Microcomputers are an increasingly important tool in all aspects of development as the need to handle and assimilate vast quantities of information becomes ever more critical for both the international development community and the developing countries. In addition, the microcomputer represents the first significant technological advance that a dev

This book presents a series of perspectives on the use of automation in the formulation and execution of public policy initiatives in developing nations. It focuses on the use of the most pervasive new automation technology in the developed world—the microcomputer.

The growth of microcomputer applications in industrialized countries is predicated on an existing base that includes the ready availability of affordable hardware and software, trained personnel, capable maintenance, efficient communication systems, and a benign environment; applications are selected and facilitated by a wide range of underlying ex