THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EMPOWERMENT POLICY FOR WATER-USE FARMER ASSOCIATION DUE TO GOVERNMENT REGULATION NUMBER 38/2007 (Case Study WISMP in Klaten Regency) ABSTRACT Irrigation is one of the main keys to achieve food sovereignty. Therefore, irrigation management should be carried out continuously both physically (irrigation) and human resources. The changing authority of coaching empowerment water-use farmer association (P3A) according to the Government Regulation No. 38/2007 on the Distribution of the Government affairs, between the cental Government, Provincial Government and the Government of Regency/City has resulted in a change in coaching P3A at the field level. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the empowerment implementation of P3A in creating participatory irrigation management in Klaten. This study used a descriptive qualitative method by using in-depth interview technique. The analysis of the P3A empowerment implementation explained the process of activities implementation, the constraints and the approaches used. The results showed that the empowerment of P3A in Klaten has not run optimally. The approach was still top down and coercive-instructive. Farming communities were still positioned as a program target object of WISMP. Keywords: empowerment, P3A, irrigation management