Early Childhood Development Index “ECDI”
​
​It allows measuring the impact on children in their earlier stages, before entering the regular school.
The instrument uses eight indicators, to cover four main areas: so we can determine on a quantitative base the different changes (intended and unintended; positive or negative) experienced by the beneficiaries that are directly or indirectly attributable to the project. The eight indicators used are the following:
Each indicator is composed of 10 validated questions per age.
The value of the ECDI, is expressed on percentile (p) values, since the absolute values increase with the development of the child and his development so the progression on the percentile is the most reliable value
In order to quantify each of the indicators, the ECDI is expressed on a scale from 0 to 100. This allows the beneficiaries to be placed at a point on this scale in each of the evaluations (baseline and ex-post).
The comparison of the variation of the values of the indicators, through a study of prospective longitudinal cut, allows establishing the behavior of the beneficiaries.
The scales of the indicators are adapted to the ages of the beneficiaries, in which “0” represents the absolute lack, and “100” the perfect conditions/behavior. In this way, the value obtained in the evaluations in each indicator refers to an absolute maximum (not in the place where the evaluation is carried out, but the maximum possible), and therefore allows a comparison both of the evolution of the beneficiaries, and of various projects among themselves.
By assessing beneficiaries before the start of the project (baseline) and at successive moments (ex-post), changes in these eight variables can be quantified, and thus the impact of the project on beneficiaries.
In order to attribute these variations to the project, it is necessary to have a control group, i.e. a population with characteristics similar to those of the beneficiaries, but which has not participated in the project. The difference in the variations in the values of the nine indicators between the beneficiary group and the control group measures the impact attributable to the project.
The data are taken by direct observation, especially through a questionnaire that evaluates a statistically representative sample of the beneficiaries.