In 2008, ActionAid, the Institute of Education, University of London (IoE) and partners in Burundi, Malawi, Senegal and Uganda undertook collaborative re s e a rc h to explore the role of parents and teachers in improving childre n ’s learning. The Improving Learning Outcomes in Primary Schools (ILOPS) Project was supported by the Quality Education in Developing Countries Initiative of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Project bro u g h t together key stakeholders – pare n t s , teachers, teachers’ unions, education coalitions, re s e a rch institutes and Ministry officials – to conduct the re s e a rch. It was hoped that by working t o g e t h e r, each gro u p ’s unique views would contribute to a deeper understanding of the range of learning outcomes over and above traditional test results. In turn, it was intended that the collaboration would lead to the development of practical and feasible ways to improve learning where each stakeholder has a clearly defined role.