INTRODUCTION socio-economic development and corporate governance. 4. The APRM process consists of five interrelated stages, which are defined in the APRM Base Document. They are briefly described below. 5. Stage One is the preparatory phase, both at the level of the APRM Secretariat and at the national level. Under the direction of the APR Panel, the APR Secretariat forwards to the country to be reviewed a questionnaire covering the four focus areas of the APRM. The country conducts a self-assessment exercise on the basis of the questionnaire, and with the assistance, if necessary, of the APR Secretariat and/or relevant partner institutions. Having completed the self-assessment, the country formulates a preliminary POA that builds on existing policies, programmes and projects. Both the Country Self-Assessment Report (CSAR) and the preliminary POA are submitted to the APR Secretariat. During the same period, the APR Secretariat develops a background document on the country. This is done through desk research and gathering available current and pertinent information on the governance and development status of the country in the four assessment areas. 6. Stage Two is the country review visit. Under the leadership of the APR Panel, the Country Review Mission (CRM) now visits the country concerned. Its priority order of business is to carry out the widest possible consultations with the government, officials, political parties, parliamentarians and representatives of civil society organisations, including the media, academia, trade unions, business and professional bodies. The main objectives are to: ? ? ? Learn about the perspectives of the different stakeholders on governance in the country; Clarify the issues identified in the Issues Paper that were not taken into account in the country's preliminary POA; and Build consensus on how these could be addressed. 7. It is instructive to note that the country mainly plays a facilitating role during the visit, ensuring that the CRM is able to carry out its review smoothly. The CRM is given full access to all sources of information and stakeholders, as provided for in the MOU for Technical Assessment and the Country Review Visit signed by the country and the APRM. . 3