1st SEA-PLM (Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics) Project Steering Committee Meeting

BANGKOK/ONLINE 23 MARCH 2022 - The first SEA-PLM Project Steering Committee Meeting was held on 23 March 2022. The gathering, held virtually, was jointly organised by the SEA-PLM Secretariat, the SEAMEO Secretariat, ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), and ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF). Representatives from the SEAMEO Secretariat, the Human Development Directorate and Education, Youth & Sports Division of ASEC, and the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Programme Management Team (AKPMT) attended the meeting. Dr. Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director, SEAMEO Secretariat, officially convened the SEA-PLM Project Steering Committee Meeting as a viable platform for close coordination and collaboration with partner organizations for the success of the SEA-PLM project.

Dr. Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela expressed the benefit of convening steering committee meetings that stress the importance of synergy between the project proponents and project funders in project conception, revision, and implementation. Mr. Anggiet Ariefianto of AKPMT stressed the importance of project accountability and sustainability and highlighted adhering to ASEAN's project criteria and guidance.

Discussions included formulating the steering committee structure and meeting modalities and advocating the SEA-PLM programme to diplomatic communities of the region. The project's progress and planned activities were presented during the meeting, and modifications to adapt to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic were also proposed to navigate the current situation in ensuring the success of program implementation.

The SEA-PLM  Project Steering Committee Meetings will enable partners and stakeholders to convene and discuss the programme's critical strategies, such as mitigating financial and technical issues, providing the required resources, and reporting project progress and changes. The next SEA-PLM Project Steering Committee Meeting is proposed to be held in November of this year.