Twinning of Institutions: Its Use as a Technical Assistance Delivery System

摘要

The 'twinning' of institutions in developing countries with similar but more mature organizations in other parts of the world has proved to be a very effective way to transfer know-how, train staff, and build up management capabilities. Professional relationships between operating entities offer advantages of complementarity and flexibility over time. The entity supplying technical assistance uses its own resources to offer services to its twin, as needed, in the functional areas in which they both work. This paper presents the concept of twinning, and discusses design issues such as the substance of the assignment, design of the services, logistical and administrative support, and behavioral factors. It also reviews factors to be considered in determining whether twinning is the most appropriate TA delivery system in a given situation, and provides an outline of possible contractual arrangements.