Attempts to improve the productivity of farm animals in developing countries have often been thwarted by the inappropriateness of the technologies to the conditions in the recipient countries. The reasons for the successes and failures are numerous, among them the degree of participation of the client farmers testing technologies, government policy, the strengths of the extension service and the prices of inputs and outputs. A study was conducted between 1990 and 1995 in Iraq, Jordan and Syria that aimed to assess the potential for adoption of a number of technologies which were known to improve sheep productivity. The technologies were tested at the farm level under the supervision of researchers in the three national programs.