Cost-Benefit Analyses

Cost-Benefit Analyses

Are teacher’s aides in the classroom a better investment in children’s well-being and learning than, for instance, extra lessons in Danish? And if the goal is to prevent academic failure in the educational system, is an early language program in preschool a better investment than a language program later in the child’s schooling?

With the impact evaluations of the centre, we can learn whether a program is effective, and eventually, how effective it is. This will make it possible to answer the above mentioned and similar questions.

The cost-benefit analyses of the centre compare the effects with the costs of the programs and can thus generate new knowledge about, how we as a society get as much well-being and learning for money as possible.

Time Period:

2013 – 2019.

Target Group:

The children and young adults, who are the target groups in the centre programs, be it a social, a school, or a crime preventive program.

Number of Participants:

All children, who have been part of one of the previous impact evaluations at the centre.

Intervention:

At TrygFonden’s Centre for Child Research, we evaluate the effects of many different interventions. A cost-benefit analysis takes the evaluations as its starting point and ensures that it is possible to compare the cost-effectiveness of the individual intervention programs across previous impact evaluations.

Research:

The project consists of three sub-components:

  • A common measurement basis. Firstly, a database with validated, scientific questionnaires is established. Subsequently, these questionnaries are put at the researchers’ disposal to ensure a consistent data collection across the impact evaluations of the centre.
  • More knowledge about the long-term effects. A number of empirical analyses are conducted to hold previous differences in childhood and school with outcomes later in life. For instance, it is possible to hold a language acquisition in preschool with probability calculations of the need for special education in school, other social arrangements and expectations for development in youth and adulthood. Preventive actions can improve the child’s development in the short run, but may also have long-term, positive effects that cannot be measured in each evaluation. Our cost-benefit analyses help us to make a scientific estimate of the relative importance of these effects.
  • Cost-benefit analyses. When each impact evaluation is completed, a study of the costs of implementing the intervention is made. Furthermore, the effects are converted, making it possible to compare them with the effects of the other projects at the centre.

Partners:

KORA.

Results:

Regularly – every time a new impact evaluation is completed.

 

Keywords:

Cost benefit, cost-effectiveness.

Project Group

Mette Verner

Professor with Special Responsibilities

Publications

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