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 n eeded for technology assessment; and institutional arrangements to ass ure ongoing information exchange, concerted planning, and collaborativ e implementation among government, producers, and researchers. Three n ationalities vie for supremacy in decisional arenas: technical, politi cal, and ethical. Interaction among the three should be circular, not vertical. Technology assessment's (TA) qualitative dimensions can be m anaged by using evaluative tools such as the ''development flower.''