SACMEQ and PASEC programmes are both recognised internationally for their key roles in strengthening the capacity of the national research teams in Africa in the areas of monitoring and evaluating the school systems and providing evidence-based information that can be used by policy makers to plan and improve the quality of basic education. In recent months, these two organisations, with the support of IIEP, have commenced an information-sharing programme associated with research methodology which has resulted in the insertion of common test items in SACMEQ and PASEC data collection instruments.
Two-day Exchange Meeting at IIEP

Meeting at IIEPAre the pupils learning what they are supposed to learn in primary schools in Africa? How equitable are pupil performances by gender and socioeconomic background? And how effective are HIV-AIDS prevention education programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa? These important questions were addressed through the presentations and discussions of SACMEQ and PASEC research results. Every effort was made to employ evidence-based research findings that focused on policy implications for education systems.

Several sessions of the meeting were devoted to sharing experiences concerning the use of advanced research methodologies that are required for conducting such large-scale international assessments - especially logistics and field administration – and also the specialised software developed by SACMEQ and IIEP for improving data quality and data analyses.
IIEP programme on monitoring the quality of HIV-AIDS prevention education

IIEP staff made a special presentation on their research programme on monitoring the HIV-AIDS knowledge of pupils in Africa (co-funded by the 2010–2011 UNAIDS Unified Budget and Workplan). The research results showed that there were some major problems with the effectiveness of many HIV-AIDS prevention education programmes.

The meeting was attended by twenty participants and included representatives from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the CONFEMEN Secretariat and IIEP. It ended with an agreement among participants to organize a third exchange meeting next year in Africa.