As ADIPA is primarily an association of research and training institutions it was institutions within the
target countries which were first identified for the research. All were members of ADIPA and were chosen
for their previous record in the fields of social and economic development. The leading researchers were
then identified by the participating institutions. The research was directly supported by the Asian and
Pacific Development Centre (APDC) in Kuala Lumpur through UNDP funding, and the APDC provided a
co-ordinating role for the project throughout the research implementation. A preliminary meeting of the
researchers and the lead scholar and co-ordinator was held in Bangkok in June 1985 and the details and
timing of the project finalized. The lead scholar and the APDC Project Co-ordinator visited the participating
institutions in December/January 1985/6 to discuss research issues arising from the field studies. A second
meeting of researchers at APDC in August 1986 evaluated the results of the survey and agreed upon the
findings. Considerable praise is due to the dedicated work put in by the researchers in the six countries
together with their research teams.