The handbook is addressed to administrators (or commissioners) in agencies, districts or other governmental units charged with water-related functions. It seeks to help them take a more effective part in the project selection process. The handbook outlines rational stages in the decision making process and describes the current failure of most agencies to make decisions in this rational way. It recommends who should make decisions and who should advise the decision maker at each stage of the decision making process. In particular, the handbook presents some innovative engineering and non-engineering water resource strategies and describes the factors to be considered in assessing both these and more traditional approaches.