86 Book Reviews

The fourth and concluding part reviews two conferences: a study day on
refugees in France, 1982; and the Second International Conference on
Assistance to Refugees in Africa (ICARA II) in Geneva, 1984. The contrast
between the two meetings is interesting. The first addressed the causes
common to refugee situations and agreed on a plan of action to reduce the
ICARA II opted for a 'strictly non-political and
flowS of
humanitarian'
to the
developmental aspect of refugee problems.

approach, which thereby limited discussions

refugees.

In a general conclusion, Melaku Kifle, director of the World Council of
Churches office for African refugees in Geneva, suggests several ways in
which ordinary peope can work to resolve the problem of African refugees.
While he seems to write for a European audience, his concern is that of the
refugees: 'Talk about our country. Don't let people forget us'.
Reviewed by Dr Michael] Schultheis SJ, Jesuit Refugee Service, Rome.
(published by ZED Press, 57 Caledonian Road, London Nl 9DN)

Training Needs Assessment and Monitoring,
Geneva, 1986(83pp, 17,50 Swiss francs).

Luthar Richter,

ILO,

The central objectiveof Richter's study as he outlines it in his introduction is:
"to assist all those concerned with vocational training planning on the
taking of informed and rational decisions on the nature and content of
training programmes and projects".
One of the central theses of the book is that conventional methods of
manpower forecasting have been largely ineffective. Thus methods ranging
from the Manpower Requirements Approach (MRA), Rate-of-Return
Analysis, Normative Methods, Employer Survey Method,
International
Comparison Method, to Econometric Models and Input-Output Models,
have all proved problematic and deficient
in manpower planning and
forecasting. As Richter points out, criticisms against manpower forecasting
include an undue reliance on manpower input-output norms which become
rapidly outdated; a failure to take substitution into account; a too heavy
emphasis on high-level manpower requirements; a lack of attention to the
costsof training one typeof manpowerrelative to another; and finallya seriesof
inaccurate and misleadingforecasts.

To complement and in some ways overcome the shortcomings of
conven.:ionalmanpower forecasting Richter is suggesting new approaches
which are:

"less concerned with projections and forecasting and more with labour
market signalling, ie the regular recording and analysis of imbalances in
manpower supply and demand and their underlying causes in different
economicsectors, occupational groups, and geographical areas".

In effectRichter suggestsnew approaches in labour market information that

provide more short term indicators of human resource requirements.
In order
to collect such indicators he suggests the following methods: assessment of job
advertisements;
tracer studies; and the key
informants approach. This last approach is one of the latest fads of the ILO and
has come to be associated with Richter.

It involves basically:

selective labour

turnover

surveys;

BoDie Rtvitws 87

village elders,

"an experience and observation that some people, due to their profession,
interest, possess a more detailed knowledge than
residence and personal
others on prevailing and prospective manpower and employment
patterns
in a given area."
(eg Local administrators,
What are we to make of Richter's

to
forecasting estimates.
question the effectiveness of conventional manpower
short-term indicators, Richter
However
to a recoil from long term
has compounded
planning procedures. The underlying reason for this is that Richter basically
assumes
accepts the labour market
that human
term
indicators methods. He does not however abandon affiliation to the efficacy of
conventional

forecasting under certain conditions.

in his move towards complementary

suggestions? Clearly he is correct

the problem in what amounts

imperatives of capitalism,

should increasingly

and therefore

farmers etc.)

'planning'

consider

resource

short

point

information,

in particular,

there is no theoretical

is that
the information

At a seminar held in Copenhagen

in October 1986, on Upgrading Labour
market iriformation reporting systems in developing countries, these issues were taken
up with Richter and oth&r ILO officials by the Zimbabwe country paper. On
Richter's work on labour market
the paper noted:
framework within which to
of

"The
understand
on labour
capitalist production in the underdeveloped
that
It is perhaps
one can sometimes be suspicious of 'new approaches'. For such approaches
are old misconceptions
in which case there
developes a fetish of techniques and a predilection for every new fad, that
removes us from the central problem of the labour
relation in
developing countries"

in the absence of such a general

ensconced in new techniques,

theoretical perspective

collected under

conditions

countries.

capital

.

(New Approaches, Methods
and Utilising Labour Market

and Techniques

in Generating, Managing

Information

in Zimbabwe,

1986,2-3)

Realistic assessment of human resource training and needs depends on an
extensive knowledge of the dynamics of the labour process in a given society.
is utilised, valued and
This in turn depends on the manner
categorised under given production
that emerge
from such an analysis are carefully studied,
then meaningful human resource
planning will remain elusive.

relations. Unless the trends

in which labour

Another major feature of meaningful human resource planning is that

latter should form part of a comprehensive

system of national

the
economic

88 &ole R.views

is correct

linking up with the planning
to point
in developing

planning,
infrastructure. Richter
human resource planning
certainly
manpower planning units. However, Richter does not
up to a national planning framework for overall economic development.

of production,
to the absence of coordination
countries.

and
of
there is
and
link this coordination

the vocational

In Zimbabwe

coordination

insufficient

investment

between

training

To summarise, Richter's book is an important

indicator

term indicator) of the crisis in planning techniques
economists and manpower planners who are trapped,
the market economy,
training needs.
Reviewed by Brian Raftopoulos, Zimbabwe
(ZI08), Harare.

into looking at

increasingly

by conventional

(in this case a long
labour
by the imperatives of
for

term indicators

short

Institute of Development Studies

Participation,

Community
Social Development
Midgley with Anthony Hall, Margaret Hardiman
Meuthen and Co, London, 1986 (181 + ix pp, £6,95 pbk).

the State,

and
James
and Dhanpaul Narine,

and
In the growing literature on community work, community
there is a dearth of studies on the relationship between the
social development,
the topic
state and community
initiative
needs to be examined critically,
role of the
state in modern society. This also seems necessary in the context of many
community participation theorists

in social development. However,
in the context of the expanding

state involvement.

rejecting outright

participation

the authors

It is not clear from the title of the book whether

seek to examine
the complex issues of state and community involvement
in social development
in relation to the third world countries or across the board in relation to both
in the preface to the book,
'developing'
and
the
authors
controversial
social
development

and 'developed'
that
indicate
issues'
of

countries. However,
their

specifically in relation to the third world.

to review 'the

involvement

community

complex

intent

state

and

in

is

issue of state and community

The book addresses the central

It begins with an acknowledgement

relations in
of the practical
social development.
The study of
difficulties in efforts to foster effective community participation.
the relationship between the state and the community
is
fraught with difficulties (the authors acknowledge this problem) as definitions
or
Similarly,
process with varying
'community
interpretations
realities and
administrative

development'
to be a complex
ideological beliefs, political

'social
tends
based on different
and organisation

of
participation'

in social development

conceptualisations

to vary.

contexts.

tend

There are several pertinent questions raised by the authors

in their study of
the relationship between the state and the community in third world countries,
such as: What
participation?

role of the state in community

is the appropriate