The first step of the project is to carry out a needs assessment in the six countries involved. The assessment identifies the needs, relevance, potential and opportunities for improving the impact and effectiveness of agricultural water management interventions in terms of research, technical assistance, training and policy support. The methodology used for the needs assessment is structured as follows:

• A stakeholders’ analysis including donors and investors, national policy makers, implementers, research institutions, private sector actors, communities and farmers including women and the young people. This analysis identified the relevant stakeholders to consult during the needs assessment.
• The organization of inception workshops with national stakeholders to identify the priorities and challenges of agricultural water management, how to address them and the knowledge and capacity required to implement those measures.
• Interviews with relevant stakeholders including farmers. Field visits to gather specific information on agricultural water management priorities, challenges and needs in terms of knowledge and capacity required.
• The organization of validation workshops with the national key stakeholders in order to share the country assessment preliminary results and to promote further engagement for the next phases of the project.