Sheladia Associates, Inc.

The Chashma Right Bank Irrigation Project was started in 1970 with a feasibility study by WAPDA to irrigate 141,745 ha in Dera Ismail Khan (NWFP) and 70,705 ha in Dera Ghazi Khan (Punjab). The actual construction of the canal was started in 1978. With the cost of the project escalating, it was divided into three phases. It covers 231,000 ha from the Chashma Barrage to Soriland Nullah in Northern Pakistan. Stage I was completed in late 1987. Stage II lasted from 1988 to 1994. With the necessary concentration on engineering matters, Project Impact Monitoring and Evaluation (PIME) received little attention during the construction of Phases I and II. It is the declared intention of WAPDA and the provincial irrigation and agricultural authorities of the NWFP and Punjab Provinces to ensure that an effective PIME program be developed during Phase III. Stage III will provide water to a command area of 135,000 ha and is divided into 4 parts: Main Canal and Related Facilities; Construction of Distributary Canal and Drainage Facilities; On-Farm Water Management; Agricultural and Livestock Extension. The latter provides institutional strengthening of agricultural and livestock extension services, in particular technical assistance to develop and implement a Project Impact Monitoring and Evaluation System (PIME) so that:

• Phase III is implemented successfully, recognizing the engineering, economic, social, and agricultural development problems encountered in Phases I and II
• An effective PIME capacity is developed for Stage III so that the results may be used in Phases I and II and as a basis for similar projects in the future.

Phase I:

• Analysis (ex-post evaluation) of the status of rural development and water management in Stages I and II in relation with the original objectives
• Inventory of present development situation (ex-ante evaluation) of the area covered by contract no. 66, as a preparation for the future monitoring activities during and after construction of the irrigation and drainage works
• Preparation of a detailed program for monitoring and evaluation activities during the subsequent three years in all three stages of the project.

Phase II:

• Using various methods of data collection including PRA/RRA, technical measurements, survey questionnaires, key informants interviews and workshops:
• Perform a Baseline/Benchmark Survey of the Project Area that will permit monitoring and evaluation of impacts on land, water, and socio-economic status of beneficiaries and affected persons (including poverty analysis, health, education, potable water, etc.);
• Perform needed case studies such as:
• Comparison of returns to spate irrigation with those of canal irrigation
• Equity of water distribution
• Land leveling conditions
• Farming systems assessment
• Introduce policy dialogue on:
• The phased introduction of rationalized (consumption-based) irrigation service fees for O&M cost recovery
• Market information systems
• Institutional Strengthening
• Strengthening of local governments through training in use of M&E data for planning and decision-making and increasing public participation via workshops and information dissemination on local government websites, radio, etc.
• Putting in place an ongoing PIME Reporting System, which required identification, recruitment and extensive training of an appropriate counterpart agency. This agency, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), was selected based on its competencies, congruence of PIME with its mission, its stated interest to incorporate socio-economic dimensions in its research and its willingness to collaborate with complementary organizations (universities, institutes, NGOs) to get the best results. We are in the process of assisting PCRWR to prepare the necessary documents for its normal budget appropriation process so that it will be able to continue with PIME after 2002 when external funding is no longer available.