文摘
The dissertation provides an emprical analysis of the changing patterns of United Nations technical assistance from 1941 to 1983 and the structural developments that have occurred. In order to understand the behavior of a complex international organization,the subject is placed within the contextual framework of organization theory. Organization theory is used to demonstrate the interaction between structure and environment and to indicate how the organization copes in order to survive. The impact of environmental factors--economic,political,ideological and technological--on the structure of the UN as it pertains to technical assistance activities is analyzed. The subject is significant because the developing nations,which constitute the majority of UN membership,are constantly preoccupied with the need to develop new approaches to ensure their socio-economic advancement. In response to its environment,the United Nations Development Programme adopted the concepts of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries TCDC) and New Dimensions of Technical Cooperation in 1972 and 1975,which stress the increased use of national capabilities in program design and execution. The influence of the Third World led to a shift in orientation from the traditional to the modern approach. The traditional method refers to the execution of programs by UN specialized agencies through the use of internationally-recruited experts and internationally-procured equipment. The modern strategy involves greater use of national capabilities. The concept of TCDC,a variant of the modern approach,pertains to the initiation,management and organization of a project by two or more developing countries. The findings of the study indicate that only incipient modifications in the delivery of technical assistance have occurred. Although there have been initial alterations regarding goals,strategies,programs,personnel and budgeting procedures and financing arrangements,major structural changes have not taken place. The lack of qualified personnel coupled with the growing limitation of financial resources,have impeded the furtherance of government-executed projects. The concepts of New Dimensions and TCDC are only additional dimensions to the agency-executed method.
