New Models of Technology Assessment for Development

Ely, Adrian, Van Zwanenberg, Patrick and Stirling, Andrew (2011) New Models of Technology Assessment for Development. Working Paper. STEPS Centre.

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Abstract

This report explores the role that ‘new models’ of
technology assessment can play in improving the lives of
poor and vulnerable populations in the developing world.
The ‘new models’ addressed here combine citizen and
decision-maker participation with technical expertise. They
are virtual and networked rather than being based in a
single office of technology assessment (as was the case in
the United States in the 1970s-90s). They are flexible
enough to address issues across disciplines and are
increasingly transnational or global in their reach and
scope. The report argues that these new models of
technology assessment can make a vital contribution to
informing policies and strategies around innovation,
particularly in developing regions. They are most beneficial
if they enable the broadening out of inputs to technology
assessment, and the opening up of political debate around
possible directions of technological change and their
interactions with social and environmental systems.
Beyond the process of technology assessment itself, the
report argues that governance systems within which these
processes are embedded play an important role in
determining the impact and effectiveness of technology
assessment. Finally, the report argues for training and
capacity-building in technology assessment
methodologies in developing countries, and support for
internationally co-ordinated technology assessment
efforts to address global and regional development
challenges.

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