People’s Action for Learning (PAL) Network

The People’s Action for Learning (PAL) Network is a south-south partnership of organisations working across three continents.

Member organisations conduct citizen-led assessments and/or citizen-led actions aimed at improving learning outcomes.

The Citizen-Led Assessment approach originated in India in 2005 where it is known as ASER (meaning ‘impact’). In 2008, Pakistan adopted this approach by the same name – ASER Pakistan. In 2009, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda joined the network and called their initiative Uwezo (which means ‘capability’). In 2011, Mali joined with the name Bɛɛkunko (meaning ‘we are in it together’). Senegal followed shortly afterwards with Jàngandoo (meaning ‘learn together.’) In Mexico, the effort started in 2014 and is called Medición Independiente de Aprendizajes (MIA) (meaning ‘independent measurement of learning’). In 2015 Nigeria joined the family and named their assessment ‘LEARNigeria’ short for ‘Let’s Assess, Engage and Report Nigeria.’ In 2015, The Institute of Informatics and Development (IID) in partnership with BRAC piloted their citizen-led assessment in Bangladesh. In 2016, Mozambique joined and named their initiative ‘TPC Mozambique’ which means ‘All for the Children’ and also is a well-known acronym for ‘homework’.
Mozambique was granted full membership in March 2017. In December 2016, learning from ASER India, ASER Nepal partnered with local organizations and conducted their citizen-led assessment pilot in Nepal. Nepal joined the network in March 2017 although it gained full membership status in January 2019. The year 2018 saw the admission of the first ever Action member to the network, Young 1ove, Botswana, in April 2018. In January 2019, two more members joined the network; ZiziAfrique (Kenya) and ABACOenRED Nicaragua (under project VIdA). ABACOenRED had earlier piloted citizen-led assessments. ZiziAfrique implement the Accelerated Learning Program in three counties in Kenya, borrowing from Pratham’s Teaching at the Right Level approach. Membership now stands at 15 with nine members from Africa, four from South Asia and two from Latin-America.