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48 EFA Mid-Decade Assessment5.3 Key Issues to be Studied and AssessedParticipants saw the need for a common definition of basic literacy and functionalliteracy for countries to use. Standards and benchmarks should also be set for themonitoring and evaluation of literacy programmes, the results of which should becomparable among countries.Attention should also be given on the quality, relevance and sustainability of literacyprogrammes and curriculum development. Literacy programmes should meet theneeds of individuals and society, with the aim of reducing poverty and increasingproductivity. It should be mainstreamed to support lifelong learning and offered in bothnon-formal and formal venues.Accessibility of literacy programmes should also be examined. To maximizeparticipation, the community should be involved in developing literacy programmes.Capacity-building for Community Learning Centres (CLCs), teachers and serviceproviders should also be undertaken and a national accreditation programme forservice providers put in place to ensure quality.Governments are also encouraged to provide more funding support for literacyprogrammes. Participants noted that political will is an important factor in theimplementation of literacy programmes. Lack of resources and financial commitmenthas hampered the implementation of these programmes.The role of civil society in providing literacy programmes and developing instrumentsfor accreditation should also be improved as well as coordination among ministries,NGOs, and development partners.Geographic isolation/topography, cultural barriers, centralization of government powerand decision-making are also factors to consider.5.4 Recommendations to Assess Quality and Disparity IssuesThe kind and quality of available data is crucial in assessing quality and disparityissues. To get up-to-date data, participants recommended holding a national census tobe followed by periodic surveys to identify the literate pockets in the country. This willhelp track the progress of literacy programmes and will be useful in policy-making andplanning.Participants also recommended that data can be improved by having disaggregatedcensuses, periodic surveys, trace studies and special case studies for literacy. Datacollection should also cover remote areas and even the school level.Education for All: Reaching the Unreached