Technology assessment: Product or process?

Abstract

Technology assessment was originally conceived of as an analytic activity, aimed at providing decision makers with an objective analysis of effects of a technology. Early in the history of technology assessment, it became clear that assessment projects must involve multiple perspectives. In the United States, this led to stakeholder involvement in the analysis. In a number of European countries, however, forms of technology assessment developed in which the analytic product became of relatively minor importance compared to the interactive process: consensus conferences and constructive technology assessment developed as alternative forms. This article discusses four paradigms of technology assessment: the classical paradigm; the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) paradigm; public technology assessment; and constructive technology assessment. It concludes that the multiple views of technology assessment and its position between academia and politics lead to dilemmas for technology assessment organizations, especially after the demise of OTA. It stresses the importance of experimenting with various ways of conducting technology assessments and of addressing quality control.