The proposed Global Schoolroom "expert panel" will be a specially constituted working group which meets from time to time to evaluate the Global Schoolroom Programme.

Expert panels are usually made up of independent specialists recognised in the fields covered by the evaluated programme in the evaluation process, usually as a mechanism for synthesising information from a range of sources, drawing on a range of viewpoints, in order to arrive at overall conclusions.

Such panels are a means of assessing a programme and its effects in the context of both the available information on the programme, and the considerable experience and knowledge of the panel members.

The expert panel is an evaluation tool in so far as there is a standard and reproducible procedure for forming it, bringing it together and leading it to produce its conclusions. Inspiration for the tool was based on university juries in the field of Research and Development programme evaluation.

The experts themselves are chosen to represent a number of perspectives, in a balanced and impartial way. These experts are independent specialists, recognised in a domain of the evaluated programme. They are asked to examine all the data and analyses made during the evaluation and then to highlight consensus on the conclusions that the evaluation must draw - particularly on the answers to give to evaluative questions. The panel does not fully explain its judgement references or its trade-off between criteria, but the credibility of the evaluation is guaranteed by the fact that the conclusions result from consensus between people who are renowned specialists and represent the different "schools of expertise".

The expert panel may be used to formulate an independent, authoritative judgement, which is particularly useful in a partnership context, especially if there are differences in the partners' views.