The German Development Service (DED) is one of the leading European development services for personnel co-operation. It was founded in 1963: since then more than 15.000 development workers have committed themselves to improving the living conditions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Almost 1.000 development workers are currently working in approximately 40 countries.

DED has the following tasks:

• It places professionally experienced and socially committed specialists at the disposal of developing countries.
• It supports local organisations and self-help initiatives by counselling, financing small programmes and promoting local specialists.
• It promotes understanding for the situation of people in developing countries among the German public and draws attention to questions concerning common interests and problems of the One World.

DED has no projects of its own, but reacts on request of partner organisations in the host countries. The projects which DED supports in the developing countries are organised according to fields of co-operation: training in technical skills and trades; agriculture, forestry and natural resources management; health; general education; building and housing development; community development; small businesses, management and administration.

DED maintains offices in the host countries, generally in the capital. They are run by country directors who represent DED vis-à-vis local partners and supervise the DED programmes in these countries.

DED has the legal form of a non-profit-making, limited liability company owned jointly by the Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the Federal Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the working group "Learning and Helping Overseas", a registered association. It is financed by the federal budget.