Many governments, agencies, institutions, and organizations have provided technical assistance to aid these countries' shifts to democratic societies and market economies. However, several problems consistently hinder the planning, implementation, and evaluation of many of these projects. These problems include the lack of a needs assessment, the use of extended needs assessment without funding for further activities, lack of coordination among different projects, and the inability of one or both of the partners to fulfill their commitments. The May 1996 meeting resulted in 13 recommendations. These included conducting a needs assessment, determining who else is working in the same area, deciding on the purpose of the project, considering different strategies for accomplishing the purpose, preparing a written project proposal, and analyzing the expected risks and benefits. Other recommended actions included knowing the partner and identifying backup support, securing the support of all relevant stakeholders, allocating responsibility for the costs, becoming familiar with the legal system and culture in the recipient country, starting small, working according to a realistic timetable and cost estimates, and monitoring progress and evaluating impacts. Footnotes