The Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality
(SACMEQ) is a network of fifteen Ministries of Education that undertake
educational policy research focused on providing information that will lead to
improved decisions concerning planning the quality of education. This article
describes SACMEQ'S philosophical foundations, objectives, structural
mechanisms, and some of SACMEQ'S research results
SACMEQ'S initial educational policy research project, SACMEQ-1,
collected data in seven Southern Africa countries from over 20,000 pupils and
some 2,000 teachers in 1,000 schools (Kariuki, Guantai, & Nzomo, in press;
Kulpoo, 1998; Machingaidze, Pfukani, & Shumba, 1998; Chimombo & Milner
in press; Nassor, 1998; Nkamba & Kanyika, 1998; Voigts, 1998b). Five
national SACMEQ-1 policy reports have already been published and another
two are in preparation. These reports have all figured prominently in debates
concerning policy on improving the quality of education in the Southern Africa
sub-region. The article illustrates the innovative and effective "working style"
that has been adopted by SACMEQ, and suggests that this approach could be
transferred to educational development and capacity building projects in other
regions of the world