Scan and Review of Youth Development Measurement Tools

A central constraining issue in the field of youth workforce development is the lack of consensus about how to measure soft and life skills, or “work readiness.” This report scans and reviews tools designed to measure developmental assets, workforce readiness skills, and life skills – all areas identified as key stepping stones for young people to achieve positive life outcomes, particularly gainful employment. A list of close to 50 measurement tools was reviewed and reduced down to 15 based on 1) relevance to the main topic areas of interest to USAID (e.g. positive youth development, workforce readiness, conflict mitigation); 2) expected ease of implementation; 3) previous history of use in developing countries; 4) whether the tool had been used for youth assessments or evaluations; and 5) whether the tool was recommended specifically by an implementer or researcher. In addition to presenting a list of the 50 tools reviewed, the report includes a description of the 5 top tools, and a discussion on measurement challenges for the field and how USAID might address them.