METHODOLOGY FOR RELATING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN A SMALL DEVELOPING COUNTRY

ATTENTION WILL BE FOCUSED ON TECHNIQUES FOR (1) IDENTIFYING SECTORS, PROBLEMS, AND WEAKNESSES THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM TECHNICAL INNOVATION; (2) ASSESSING EXISTING SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ASSETS WITHING LDC"S; AND (3) DEVISING A STRATEGY FOR STRENGTHENING CRITICAL ELEMENTS IN THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL MAXIMIZE ECONOMIC RETURN. ACTIVITIES WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN GUATEMALA, BUT RESULTS ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE WIDER APPLICABILITY TO OTHER COUNTRIES OF SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS AT A COMPARABLE STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT. WITHIN GUATEMALA, THE US UNIVERSITY WILL REVIEW METHODOLOGIES ADOPTED IN PREVIOUS STUDIES BY OECD, UNESCO, OAS, AND THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES DIRECTED AT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. THE UNIVERSITY WILL THEN ESTABLISH A FIELD INVESTIGATION TEAM HEADED BY TWO EXPERTS. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE AID MISSION, THE CONTRACTOR WILL SELECT THE INSTITUTION OR INSTITUTIONS IN GUATEMALA APPROPRIATE FOR AND INTERESTED IN THE PROJECT. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE AID FUNDED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE OF GUATEMALA WILL PLAY A MUTUALLY SUPPORTING ROLE IN STUDYING THE PROCESS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE ACTIVITIES WOULD LAST 15 MONTHS WITH THREE ON-SITE INVESTIGATIONS OF FOUR WEEKS EACH TAKING PLACE OVER A PERIOD OF NINE MONTHS AND INVOLVING A NUMBER OF GUATEMALAN COLLABORATORS. THE INVESTIGATION RESULTS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT AND PUBLISHED BY THE US UNIVERSITY.