Technical co-operation (TC) as an instrument of development co-operation is in need for an overhaul. Despite enormous financial and personal resources which have been invested into TC for many years, the main target of TC, namely the building and strengthening of local capacities, was achieved to an insufficient extent. Compared to the expenses and measured by the policy aims formulated by those involved success remained rather humble. Among the reasons for the failure of essential progress in development to materialize, despite substantial input of TC, shortcomings in dealing as well as problems with efficient and coherent implementation of TC have to be emphasized. Incentives for a substantive redefinition of TC, country-specific and cost-effective applications of that instrument as well as parallel reduction of expatriate personnel combined with improved remuneration and efficiency of public administration in Africa were proposed as first steps in reforming TC. Largely existing reasonable reform proposals and initiatives regarding TC ought to be given speedy chances for systematic utilization. Hardly any alternative is left for the disorientated donor countries as well as for the institutionally feeble African states.
