The African Peer Review Mechanism (the APRM) was created to improve governance by assessing democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance, and socio-economic development in African countries. Herbert and Gruzd call it ‘unprecedented’ in scope and depth, and ‘the most innovative and audacious element’ (p. 4) in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The authors describe the APRM in detail and give case studies of the initial country reviews of Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Mauritius, and South Africa. We are told that the requirements for the reviews are set out in several documents, with later documents contradicting earlier documents, which have not been repealed. Officials preparing reports for the APRM and others contributing to them are advised to rely on guidance from APRM Secretariat officials. Five steps are indentified for preparing reports. First, a country conducts its own in-depth assessment, with broad public input, leading to a country self-assessment report and Programme of Action to fix gaps in governance. To do this the country is expected to establish a Commission and Secretariat and identify a National APRM Focal Point (typically a government minister) and technical research institutions. The Africa regional APRM Secretariat and ‘Strategic Partners’ help by sending a support mission to ensure that ‘civil society’ and business take part fully, using an 88-page questionnaire ‘with 25 objectives, 58 questions on governance issues and 183 indicators’, with ‘many questions requiring in-depth research’.