ABSTRACT
Central to most attempts at evaluation or project assessment is the notion of comparing costs with benefits. The difficulties of quantifying and comparing the costs and benefits of technical co-operation imply that alternative methods of evaluation and assessment usually have to be employed. When interviewed, were generous in the assessment of the professional competence of expatriate staff, but they were generally dissatisfied with their performance as teachers and trainers. They were generally less ready to identify the presence of external constraints, and more inclined to point to the inadequacy or disinclination of the technical cooperation officers (TCOs) themselves. Most conventionally designed evaluations would have judged that these TCOs, and the legal draftsmen who ensured that their work found a place in the statutes, had performed well – that the projects had been successful. TCOs from a range of projects were selected, all of whom were required by their terms of reference to conduct both training and professional functions.
