This publication is the third in a series of topical case studies initiated jointly by the Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific (NEQMAP) at UNESCO Bangkok and the Australian Council for Educational Research, Centre for Global Education Monitoring (ACER-GEM).

It provides a record of programme activities to date. It describes the programme's distinguishing features, goals and objectives as it moves into its first cycle of data with reporting planned for 2020. Key lessons learnt from the program's activities are examined, which may have important applications for other countries in developing large-scale assessment programs. The paper concludes with a reflection of how the SEA-PLM program constitutes a critical component of participating countries' SDG reporting requirements and offers a new regional tool to better respond to the changing needs of students in the 21st Century.