Authors:
Pradhan M, Brinkman SA, Beatty A, Maika A, Satriawan E, de Ree J, Hasan A
Authors notes:
Trials. 2013;14(1):259
Keywords:
Early childhood, education and development program, Indonesia, childhood services, randomised control trial
Abstract:
This paper presents the study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a supplementary matched control group.
The aim of the trial is to evaluate a community-based early education and development program launched by the Government of Indonesia.
The program was developed in collaboration with the World Bank with a total budget of US$127.7 million, and targets an estimated 738,000 children aged 0 to 6 years living in approximately 6,000 poor communities.
The aim of the program is to increase access to early childhood services with the secondary aim of improving school readiness.
This protocol paper provides a detailed record of the trial design including a discussion regarding difficulties faced with compliance to the randomization, compliance to the dispersion schedule of community block grants, and procurement delays for baseline and midline data collections.
Considering the execution of the program and the resultant threats to the study, we discuss our analytical plan and intentions for endline data collection.