Diversity in Forms of Participation

Abstract

"Interest in participatory management has becomes almost universal. However, the way the programmes are designed leave much room for improvement. Primarily because it reduces costs (or increases benefits by efficient management) irrigation departments now consider user participation as a desirable management option. Transaction cost in management of a common pool resource like water is high. It is uneconomic to have bureaucratic management. But the way participatory programmes are designed often make them uneconomic for the farmers even though the programme designers believe otherwise."