Macro-policies for appropriate technology in developing countries

This collection of essays argues that a major reason for this failure has been a focus on micro-interventions to the frequent neglect of the macro-policies which determine the context in which all technology choices are made. The introduction discusses macro-policies in terms of four broad categories (those affecting the objectives of decisionmakers, those determining the availability and price of resources, those influencing markets, and those disseminating knowledge about technological alternatives); the critical importance of the proportion of resources controlled by different types of organizations is stressed. A series of case studies of government policies in developing countries - six covering technology choice in rural areas and two relating more to the urban industrial sector - explore the political economy of appropriate macro-policies and determine which policies have best promoted appropriate technology and which societal groups are likely to benefit from alternative policies and technologies. (Author abstract, modified)