This guide is an updated version of an informal working document produced in 1996 in the Sustainable Development Department of the Inter-American Development Bank. The original motivation was to support the efforts of IDB staff to assist national counterparts in developing ECCD projects in what was then an emerging area of Bank operations. The initial working document was conceived and prepared by a team consisting of Robert Myers, who wrote the first draft, Sarah Howden, and Ricardo Morán.

Several IDB colleagues made substantial contributions to the initial and subsequent revisions of the guide through valuable comments-many of which were based on their experiences testing the guide in actual project work. Among them, Claudia de Colstoun, Alvaro Cubillos, Ruthanne Deutsch, Stephen Doherty, Tomás Engler, Michelle Fryer, Cintia Guimaraes, Beatriz Harretche, Maria Regina Ktistakis, Heraldo Laguzzi, Marta Mejía-Zampieri, Isabel Nieves, María Teresa Traverso, and Gabriela Vega, were especially supportive. Mary Young, Manuel Zymelman and Frank Method also provided very helpful suggestions.

Robert Myers and Ricardo Morán are the authors of the guide. Tab 5, "Calculating Costs and Potential Benefits," is largely based on Morán, Myers, and Zymelman (1997).

The present version of the guide was designed, edited, produced, and coded for the Web by Communications Development Incorporated. Jill MacFarren, Chloe O'Gara, and Sophie Mosko reviewed the edited manuscript for the present version and suggested many improvements. Jennifer Haefeli provided valuable administrative assistance.

Ricardo Morán of the IDB's Social Development Division, Sustainable Development Department, supervised the task. The opinions expressed in the guide are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the view of the IDB or its Board of Executive Directors.

Copyright © 1999 Inter-American Development Bank