ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the role played by aid agencies in supporting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiatives in the Third World, as well as criticisms of TVET based on cost effectiveness and labour market relevance. The limitation of the top-down approach is that it is based on technocratic assumptions. In adopting such an approach it assumes that successful implementation is about having the correct procedures and the appropriate organisational structures. In order to deliver TVET programmes, lecturers/instructors need to receive continuous training and development. This is particularly so with the introduction of new subjects such as entrepreneurship. The top-down approach to analysing policy implementation was apparent in J. Pressmen and A. Wildaysky’s study of the United States of America’s federal employment creation plans in Oakwood, California. The practice of exporting western-based models or policies to developing countries is increasingly attracting criticism from academics and policy makers alike.
