Volunteers are increasingly used in developing countries as a form of technical assistance. This book looks at volunteers as a form of aid and it considers how useful they are and their potential use in the future. It concentrates on British programmes and suggests that under favourable circumstances voluteers can make a great contribution to development in poor countries.

However, the survey is critical of the conditions under which British volunteers work. It suggests that the minimum period abroad should be extended from one to two years and highlights the need for more extensive training.

Administration should also be improved. The multiple systems of autonomous but co-ordinated programmes should be replaced by a single non-government programme.