ScholarlyCommons

Team1000+ is a consortium that combines the expertise and complementarities of groups of research scholarsfrom the University of Pennsylvania (Penn)-USA (PI Jere R. Behrman), University of Essex-UK (PI Sonia Bhalotra) and CDDEP-India (PI Ramanan Laxminarayan) into an international interdisciplinary consortium of leading scholars with considerable expertise on many facets of both determinants and impacts of early childhood development (ECD). The lead institution for Team1000+ Project is Penn, with the project being coordinated by the Penn Population Studies Center (PSC) and with Behrman as PI, in partnership with the two consortium members (Essex, CDDEP). Team1000+ includes over 50 investigators with advanced training in economics and 11 other relevant disciplines; current appointments in 17 countries, including 13 low- and middle-income countries; and current or recent appointments in a number of international governmental organizations, international NGOs, governments and universities. Team1000+ is developing an economic framework to address four critical poverty-related risk factors during the First 1000 Days of life highlighted by the GCC -- malnutrition, infection, poor management of pregnancy and birth complications, and a lack of cognitive stimulation and nurturing – and analyze the economic impacts and the resource costs of selected related interventions over the life cycle. Team1000+ is undertaking an innovative strategy with a number of components to move considerably beyond the existing literature to develop significantly improved understanding. The project purpose is to contribute significantly to understanding the economic impact of ameliorating key risk factors in the First 1000 Days in developing countries through synthesizing available knowledge and contributing new innovative studies. The potential impact in terms of knowledge on this important topic is great, both directly on policy makers and indirectly through the influence of the nongovernmental and academic communities on policy. Papers in this working paper series are products written by members of Team1000+.