Technical assistance: a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
Technical assistance is provided to country governments as part of international development programmes to support policymaking or strengthen state capability. This article presents the conceptual evolution of ‘technical assistance’ linked to capacity development, starting with programmes aiming exc...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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F1000 Research Ltd
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Gates Open Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://gatesopenresearch.org/articles/4-177/v2 |
| _version_ | 1829104951503093760 |
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| author | Debarshi Bhattacharya Ben French Alok Rajan Alexandra Nastase |
| author_facet | Debarshi Bhattacharya Ben French Alok Rajan Alexandra Nastase |
| author_sort | Debarshi Bhattacharya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Technical assistance is provided to country governments as part of international development programmes to support policymaking or strengthen state capability. This article presents the conceptual evolution of ‘technical assistance’ linked to capacity development, starting with programmes aiming exclusively to enhance individual capacity in the 1950s to 1970s and progressing to complex systems approaches in the past ten years. It also presents some of the frequent challenges in designing and implementing technical assistance, drawing from the existing literature and the authors’ experience in international development. The article summarises the latest thinking about delivering more effective development, including the adaptive management practices and the initiatives to strengthen evidence about what works. Finally, we complement this article with a follow-up open letter reflecting on the current policy options and opportunities for change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:56:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ce2162fc4b0840bea0ff9dd46731bf9e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2572-4754 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:56:55Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gates Open Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-ce2162fc4b0840bea0ff9dd46731bf9e2022-12-22T00:35:32ZengF1000 Research LtdGates Open Research2572-47542021-11-01414632Technical assistance: a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]Debarshi Bhattacharya0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8400-353XBen French1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8652-5331Alok Rajan2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1396-176XAlexandra Nastase3Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, New Delhi, IndiaOxford Policy Management, Oxford, UKOxford Policy Management, Oxford, UKOxford Policy Management, Oxford, UKTechnical assistance is provided to country governments as part of international development programmes to support policymaking or strengthen state capability. This article presents the conceptual evolution of ‘technical assistance’ linked to capacity development, starting with programmes aiming exclusively to enhance individual capacity in the 1950s to 1970s and progressing to complex systems approaches in the past ten years. It also presents some of the frequent challenges in designing and implementing technical assistance, drawing from the existing literature and the authors’ experience in international development. The article summarises the latest thinking about delivering more effective development, including the adaptive management practices and the initiatives to strengthen evidence about what works. Finally, we complement this article with a follow-up open letter reflecting on the current policy options and opportunities for change.https://gatesopenresearch.org/articles/4-177/v2international development technical assistance capacity development capacity substitution capacity supplementation policy optionseng |
| spellingShingle | Debarshi Bhattacharya Ben French Alok Rajan Alexandra Nastase Technical assistance: a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] Gates Open Research international development technical assistance capacity development capacity substitution capacity supplementation policy options eng |
| title | Technical assistance: a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_full | Technical assistance: a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_fullStr | Technical assistance: a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_full_unstemmed | Technical assistance: a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_short | Technical assistance: a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_sort | technical assistance a practical account of the challenges in design and implementation version 2 peer review 2 approved |
| topic | international development technical assistance capacity development capacity substitution capacity supplementation policy options eng |
| url | https://gatesopenresearch.org/articles/4-177/v2 |
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