Developing a New Tool for International Youth Programs

Abstract: We developed and evaluated the YouthPower Action Youth Soft Skills Assessment (YAYSSA), a self-report soft skills measure. The YAYSSA targets 15- to 19-year-old youth in lower resource environments. In Study 1, we identified 16 key constructs based on a review of those associated with positive youth outcomes in sexual and reproductive health, violence prevention, and workforce success. We adapted promising items measuring those constructs from existing and openly available tools. We conducted cognitive interviews with 50 youth from six schools in Uganda, for wording and response formats, leading to a first draft tool. In Study 2 we administered that tool to N = 1,098 youth in 59 schools in Uganda. Confirmatory factor analyses did not support the hypothesized 16-factor structure, but exploratory factor analyses suggested a four-factor solution (Positive self-concept, Higher-order thinking skills, Social and Communication skills, and Negative self-concept). In Study 3, a revised tool was administered to Uganda youth ( N = 1,010, 59 sites). After cognitive testing with 45 youth in Guatemala, the tool was administered to youth ( N = 794; 59 sites) in Guatemala once, then 5 months later, with a mixture of retested and new participants ( N = 784; 67 sites). Factor analytic results supported the four-factor structure with 48 retained items and indicated that the instrument was reliable by internal consistency and test-retest correlations. The instrument correlated with demographic variables and outcomes in expected directions. We found evidence for measurement invariance across country, country and gender, country and socioeconomic status, and time. We discuss implications for scale validation and use in future research.