Practice Note: Measuring Outcomes in Outcomes-Based Financing for Early Childhood Care and Education
By NORRAG, the Global Education Centre of the Geneva Graduate Institute
Measuring outcomes is a fundamental component of any outcomes-based financing (OBF) initiative as it provides the basis for determining whether payments should be made to the service providers for the project's actual and pre-agreed achievements (Clist & Vershoor, 2014). Early childhood care and education (ECCE) projects present unique challenges for the outcomes measurement process. These challenges stem from the multidimensional nature of child development, which varies significantly across the 0-8 age range, where rapid and dynamic growth occurs. Additionally, the diversity of settings and approaches to ECCE service delivery, coupled with the scarcity of valid, reliable, and standardised measurement tools tested in these diverse contexts further complicate the accurate assessment of outcomes in the sector (Fernald et al., 2009).
This practice note provides some insights into the prominent issues and important considerations that need to be made for measurement in outcomes-based financing for early childhood care and education (OBF4ECCE) projects. The note is supplemented by existing experiences from projects at various stages of development, from design to implementation and completion. This note is primarily intended for OBF4ECCE project designers. It could also be of interest to researchers and other ECCE practitioners in understanding the challenges and status of outcomes measurement in the sector.
Suggested citation: Thorne, G., Adams, L., & Terway, A. (2024). Practice note: Measuring outcomes in outcomes-based financing for early childhood care and education. Collective Learning Initiative on Outcomes-Based Finance for Early Childhood Care and Education, Government Outcomes Lab, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.