“The African commitment to good governance and the establishment of the APRM under Nepad was crucial in persuading the West (especially the G8 countries) to support the new initiative, and, more importantly, there is also a real need for such a reforming tool in many African countries. It is thus important to ascertain whether there are any factors that can increase the possibility of an effective peer review mechanism being established. The first key issue that will determine the effectiveness of this
mechanism is the question of who will conduct the governance reviews. The second key question in the review process concerns the principles upon which the peer review mechanism will be based. The third key issue in this context is what the consequences of the peer review process will be. The present paper will discuss these three key questions, with the aim of developing a methodology for how the APRM should work. The paper begins by drawing observations and lessons from similar experiences. It will then move on to explore different aspects and stages of the review process, including the conceptual basis of the review, its indicators and criteria, its structure and organisation, and finally its results and repercussions.”
