USAID. OFC. OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL. OPERATIONS APPRAISAL STAFF
Intermediate technology : an informal survey
INTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGY HAS SEVERAL DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS: LOW-COST INPUTS, INTENSIVE USE OF ABUNDANT FACTORS OF PRODUCTION, SIMPLICITY OF INPUTS AND OUTPUTS, LOW-COST OUTPUTS, SMALLNESS OF SCALE, COMMERCIALLY VIABLE, COMPATIBLE WITH LOCAL ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED, AND ADAPTIVE TO CHANGING CONDITIONS.
Askin, Peter W. · 1970
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Abstract
THIS PAPER DEFINES AND DISCUSSES INTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGY; DESCRIBES SOME APPLICATIONS OF IT IN THE PHILIPPINES, INDONESIA, AND SRI LANKA; AND DISCUSSES THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE IN SUPPORTING THE ADOPTION OF INTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGY. PHILIPPINE APPLICATIONS DISCUSSED INCLUDE THE "JEEPNEY" INDUSTRY, THE IRRI MACHINERY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, THE KAUNLARAN INDUSTRIAL SHOP, ZERO TILLAGE CONCEPT, THE INSTITUTE OF SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES, AND THE REGIONAL ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY CENTERS, MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY. INDONESIAN APPLICATIONS INCLUDE THE WORK AT THE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AT BANDUNG, THE FARM MACHINERY TESTING PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, THE INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE AT BOGOR, THE BIO-GAS CONVERSION PROJECT AT THE GAJAH MADA INSTITUTE, AND THE "BUTSI" OR DOMESTIC PEACE CORPS PROGRAM OF THE GOVERNMENT. IN SRI LANKA, PROJECTS INCLUDE INDUSTRIAL COOPERATIVES ORGANIZED BY THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND EMPLOYMENT, INVOLVING BLACKSMITHING, METALWORKING, POTTERY, PHARMACEUTICALS, THE FARM MECHANIZATION TRAINING CENTER, AND THE SOMISIRI RICE HULLER MANUFACTORY. AS FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE, A.I.D. SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE THE LEAD IN ESTABLISHING A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY. IT SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER A REVIEW OF ITS CURRENT ACTIVITIES TO DETERMINE THE "APPROPRIATENESS" OF THE TECHNOLOGIES CALLED FOR BY THOSE ACTIVITIES.
