This proposal arises out of our recent experience in supporting two European Commission working groups - one on 'Basic Skills' and one on 'Mathematics, Science and Technology'. Each working group comprised representatives from the 15 EU Member States, the candidate countries and the EEA countries. In addition, a number of key stakeholder groups were also represented. The rationale for the establishment of the working groups was: " to improve the quality and effectiveness of education and training systems in the EU; " to facilitate access to education and training systems; " to open up education and training systems to the wider world. These working groups were ratified in the Stockholm European Council "objectives report", which was adopted by the Education Council on 12 February 2001 and which re-emphasised the importance of education and training. The Council and the Commission submitted a joint detailed work programme on the objectives of education and training to the Barcelona European Council in 2002, which was adopted by the Education Council on 14 February 2002. The programmes are implemented through the open method of co-ordination (OMC), as described in the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council of March 200 . This method seeks to facilitate the spreading of good practice and to enhance convergence towards Community goals. The method is implemented through identifying common policy guidelines to achieve objectives defined by Member States, introducing, where appropriate, qualitative and quantitative indicators and benchmarks, and periodical reviews of progress through monitoring, evaluation and peer review. The four instruments of the OMC are the following: Benchmarks, i.e. concrete targets, of a qualitative or quantitative nature, for a certain year or period, in either absolute or relative figures (e.g. a target rate of change/growth). Indicators, i.e. agreeing on certain data series which can be monitored over time as an indication of development/progress in the policy areas concerned. Exchange of good practice between Member States on policy measures, which have worked well and from which lessons can be drawn for future policy development. Peer review, which involves Member States submitting certain policy measures to a critical review by other Member States, as and when it is considered appropriate to acquire comments and opinions on the policy measure in question. In order to ensure coherence with other policy initiatives in the field of education and training, namely Lifelong Learning, an integrated approach to policy development was agreed. Our role as research consultants was to participate in working group meetings; to contribute actively to the discussions; to prepare discussion papers; and, to analyse examples of good practice in relation to a limited number of themes to be agreed by the working group. This involved identifying the factors that lead to success (or in some cases failure) for the policy initiatives concerned. We also had a clear role to play in drawing up policy recommendations in relation to these key policy areas. The main working method adopted by the groups was the exchange of examples of good practice. We examine the theoretical underpinnings of this approach and explore its limitations and its potential. We will also explore the dynamic between the designated 'experts' (who were mostly from Ministries of Education in the countries concerned) and the stakeholders. This has a particular bearing on the selection of themes for further consideration.