Abstract
The development or review of a new skills policy or strategy should identify key issues and challenges facing the skills development system. Different indicators can be used to measure key areas of performance such as enrolments, completions, employment outcomes and cost effectiveness. However, as skill systems in low and middle income countries often don't have access to sufficient data to measure performance against a comprehensive set of quantitative indicators, consultations and interactions with national stakeholders can be used to identify the key issues and challenges. In these contexts, qualitative methods and tools become more relevant and so this guide provides a series of questions that can be used to identify key issues and challenges in the system and thus provide a foundation upon which further research and analysis can be done. The information and insights gained from stakeholders through the use of this resource can provide useful inputs to a formal review of a skills system, through national regional and/or sectoral consultations. In this way, the ILO Skill System Assessment Tool provides a useful resource for ILO staff and constituents who wish to review key elements of their skills system using qualitative methods..