The quality of education is an issue of growing concern in many countries today, and there is increasing reliance on the employment of large-scale, scientific survey research techniques to study the quality issues, the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of education, and the formulation of policy interventions designed to improve quality. The Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) is one of several initiatives around the world that have developed and implemented mechanisms for measuring and monitoring the quality of education in its member countries. SACMEQ has had a short but eventful history only 10 years, but little is known about its mission and approaches, and the projects it has implemented. Formed in 1995, SACMEQ celebrates 10 years of existence in 2005. This paper describes the key elements of SACMEQ's research and training programme and in this way cultivates an appreciation of the value of its contribution to the development of education systems in Eastern and Southern Africa. (Contains 2 figures and 8 notes.)