Technology, dialogue and the development process

Development activities are in crisis. Beneficiaries and clients are vocal in their demand for a higher level and better quality of participation in the development decision-making process. Development agencies are also questioning their own role and are concerned at the mixed results of development assistance, particularly in Africa. Support for international assistance in donor countries is fragile. Just at this point of crisis, new approaches and technologies have become available which can accommodate the more integral participation of clients and beneficiaries in the interior organisation of the development agencies. Correspondingly, there is a growing awareness that the mixed results of expert technical assistance to the developing world is in part the result of inadequate dialogue and discussion between expert and client. The paper describes the emerging development paradigm in which better communication-not only expert-to-client, but also client-to-expert and client-to-client-is at the core.