NIA is mandated to:
- Organize and develop irrigation farmer-beneficiaries into Irrigators Associations (IAs)/ Irrigators Service Cooperatives (ISCs);
- Register the IAs with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); ISCs with Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) - to attain legal personality;
- Provide needed capacity building/training activities to the IAs/ISCs before transferring operation and maintenance (O&M);
- NIA, under its Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) program, is mandated to gradually transfer the management and O & M of national irrigation systems (NIS),wholly or partially, to duly organized IAs/ISCs;
- Likewise, the agency develops communal or small irrigation projects (CIP) or rehabilitates existing communal irrigation systems (CIS) with IA participation then completely transfer to the IA the O & M of the of the completed CIP or rehabilitated CIS;
- NIA assists the IAs/ISCs in establishing linkages with other agencies (both government and private) that provide support services and other assistance programs including livelihood/small business ventures to increase farm productivity and family income.
ORGANIZATION & DEVELOPMENT OF IRRIGATORS ASSOCIATIONS (IAs)