Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

This paper traces the evolution of Technical Assistance to Technical Co-operation, Knowledge Management and (perhaps) Innovation Systems. Originally conceived as transfer from a knowledge-rich North to a knowledge-poor South, the later terminology represents a more co-operative and dialogic conception. In this it has been driven by persistent issues concerning capacity and knowledge-in-context and by changes in thinking about development practice generally. Do, however, these terminology changes represent reframing of practice? The paper argues that a further epistemological turn is needed that conceives of co-operative learning as ‘learning with’, and of difference as a resource rather than a problematic divide.