The Land and Water division of FAO uses different tools to assess the performance of irrigation schemes and to provide practical solutions to improve operation and management of these schemes. The two tools used to modernize surface irrigation schemes that are presented in this section are the "Rapid Appraisal Procedure (RAP)" and "Mapping System and Services for Canal Operation TEchniques (MASSCOTE)".

The Rapid Appraisal Procedure (RAP) allows qualified personnel to systematically and quickly determine key indicators of irrigation projects. The RAP can generally be completed with 2 weeks or less of field and office work. The procedure examines external inputs such as water supplies, outputs such as water destinations (ET, surface runoff, etc.), and it provides a systematic appraisal 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 RAP consists of completing an MS-EXCEL spreadsheet by following clear guidelines, under "Suggested Reading"

The methodology called Mapping System and Services for Canal Operation TEchniques (MASSCOTE) is a methodology to evaluate current processes and performance and develop a project for modernizing canal operation. MASSCOTE is developed on the basis of RAP by focusing on solutions to improve the process of canal operation for a service-oriented management.

The MASSCOTE methodology has been applied in the framework of the ESPIM-project during a three day training workshop called "Modernization strategy of large scale rice-based irrigation systems in Terrai, that took place in Nepal.

The RAP consists of completing an MS-EXCEL spreadsheet by following clear guidelines: MASSCOT: a methodology to modernize irrigation services and operation in canal systems - Applications to two systems in Nepal Terai: Sunsari Morang Irrigation System and Narayani Irrigation System