Because the future of the majority of developing nations depends on how quickly and effectively a national system of education can be developed, the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) has established a series of international development programs to prepare and implement programs for cooperation between Sweden and developing nations. SIDA programs are designed in accordance with the following beliefs: (1) responsibility for all activities should rest upon the local authority; (2) when providing technical assistance, SIDA staff should show openness and flexibility in relation to the specific nature of the country being served; (3) it is impossible to introduce a ready-made distance education system in a new country; and (4) as experts and consultants, SIDA staff members are responsible for training local staff. One such SIDA-sponsored effort is a program to establish a distance education institute for teacher training for untrained teachers working full-time in primary and secondary schools in Sri Lanka. The local authority decided to include the following components in the system: printed self-instructional material, assignments for submission, contact lessons (seminars), local study centers, and practical training. SIDA is also assisting in the establishment of a distance teacher training program in Ethiopia and has received a request for assistance from Mozambique. (MN)