The diskette in this package contains a guide to assist Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) staff, national counterparts, and consultants in their work to design, prepare, and implement early child care and development (ECCD) programs. Cast in a user-friendly format, the guide provides information and tips for different project stages, including the conceptual framework, goal setting, cost-benefit considerations, and monitoring and evaluation. A directory of people and institutions to contact for more information is included, as well as a list of bibliographical references on specific topics. The diskette includes "hot buttons" to help users move quickly and easily through the different sections, as well as information on relevant Web sites. The guide should be useful to non-government organizations and others involved in ECCD operations, regardless of their connection to the IDB.

Users of this resource are expected to have at least some experience with social projects, but no specific experience with ECCD operations is required. Thus the material includes basic concepts and information that will be familiar to specialists, along with more novel content, such as the application of the Logical Framework approach, that should be of interest to them. By providing a broad array of relevant information in one place, we hope to have produced a useful toolkit for both newcomers and experienced individuals working in the area.