Investigators:
Alanna Sincovich
Project description:
Despite the fact that billions of dollars are spent on early childhood initiatives globally, the tools available to measure the impact of such interventions are not adequate, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. There is crucial need for an instrument that can truly detect the impact of interventions seeking to enhance early human capability through health, nutrition, and early stimulation programs.
The early Human Capability Index (eHCI) is a holistic measure intended to capture locally-relevant early child development across diverse cultures and contexts. The eHCI was developed by Professor Sally Brinkman to capture the key aspects of child development in 3 to 5-year-olds that predict future capabilities. The eHCI is an easy-to-use survey tool that can be completed by parents/caregivers, teachers, childcare workers, allied health, and other health or early childhood practitioners. It is not a developmental milestone test but is measure of where a child can be placed on a developmental continuum. As such the eHCI can determine if a child is thriving or doing poorly on different aspects of development and can detect developmental change over time.
The eHCI covers the following aspects of child development including: general verbal communication, approaches to learning, numeracy and concepts, formal literacy – reading and writing, cultural knowledge, social and emotional skills, perseverance, and physical health. The eHCI can be used for: population monitoring and surveillance; impact evaluations of interventions aimed at improving child health, early education and development; and for longitudinal cohort studies looking to predict the future capabilities.
To date the eHCI has been utilised for population monitoring in Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa, India, and Tajikistan. In Lao PDR the instrument wasused as the primary outcome measure for a series of large-scale randomised control trials to promote child health and development. In China, Brazil, Peru, and Bulgaria the instrument has been used in longitudinal cohort studies. In Australia, the eHCI has been adapted for use in remote Aboriginal Communities.
The eHCI was developed in the interest of public good and is free for anyone to use. Copies of various country adaptations of the instrument, scoring guides, and other resources are available on the eHCI website.
Project Output:
Journal Publications
Sincovich, A., Gregory, T., Zanon, C., Santos, D.D., Lynch, J., & Brinkman, S.A. (2020). Measuring early child development in low and middle income countries: Investigating the validity of the early Human Capability Index. Social Science and Medicine: Population Health, 11, 100613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100613
Zhao, J., Brinkman, S.A., Zhang, Y., Song, Y., Lu, C., Young, M.E., Zhang, Y., Ip, P., Shan, W., & Fan, J. (2020). Measuring Early Childhood Development with the Early Human Capability Index (eHCI): A Reliability and Validity Study in China. BMC Pediatrics, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-020-02210-w
Sincovich, A., Gregory, T., Zanon, C., Santos, D.D., Lynch, J., & Brinkman, S.A. (2019). Measuring early childhood development in multiple contexts: The factor structure and reliability of the early Human Capability Index in seven low and middle income countries. BMC Pediatrics, 19(471). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-019-1852-5
Reports
Brinkman, S., Sincovich, A., Lam, B., & Beteille, T. (2022). The Early Childhood Education Program in Lao PDR: impact evaluation report. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Brinkman, S., Lam, B., Sincovich, A., & Beteille, T. (2022). The Reading Readiness Program in Lao PDR: final impact report. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Brinkman, S., & Sincovich, A. (2019). The Status of Early Childhood Health and Development in the Republic of Tajikistan: Results from a National Survey. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Brinkman, S., Sincovich, A., & Thanh Vu, B. (2019). How are Tongan children developing? Results from the second national census and policy recommendations for better child development in Tonga. Report No: AUS0000648. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Brinkman, S., Sincovich, A., & Thanh Vu, B. (2017). The Status of Early Childhood Health and Development in Kiribati: Results from a Population Wide Census. Report No: AUS0000127. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Brinkman, S., Sincovich, A., & Thanh Vu, B. (2017). How are Tuvalu’s Children Developing? Evidence-Based Policy Recommendations for Better Early Childhood Development. Report No: AUS0000128. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Brinkman, S., Sincovich, A., & Thanh Vu, B. (2017). Early Childhood Development in Samoa: Baseline Results from the Samoan Early Human Capability Index. Report No: AUS0000129. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Brinkman, S., & Vu, B. T. (2017). Early Childhood Development in Tonga: Baseline Results from the Tongan Early Human Capability Index. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Brinkman, S., Sincovich, A., & Nikolov Danchev, P. (2016). The Status of Early Childhood Health and Development in Northern Lao PDR: Baseline Results from the Early Childhood Education Project. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Funders of the project:
National Health and Medical Research Council, World Bank, Global Partnership for Education, and various country governments
External collaborators:
- China Development Research Foundation
- Dubai Cares
- Global Partnership for Education
- Peking University
- Shanghai Children’s Medical Hospital
- Trust for Social Achievement Foundation
- University of Calcutta
- University of São Paulo
- World Bank