Rigor, in the context of practical measurement, deals with not only the level to which a measure, survey, assessment, or tool provides information that is both valid and reliable but also whether the thresholds of rigorous measurement and research are actually viable for practitioners and researchers working in low-resource, crisis-affected, and fragile contexts. In this module, we discuss not only the different types of validity and reliability tests/statistics, but also which ones we recommend using when measuring outcomes for tracking, screening, situation analyses, monitoring, or evaluation.

Saraswathy Sabanathan, Bridget Wills, and Melissa Gladstone

“Global emphasis has shifted beyond reducing child survival rates to improving health and developmental trajectories in childhood. Optimum early childhood experience is believed to allow children to benefit fully from educational opportunities resulting in improved human capital. Investment in early childhood initiatives in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) is increasing. These initiatives use early childhood developmental assessment tools (CDATs) as outcome measures. CDATs are also key measures in the evaluation of programmatic health initiatives in LMICs, influencing public health policy. Interpretation of CDAT outcomes requires understanding of their structure and psychometric properties. This article reviews the structure and main methods of CDAT development with specific considerations when applied in LMICs.”

Lia C. H. Fernald, Elizabeth Prado, Patricia Kariger, and Abbie Raikes

“The primary purpose of this Toolkit is to provide a resource for researchers, evaluators, and program personnel from various disciplines interested in assessing early childhood development (ECD) in low- and middle-income countries—either for planning and evaluating interventions, monitoring development over time, or conducting a situation analysis. The Toolkit is intended to help produce reliable, actionable data on child development.”