Use of a Capital Saving Technology Approach in AID's Development Assistance Program

Gao ID: NSIAD-84-142 July 26, 1984

GAO reviewed the Agency for International Development's (AID) capital saving technology (CST) activities.

Recognizing a need for more labor intensive, capital saving tools and methods in developing countries, Congress enacted legislation which authorized AID to support greater CST efforts. AID created Appropriate Technology International (ATI) as a private, nonprofit organization to carry out CST activities. AID also uses its automated Development Information System and the National Technical Information Service as tools to promote CST information. CST projects are found in all development sectors and, in fiscal year 1984, CST projects accounted for about $158 million of $1.3 billion in development assistance obligations. GAO found that staff may be unfamiliar with CST efforts, partly because AID has not reinforced its endorsement of the CST concept. Although an AID key initiative is technology transfer, staff are unfamiliar with the role that CST is to play in that initiative.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Joseph E. Kelley Team: General Accounting Office: National Security and International Affairs Division Phone: (202) 512-4128


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