. Studies

To complement the information obtained through the interviews, a desk study was carried out. However, the available written information was very limited. Some information was extracted from laws and documents collected from other projects executed within the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.

3. Crosschecking of data

The data was entered in a database, designed in Microsoft Access. This made a structural recording and processing of the data possible (See Annex 3.2, Database form).

As data were collected during interviews crosschecking was essential with other sources. During this process it was found that the information obtained from the respondents did not always reflect the actual situation, or only expressed a personal view. For this reason, all information was checked against other interviews and any available written information (see Annex 3.3).

Domains of Irrigation Districts

In Egypt, many definitions of ‘District Level’ are used in water resources management. The boundaries and size of a ‘district’ differ between the departments within the Ministry. Irrigation districts, drainage districts, groundwater districts and mechanical and electrical districts vary greatly in command area and boundaries. Apart from this, the public administration district is totally different from each one within the MWRI. The districts may differ greatly in size and the boundaries may only partly coincide. The following Table in Figure 3.4, below compares the different districts. The district level agreed upon is the irrigation district.

FIGURE 3.4 Boundaries of districts drawn by water management projects

FINDINGS

• Communication (within the MWRI and between other ministries) is reactive and mostly for problem solving.

• Responsibilities and lines of command may differ from one geographical area to the next, within the main boundaries of definition.

• Informal contacts/powers seem to be predominating over formal.

• Influence of ‘projects’ is, or has been, significant for the administrative organization of various departments within the Ministry.

• Division of responsibilities is not always clear.

• The main functions in water resources and irrigation management (planning, coordination, expansion, rehabilitation, O&M and water allocation) are only being carried out by MWRI down to the Irrigation District level.

• The main functions in water resources and irrigation management are not undertaken by MWRI in an institutionalized manner from the district (public administration) level down to village level; and

• Crucial components/elements of participatory water resources and irrigation management, e.g. coordination, communication, data collection and dissemination, dispute resolution and research and training, are not undertaken in an institutionalized manner from the village level up to irrigation district level.

Institutional mapping can then be graphically displayed along the lines of main fields of activities, institutional responsibilities and functions performed at the various levels. Institutional maps have been drawn for all the predefined activities: Irrigation in old lands; irrigation in reclaimed lands; drainage in old lands; drainage in reclaimed lands; groundwater in old lands; groundwater in reclaimed lands; water quality and agriculture. This kind of visualization facilitates (i) the identification of existing overlaps and possible gaps in the execution of responsibilities and functions between the various institutions involved and (ii) identification of administrative/operational levels where overlaps and/or gaps occur.

From the institutional mapping, as well as from insights derived from stakeholder consultations, it appears that crucially important elements of participatory water management such as (i) coordination and participation, (ii) dispute resolution, (iii) data collection and dissemination, (iv) research and training, are not yet institutionally embedded in the management of water resources and irrigation infrastructure from the village level up to the irrigation district level.

With the creation of water user associations (WUAs) and canal water boards (CWBs), the latter being implemented on a pilot basis, previously existing gaps are now being closed, up to the canal level, e.g. through demand and conflict management. However, it is crucial to bring these elements of participatory water management up to the level where ministerial representation ends, which is the irrigation district level. Therefore, the creation of the following is recommended:

A body, organization or institution at the irrigation district level to plan, coordinate and manage irrigation infrastructure and related water resources in such a manner as to functionally attune the interests of both water service providers and water users (participatory water management) and to be able to better coordinate activities to be carried out by providers and users at the lower levels

Based on the findings of the institutional mapping and because of incremental understanding or insight, a preliminary concept or structure has been developed for the district water boards.

FIGURE 3.5 Map of institutions and responsibilities in irrigation management

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CONCLUSIONS

Institutional mapping

Institutional mapping revealed that there is a strong need to functionally attune the interests of the water service provider with those of the water users and to better coordinate water management activities at the irrigation district level and below. It may be seen that there are specific gaps in coordination, communication and participation in water resources management, particularly at the irrigation district level.

Institutional mapping, together with other sources, such as (i) field visits and (ii) experience gathered during the piloting of the water boards, show that ‘planning’ is an appropriate place to start when implementing participatory water resources management. The ‘platform’ at the irrigation district level could begin by jointly drawing the annual plan for each irrigation district. Since the platform consists of, and provides the link between, Ministry officials and user representatives it could be called the ‘Joint Water Management Board’ (JWMB).

The fact that district water boards could fill existing gaps, e.g. attune the interests and needs of water service providers and water users and, at the same time, improve the management of water resources and water infrastructure is a possible option. However, if indeed such district water boards could fill existing gaps, a number of questions are raised:

• How would such a body, organization or institution be structured?
• What would its mandate be (legal basis, roles, responsibilities and tasks)?
• What working arrangements and procedures (statutes and internal regulations) would have to be applied? and
• How would a fair representation of stakeholders and fair division of decision-making powers be arranged?

Given the pilot nature of the project, there is a strong need for further development of the above-mentioned issues through systematic field-testing of the most suitable approaches. To begin, preliminary district water boards would have to be structured as portrayed and explained in Figure 3.1.

WATER BOARDS

The following recommendations represent a major policy and conceptual shift toward empowering and developing the capacity of water users. It is anticipated that the Water Boards Project will facilitate increasing public appreciation of water management by the end users.

The district water board will be a permanent body with a permanent seat (e.g. an office within the district engineer’s premises) but will not carry out its tasks on a daily basis.

• Taking the specific situation of Egypt into account, the following principles in the further development of preliminary district water boards would have to be applied. The preliminary structuring and mandate of the district water board begins with the recognition that to pilot district water boards towards enhanced participatory water management, gaps need to be filled in coordination, communication and dispute resolution. These elements are incorporated in the proposed structure.

• The ‘mandate’ for a joint management board as part of a district water board, would initially focus on (i) planning, coordination, communication and dispute resolution. Only in later phases, based on experience on the ground, other roles, responsibilities and tasks should be considered, e.g. cost recovery aspects such as levying, tariff setting, enforcement, sanctioning, etc.

The Government of Egypt’s overall policy is aimed at sustainable economic growth through enhancing the role of the private sector in production and public services. The obvious and most logical scenario for the government is to gradually withdraw higher up the system. This means that the Government should be responsible for providing and supplying agreed quantities of water (and other defined services) to ‘User Management Units’, which will, over time, increase in coverage.

Currently, the government’s responsibility ends at the inlet of the mesqa. Hereon farmers irrigating from that mesqa bear the full responsibility for the water and maintenance of the infrastructure. The next hydraulic level is the branch canal, where the Government’s responsibility would stop at the branch canal inlet.

Water boards should operate at the district level or above. Water boards at the branch canal level are not a viable option for performing the required water management tasks. However, they are a necessary step in gaining experience for water boards at the district level and will continue to be required as branch organizations of district water boards and have an implementation and communication role.

Water boards may function adequately within the context of a law. However, such a law should be enabling rather than a prescribing, otherwise the law and legal framework for water boards will constrain and prohibit their responding adequately to the ever-evolving demands of society.

The increasing ‘water squeeze’ is likely to accelerate the urgency of transferring water management tasks to user organizations. The institutional reforms necessary for this needs to be supported by the Peoples’ Assembly, while those directly involved and affected by such reforms (various ministries) urgently need to be ready to take up the tasks of institutional reform. water boards at the district level having full responsibility, formal organization and professional staff, must be a realistic option in Egypt in the future.

Water boards need to be placed in, not alongside, the formal water management institutional structure and be the unique responsible organization for water management in the area. The Ministry should have a regulatory role and there should be a clearly defined relationship between water boards and the MWRI.

Water boards (on the basis of a legal mandate) need to assume tasks and control budgets that are now controlled by the MWRI. Hence, action is required by the MWRI to transfer operations and maintenance tasks, so that it can become the supervisory and regulatory body and retain specific tasks.

Duplication of tasks and responsibilities should be avoided at all costs. Water boards and district engineers should have a clear separation of tasks without overlap. In order to facilitate the transfer of tasks the ministry needs to modify tender procedures, allow for government funds to be handled by water boards and clearly redefine the tasks of district engineers.

Willingness on the part of users to assume part of the operation and maintenance, in the form of time, labour and finances, will reduce government costs and will affirm that eventual management transfer can be successfully negotiated.

As a matter of high priority for policy, MWRI will take steps to amend law 213/1994 to allow for the formation and registration of water user associations on all categories of land and among primary, secondary and tertiary levels of the irrigation system.

ANNEX 3.1

Proposed structure of district water boards in Egypt

Annex 3.2

Database form for the Irrigation Department (ID)

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Annex 3.3

Job description sheet and interview guide for Irrigation Inspector

Grade: 1
Group Category: Engineering.

Position: Irrigation Inspector in Regions.

General description:
The position is located in one of the irrigation general directorate in regions, irrigation department.
Responsible for irrigation and drainage works and water distribution in regions.

Duties and responsibilities:
The occupant is free to act according to laws and regulations.
Supervise all the irrigation and drainage works in his inspectorate.
Supervise the irrigation water distribution among districts.
Supervision of the activity of monitoring the budgets and discharge of the barrage and weirs located between irrigation districts.
Supervise and review the water level on a daily basis.
Supervise the preparation of the rotation schedule.
Supervise the preparation of the programs and measurements of the cleanings, improvements and recent works.
Review the complaints regarding the irrigation compensation and settle the complaints.
Supervise the preparation of constructions maintenance programme and supervise the required improvements.
Approve the judgment committee decisions in bids and tenders.
Approve staff annual vacations and also approve the performance appraisals reports.

Conditions:
Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering.
No less than 14 years experience in related field.
Have spent a transit period of at least 6 years in an immediately lower position.

INTERVIEW GUIDE

General issues
Describe your position regarding the MWRI at the Directorate Level as well as District Engineers.
In which fields are you involved?
Irrigation, drainage, groundwater, water quality, agriculture and/or user participation?
What activities are you involved in?
(Try to find out whether the activities are based on law, by-law, decree or other basis).
Policy-making; What is your role in policy-making, how are you involved in policy discussions?
Planning: Describe the process of budgeting/annual planning and your role in it?
Expansion: Describe the application process for new projects?
Water distribution/Operation: What is your role and responsibilities (conflict resolution)?
Water allocation: Describe your involvement in water allocation?
Rehabilitation: Describe the application process for new projects?
Maintenance: Describe your involvement in contracting, controlling, checking of work?
(Water quality) Standard Setting: What is your involvement in standard setting/water quality?
Law enforcement: Tasks and roles?
How are you involved with other departments at the same level as the MWRI?/EPADP

Groundwater (which office/GW district)?
(Finance? For planning)

What is your relationship with the Head of Central Department (HOCD)?
In which fields do you encounter the HOCD?
Who takes the initiative?

External contacts
Describe your external contacts
Agriculture
Public Administration
Solid Waste

If this gives too little information continue with:

Agriculture
Describe your relationship with the agricultural sector?
Extension
Cropping patterns

Describe your relationship with the Ministry of Agriculture?
What information is obtained/required from it?
(And is this relationship officially documented?)

Public Administration
Describe contacts with public administration at higher level (e.g. governor or assistants (secretary))?
What are the subjects of these contacts?
Describe frequency and basis of these contacts?
Who takes the initiative for the meetings?
What kind of contacts do you or your organization have with the public administration (city council, local units?)

What are, formally speaking, the subjects of meetings between the MWRI organization and public administration?

User participation
Do you have experience with user participation?
What is the role of user organizations at this time?
What possibilities for user organizations (in water management) do you see in the future?