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Background The Rapid Appraisal Process (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 - assuming that some readily available data on the project have been organized by project authorities in advance of the RAP. Key performance indicators from RAP help to organize perceptions and facts, thereby facilitating informed decisions regarding
A parallel activity to the RAP is called Benchmarking. As defined in preliminary IPTRID (International Program for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage) documents, benchmarking is a systematic process for securing continual improvement through comparison with relevant and achievable internal or external norms and standards. The overall aim of benchmarking is to improve the performance of an organization as measured against its mission and objectives. Benchmarking implies comparison - either internally with previous performance and desired future targets, or externally against similar organizations, or organizations performing similar functions. Benchmarking is in use in both the public and private sector. Benchmarking incorporates various indicators, many of which are developed from the RAP. Both the RAP and the IPTRID benchmarking activity are still evolving, so the indicators found in this RAP document will not always be identical to those in IPTRID documents. The Rapid Appraisal Process (RAP) of irrigation projects was introduced in a joint FAO/IPTRID/World Bank publication entitled Water Reports 19 (FAO) - Modern Water Control and Management Practices in Irrigation - Impact on Performance (Burt and Styles, 1999). That publication provides an explanation of the RAP and also gives RAP results from 16 international irrigation projects. Readers are strongly encouraged to obtain Water Reports 19 directly from FAO (http://www.fao.org/icatalog/inter-e.htm) as further background to RAP. A document that discusses philosophy of operation and design of irrigation projects is World Bank Technical Paper No. 246- Modern Water Control in Irrigation (Plusquellec, Burt, and Wolter, 1994)
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