NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNOLOGY-ASSESSMENT IN THE POST-OTA WORLD

With the abolition of the Office of Technology Assessment in 1995 by t he 104th Congress, there is a real need for innovation and a recommitm ent to technology assessment processes in the United States. There are at least a half-dozen possibilities for reconstituting technology ass essment that might be pursued, ranging from foundation-supported non-p rofit organizations to private consultancies, and a variety of governm ent-supported entities. The best among these may be essentially Europe an models-low-profile expert-oriented technology assessments such as a re done in the United Kingdom, and consensus conferences such as are u sed in Denmark. However, re-establishing the practice of technology as sessment, whether in a revived OTA or in a new conception of the funct ion, will be difficult. The climate for analysis has changed. Institut ional interests in Congress, always on the watch for erosion in their authority, may find it hard to reconstitute the function inside Congre ss, or to cause the creation of any meaningful outside organization. P rivate efforts may conont insurmountable obstacles. New methods may no t work in the U.S. context. A dialogue among legislares, the public, a nd the policy analysis community about the utility of technology asses sment is essential. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.