VIRTURE ROLE OF ISC

To fill the gap when project support end

  • FWUC need external technical support from outside organization on the long run
  • But no external organization is able to answer their practical needs at reasonable cost
  • There is a need to build up knowledge and capacities and sustain human resources on the long run
  • To enhance farmers’ ownership and make them become decision makers – Services focus on demand

An important objective is to allow FWUC to access services which are:

  • Good quality, professional services,
  • Adapted to their particular needs and to their stage of development,
  • Affordable,
  • Sustainable

According to the scheme size and condition and the level of FWUC management different kind of service are required:

  • For the less functional schemes, where no ISF is collected, the main objective is to enhance the quality of the irrigation service to the members and to guarantee a minimum level of resource for the FWUC in order to carry out its functions. Unregistered FWUC can be linked to PDOWRAM to get proper recognition.
  • For the functional schemes where ISF collection and FWUC management capacities are insufficient to ensure the sustainability of operation and maintenance, the Service Centre focus on training FWUC on operation and maintenance and supporting ISF collection procedures and its financial management.
  • To reduce running cost and gain from scale economies, several schemes can take benefit from sharing resources using the Service Centre skilled human resources. For example, one accountant or one technician from the Service Centre can bring support to several schemes on a permanent basis.
  • For functions that are not needed permanently, but occasionally, FWUC can hire services on demand, for instance: financial audit, engineering services, works control.

The FWUC have to pay for the requested services, at least partially, but obviously additional financial resources are needed. The ISC has strong links with other institutions, agencies and professionals involved in the irrigation sector and can mobilize external capacities according to needs.

The ISC facilitates networking between FWUC and exchanges with government in order to bring field issues towards higher levels.