In industrial development, developing countries often face the challenge of adjusting models initially designed for developed countries—such as those for skills formation—to fit their own economic, social, and institutional contexts. This highlights the importance of translative adaptation, because a model or concept may change its meaning when applied in a different cultural or institutional setting. Translative adaptation involves three interrelated processes: learning, adaptation, and scaling up. The analysis of five case studies confirms the importance of mindset, including a strong sense of ownership, throughout the process. It also reveals that the progress of translative adaptation varies depending on whether local counterparts have experienced or acquired the key enabling factors needed to sustain the adaptation process. These include: (i) self- and mutual learning; (ii) constructive clashes of opinion and healthy competition; and (iii) early government involvement and innovation. Development cooperation provided through a hands-on approach and based on an in-depth analysis of local characteristics is likely to promote translative adaptation. However, it does not always guarantee that counterparts go through all three stages of the translative adaptation process. To enhance a hands-on approach, five measures are recommended: (i) providing both formal and informal learning opportunities; (ii) adopting flexible intervention strategies throughout project implementation; (iii) embracing, but reconciling clashes of opinion between counterparts and experts; (iv) designing project activities that generate small successes; and (v) promoting mutual learning and communities of practice.
Mori et al. (Wed,) studied this question.