MONITORING OPERATIONS PERFORMANCE IN LARGE-SCALE PUBLIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN INDONESIA

Different allocation and delivery performance ratios are used to assess operations performance in a large scale public irrigation system in Indonesia. Results from this analysis indicate that field management practices deviate substantially from the official operating procedures. The lack of application of a single, standardized procedure for planning water allocations represents a serious constraint to effective monitoring and evaluating system performance. Underestimated and unrealistic planned allocations becomes the justification for overdiversion of water, and has the effect of undermining the resolve of managers to see it that actual flows meet planned flows. Miscalculating planned allocations, poor matches between planned flows and actual deliveries, overdiversion and misreporting have economic consequences as well. For example, strict adherence to the standard operating rule during the second dry season of 1987 would have resulted in 19,070,000 m3 less water diverted into the irrigation system from the Brantas River or, at a conservative estimate of $1.78 per 100 m3 water, a savings of $339,500. Scope exists for making improvements in management by closer adherence to the standard delivery rule, which will also facilitate proper monitoring and evaluation.