Strategic Analysis of the Modern Irrigation Systems Development in the Jiroft Plain

During the past few decades, developing countries in arid and semi-arid regions, including Iran, have faced water crises. It is predicted that between 2050 and 2100, many of the countries that have abundant water, will face water shortage challenges. Therefore, the importance of finding solutions for countries exposed to this threat has been proven. Iran is seriously facing the challenge of water resource shortage. While the largest amount of water resources is consumed in the agricultural sector, this sector is suffered by low water productivity. The Ministry of Agricultural Jihad has been implementing the Project of the Modern Irrigation Systems Development (PMISD) in order to improve water productivity in line with sustaining food security, since 1989. The activities of the project are being implemented in all provinces and about 30% of the country's irrigated agricultural lands have been covered. This study aims to strategically analyze the project performance in one of agricultural polar of the country, the Jiroft Plain. Strategic analysis is a systematic process for identifying opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses in order to formulate long-term decisions and improve the performance of a project. Data collection was carried out in two stages; first, through structured interviews with 217 farmers, internal and external factors affecting the PMISD were identified. Next, the status quo of the project, and improvement strategies were determined via a SWOT analysis and strategic path mapping, respectively. The findings show that the management system of the PMISD has prominent internal strengths that have not been properly utilized. In these circumstances, choosing a strategic approach of capacity building to create a platform for using opportunities is recommended.