This publication is based on a study conducted as part of a series by the International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to manage the research section of the Irrigation Systems Management Project in Sri Lanka. This study not only sheds light on the nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) working in the field of irrigation management, but also analyses the policy implications by the NGOs. In addition, it acknowledges that these implications are applicable to NGO programmes around the world.