PARTICIPATORY TECHNOLOGY-ASSESSMENT - INSTITUTIONS AND METHODS

The subordination of technology to finalities outside it must be built into technology assessments. In order to do so, developing countries need: technological ''gatekeepers'' to monitor outside developments; ''focal points' to receive, screen, and distribute relevant knowledge needed for technology assessment; and institutional arrangements to assure ongoing information exchange, concerted planning, and collaborative implementation among government, producers, and researchers. Three nationalities vie for supremacy in decisional arenas: technical, political, and ethical. Interaction among the three should be circular, not vertical. Technology assessment's (TA) qualitative dimensions can be managed by using evaluative tools such as the ''development flower.''