The management of water resources is being transformed in South Africa. All water users, especially the small-scale ones, are now invited to participate in this management. At the local level, the former whites-only Irrigation Boards (lBs) are to become more inclusive Water User Associations (WUAs), incorporating all water users, whether they have a formal water entitlement or not. However, the process of inclusion did not go smoothly: only one-sixth of the IBs had been transformed into WUAs in 2003, and the actual outcomes of small-scale user involvement in the already accepted WUAs are not obvious. This report reviews the process of inclusion of small-scale users in the new large-scale WUAs. In order to do this, it assesses what are the potential benefits of the inclusion of small-scale users in the new WUAs, what is the current situation and what are the main elements that enable or on the contrary prevent this inclusion. Small-scale user inclusion is defined here as a situation where (a) a strong relationship between small-scale user representatives and their constituencies is established; (b) small-scale users obtain the information they need, (c) voice their problems; and (d) influence decision-making. The research investigated the transformation of seven of these IBs into WUAs, as well as the creation of one large-scale, nonagricultural WUA. The analysis presented here uses information from the case studies, which are published elsewhere as International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Working Papers. In order to assess the potential benefits of having small-scale users on board, the research investigated the possible overlap between water-related problems of small-scale users and the functions of the WUAs. The presence of small-scale users in the WUA is always beneficial, even though they are faced with the problem of lack of funds for operation and maintenance. The possible benefit of the presence of drinking water users (rural communities and farm worker