On Evaluating Development Assistance Projects

Abstract
The scarcity of development funds, combined with the magnitude of development needs, makes diffusion of innovations a crucial process for less developed countries. We reviewed the diffusion of innovation literature in an attempt to identify a general strategy for identifying diffusion that occurs after the introduction of an innovation. The existing literature provides little guidance for the central problem of where to look for diffusion; this article suggests possible solutions. Prior research has relied heavily on a single data-collection strategy: sample surveys. The article reviews advantages and disadvantages of alternative data-collection strategies.