Project evaluation report 78-7 : transfer of technology (July 17, 1978)

PTT PROVIDES COMMERCIAL CONSULTNT SERVICES TO ASSIST MEDIUM & SMALL INDUSTRIES TO LOCATE, ADAPT & APPLY TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPROVD PRODUCTIVITY & PROFIT. PROJCT IS GAINING MOMENTUM BECAUSE OF RE-DIRECTN, CLARIFICTN OF FUNCTION & ADDITION OF A SALES ENGINEER AS A CONSULTNT TO THE PTT STAFF. RE-DIRECTN IS TOWARD SMALL, LOCAL AGRO-RELATD INDUSTRIES INSTEAD OF MULTI-NATIONL INTERESTS. ONE FIELD REPRESENTATVE FOR HONDURAS & NICARAGUA DOES NOT PROVIDE SUFFIC COVERAGE. THE ROCAP FINANCED CONSULTANT TO PTT NEEDS TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MGMT & TO HAND OVER TIME HE SPENDS IN DATA COLLECTN & REPORTNG TO AN ASSISTANT OF FIELD REPRESNTATVE CALIBER. RESPONSE TIME FOR INFO GATHERNG FROM CORRESPNDNT INSTITS HAS BEEN SLOW: CONSORTIUM FOR THE DEVEL OF TECHNOLGY(CODOT)-NO REPLY; GEORGIA INSTIT OF TECHNOLGY(GIT)-115 DAYS; DENVER RESEARCH INSTIT(FRI)-58 DAYS. PERFORMANCE MUST BE DEMANDED OF THE CORRESPONDNTS WHILE OTHER SOURCES SHOULD BE EXPLORED. COORDINATN & COMMUNIC THROUGHOUT ICAITI-WIDE EFFORT MUST BE RIGOROUS TO CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM CREATED BY PTT. FIELD REPRESNTATVES MUST BE AN EXTENSN OF SALES ENGINEER. THEY SHOULD HAVE QUOTAS & TARGETS & BE ABLE TO MARKET PRODUCTS. REPORTING CAPABILITY HAS IMPROVD & NEED TO BE REFIND TOWARD ANALYZING CONTACTS WITH INDUSTRLSTS & MONITORNG PERFORMNCE. PTT CAN DO MORE TOWARD SELF-SUPPORT BUT 30% SELF-SUPPORT TARGET MAY BE TOO OPTIMISTC AS NO ORGNZTN OF THIS KIND HAS EVER BEEN SELF-SUPPORTNG. IN ADDITN TO POOR POSTL & TELEPHONE SYSTMS, ICAITI HAS FAILED TO MAKE FULL USE OF PTT FIELD SERVICE AS A 2-WAY CHANNEL. THUS, NEITHER SSE NOR THE FIELD ARE ALWAYS MADE AWARE OF ONGOING COMMUNIC BETWEEN ICAITI DIVISNS & CLIENTS. MRKTNG ACTIVITIES OF FIELD REPS LACK GUIDANCE OR CONTROL & ARE WITHOUT EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES. ICAITI BELIEVES THAT TO SELL TECHNICAL SERVICES TO SMALL & MEDIUM INDUSTRIES WITH UNRECOGNIZED NEEDS, A SHORT, GENERAL BUSINESS CHECK-UP, OR INDUSTRIAL DIAGNOSTIC SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE.