The paper describes the process of designing the implementing management interventions in the health department of Uttar Pradesh. The interventions were in the areas of planning, monitoring and performance evaluation, organizational behaviour, interagency coordination and communication. Three modes of intervention were employed for improving management in three problem areas: (1) system design; (2) field research; and (3) training. After defining the problem areas, each of these modes of interventions are discussed. Lessons and issues form this long-term experiences of bringing about management improvements in a bureaucratic organization are presented. The analysis is based on the IIMA's involvement in the India Population Project, Uttar Pradesh from 1973-1980.