ABSTRACT
Many of the implementation problems that arise in large development projects stem from the performance and utilization of personnel. This chapter examines these problems and discusses how they relate to the role of foreign assistance in the development process and to the personnel policies and practices of developing countries. The human resource problems of developing countries range across a broad spectrum. At one end is a group of countries that can neither supply nor pay for a large portion of the trained personnel needed for development. The experience of the 1970s shows that significant costs are associated with the practice of recipient countries making unrealistic personnel commitments to projects. Personnel shortages are an important constraint to progress in developing countries. These shortages have contributed to the problems of implementing development projects. In retrospect, the assumption that donor requirements for host country personnel can and should be met often reflects wishful thinking.
