What is it about?
In this paper, I argue the case for cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to be conducted in keeping with Program Evaluation Standards.
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Why is it important?
CBA is an important evaluation method. Although situated within the discipline of economics, it belongs as much to the field of evaluation because it can be understood as a form of evaluative reasoning - i.e., a way of implementing the General Logic of Evaluation. To be accepted into the field of practice of program evaluation, CBA should uphold Program Evaluation Standards and be subjected to meta-evaluation against the Standards. To determine whether it is possible to conduct CBA in adherence with these Standards, I systematically compared CBA guidelines with Program Evaluation Standards to see if there are areas of alignment and/or conflict. I found that CBA can adhere to the Standards, but only if some conditions are met.
Perspectives
CBA guidelines focus mainly on technical aspects of practice, aimed at ensuring precision, accuracy and reliability. Program Evaluation Standards take a broader remit. Although such standards are open to ongoing debate and revision, they formalise some degree of consensus about evaluation as a field of practice. CBA can be conducted in adherence with the wider remit of Program Evaluation Standards, provided its use is negotiated with stakeholders. If CBA is used in combination with other methods, it is possible to work in an inclusive and responsive way and to conduct evaluations that are contextually viable and meaningful for stakeholders.
Julian King
University of Melbourne
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: How should Program Evaluation Standards inform the use of cost-benefit analysis in evaluation?, Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation, April 2023, The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University,
DOI: 10.56645/jmde.v19i43.829.
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