The minor tank development programme is not only aimed at the rehabilitation and development of basic structures, but also to address the self-organisational capacities of farmer organisations. This study assesses the impact of the minor tank development programme with a focus on the technical, economic, social and organisational aspects. The study has been carried out from July 2002 to June 2003 to cover a minimum of two cultivation seasons after development. The methodology includes the analysis of secondary data, a detailed GPS mapping, on-site observations, and discussions with office bearers of a number of farmer organisations and officers from the Department of Agrarian Development as well as the Integrated Food Security Programme (IFSP) and finally, a cross-sectional survey of a sample of beneficiary farmers.