Experimental evaluations of development projects

Discussions have begun in Birmingham about how to integrate cost-benefit analysis into the Unit’s evaluation of three proven models. The Brighter Futures strategy ties a £42m investment in prevention to a predicted £102m saving on heavy-end services.

The evaluation must not only estimate the impact of The Incredible Years, Triple-P and PATHS on child outcomes, but also calculate financial costs and benefits.
 
The core of the discussions concerns the ‘monetisation’ of outcome measures, such as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
 
In the context of local government budgets, three forms of cost-benefit analysis are required. They relate to savings that accrue to the local authority, savings to the budgets of other children’s and adult services, and the benefits to broader society, such as the greater tax contribution made by healthy children in adulthood.