Introduction

The research presented here was conducted by the FrameWorks Institute and sponsored by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. This report is part of a larger project that aims to translate the science of early child development (ECD) into the field of international development. The guiding question of this larger project is: How can the science of early child development be communicated to increase scienceunderstanding and create better alignment between scientific research and international development programs and policy?

The following report presents results from the first phase of this larger effort. In the report, FrameWorks analyzes data from a series of cognitive interviews in order to identify and describe the implicit assumptions, norms and patterns of understanding that leaders in the field of international development employ in thinking about their own work, children’s issues generally and ECD more specifically. These assumptions can be seen as the cognitive “filters” through which key science messages will be interpreted. The analysis of these “filters,” along with other empirical research, will inform recommendations designed to increase the accessibility of this science to these international development leaders, as they make programmatic decisions for their respective organizations and shape the f ield more generally.