Strengthening Peer Learning in the African Peer Review Mechanism: The Case for Best Practices

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of InternationalCS International Affairs (SAIIA) argues that 'best practices' identified within the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) are an underutilised resource for peer learning. While over 200 practices have been documented across 15 country review reports, the author contends they remain confined to these reports with little impact. The document recommends formalising the definition of best practices, integrating their identification into country self-assessments, and creating dedicated repositories and forums to disseminate these home-grown solutions to improve governance across Africa.

• Best practices are currently underutilised within the APRM because they are largely confined to CRRs and lack systematic dissemination, a clear conceptual definition, and strategies for integration into the planning and implementation platforms of stakeholders.
• The APRM's strengths regarding best practices include its ability to facilitate frank, non-threatening dialogue between African leaders and between citizens and the state, and its capacity to document indigenous solutions to common problems.
• The author recommends that official APRM structures should formally define best practices, mandate technical research institutions to document them during self-assessments, and establish a public repository at the APRM Secretariat.
• To enhance peer learning, the document suggests that civil society and researchers should establish yearly 'APRM learning forums' and encourage African scholars to use sabbaticals to study and document these practices.
• Integrating the identification of best practices into the initial country self-assessment phase—rather than identifying them at the end via external teams—would increase the depth of the data and foster national ownership of the findings.

APA

Petlane, T. (2013). Strengthening Peer Learning in the African Peer Review Mechanism: The Case for Best Practices. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Policy-Briefing-76.pdf

Chicago

Petlane, Tšoeu. Strengthening Peer Learning in the African Peer Review Mechanism: The Case for Best Practices. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Policy-Briefing-76.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Petlane |first1=Tšoeu |title=Strengthening Peer Learning in the African Peer Review Mechanism: The Case for Best Practices |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Policy-Briefing-76.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{petlane2013strengthening, author = {Petlane, Tšoeu}, title = {{Strengthening Peer Learning in the African Peer Review Mechanism: The Case for Best Practices}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Policy-Briefing-76.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }