Akila Radhakrishan , currently Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist in UNICEF Field office for Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Chennai, provides cross-sectoral support to the government, civil society and academic institutions on policy and programme matters that directly and indirectly affect children in these two States. Specialised in Education, some of her work in Tamil Nadu includes process evaluation of Activity Based Learning with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA); preparation of the first perspective plan for Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) with the Ministry of Human Resource Development; and evaluation of UN as one during tsunami rehabilitation programme. She has a doctorate in Sociology from Madras Institute of Development Studies. She also had post-doctoral opportunity in the US on Ford Fellowship. The views expressed in this article is the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisation she represents.