"Community performance in technology policy arenas: a political economy approach to evaluation."

Shearman, Claire. (1991) "Community performance in technology policy arenas: a political economy approach to evaluation.". In: UNSPECIFIED, Fairfax, Virginia. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This paper is based on the premise that in the process of industrial development politics and economics are intimately entwined. Building on some of the concepts outlined by David Marquand in his recent book 'The Unprincipled Society: New Demands and Old Politics', we argue that conventional assessments of technology policies based on economic analyses or broad innovation policy themes fail to capture the essence of economic adjustment. Just as European developments in science and technology are embedded in their political, economic and social contexts, so too is their evaluation. Economic growth depends not so much on the specific policy approaches adopted as on the capacity of a particular country (or group of countries) to accommodate and respond to the need for adaptation. Specifically it is the cultural, institutional and political factors which shape the responses to readjustment. Plarquand argues that decisive factors in this context include the capacity of the governing body to exercise a 'developmental' approach, the degree of consensus within a society and culture and the extent to xhich economic and technological goals are woven into the fabric of that society, the ability to negotiate rather than to impose government, the depth of public accountability and the existence of a 'community' or collective identity and spirit. If this is so, then it is the institutional, political and wider cultural aspects of the Community's policies and aspirations that will ultimately prove crucial in determining the longer term effectiveness and success of these initiatives.

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