Abstract
The Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) calls for establishing a global monitoring and accountability systems for early childhood development (ECD). Major gaps to build low‐cost and large‐scale ECD monitoring systems at the local level remain. In this manuscript, we describe the process of selecting nurturing care indicators at the municipal level from existing routine information systems to develop the Brazilian Early Childhood Friendly Index (IMAPI). Three methodological steps developed through a participatory decision‐making process were followed. First, a literature review identified potential indicators to translate the NCF domains. Four technical panels composed of stakeholders from federal, state and municipal levels were consulted to identify data sources, their availability at the municipal level and the strengths and weakness of each potential indicator. Second, national and international ECD experts participated in two surveys to score, following a SMART approach, the expected performance of each nurturing care indicator. This information was used to develop analytical weights for each indicator. Third, informed by strengths and weaknesses pointed out in the previous steps, the IMAPI team reached consensus on 31 nurturing care indicators across the five NCF domains (Good health [n = 14], Adequate nutrition [4], Responsive caregiving [1], Opportunities for early learning [7] and Security and safety [4]). IMAPI represents the first attempt to select nurturing care indicators at the municipal level using data from existing routine information systems.
Highlights
Round 1 started with 67 potential indicators identified through document review and finalized with 48 indicators allocated to Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) domains
Changes in 18 indicators out of 31were considered achievable within the municipal-level governance; 14 indicators were considered more relevant for changes in early childhood development (ECD); changes in 17 indicators were considered to lead to shortterm ECD outcome improvements
Other experiences measuring the environment for ECD (SEADE, 2017; United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and & Countdown to 2030, 2019) or child health (Lennart Köhler & Eriksson, 2018) exist, none had used indicators at the municipal level based on the comprehensive NCF constructed into a single index as IMAPI does
Summary
We aimed to describe the process of identifying and selecting nurturing care indicators at the municipal level from existing Brazilian databases to develop the Brazilian Early Childhood Friendly Municipal Index (IMAPI, ‘Índice Município Amigo da Primeira Infância’)
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