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Article History

Received: 23 August 2017

Accepted: 27 June 2018

First Online: 11 July 2018

Ethics approval and consent to participate

: Ethics approval was not sought out as this publication was not human subject research. We used publically available and ethically cleared secondary data (Demographic and Health Surveys) or already published baseline, final, and post-project surveys, which had undergone appropriate IRBs (Concern Worldwide Inc.) at the time. No conclusions are drawn on any individual or population groups, and no recommendations are made which could impact benefits and services to any population.Participants partaking in the independent practitioners’ panel rating provided tacit consent for the study. This was considered appropriate for the following reasons: (1) Health professionals surveyed were members of different professional teams in the International Health and Development Division at ICF, and asked whether they would volunteer time for the validation exercise. The purpose of the exercise was clearly explained. (2) All data that they assessed were theoretical, and unrelated to any actual site or population group. (3) No personal information was provided. (4) Assessed data (correlated to the index measure) were theoretical aggregates, and unrelated to any actual human subjects. (5) The professionals could not derive any benefit or inconvenience from participation.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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