Public Administration Analysis of Costs

Public Administration

Analysis of Costs & Outcomes

In performing cost-effectiveness analysis on this problem, in which comparisons are made between two alternatives whose inputs and outputs are not measured in solely monetary aspects, we must first covert the second set of data to a one-month reading achievement level. We do that by multiplying the original cost of $13,000 for a half-month gain by two, to get a whole month gain at a cost of $26,000 -- we do this to make Program B. comparable to Program A. (i.e. Program A achieved a one-month gain, thus Program B. must be made into a one-main gain also for comparison).

Next, we compare the cost-effectiveness ratios: Program A's ratio is $6,000 for every 100 children while Program B's ratio is now $26,000 for every 300 children. That's 6000/100 and 26,000/300 respectively. In computing the ratios, we get a cost of $60 per child for Program A, and a cost of $86.67 per child for Program B. Thus Program A is the more cost-effective Program.

Taken another way, we can divide Program A by one half to make comparable to Program B, i.e. $6,000 for one month reading gain equates to $3,000 for a half-month gain. Now we can compare the cost effectiveness of our ratios, that is $3,000/100 children, getting an average cost of $30 per student for Program A; and 13,000/300 for Program B, which would cost $43.33 per student for Program B.

Our math calculations check out, and we find that Program A is the better program. Once making all variables comparable, we can measure the cost of both programs against each other, finding that Program A will be less costly to implement per child per reading gain, and can therefore help more children with reading achievement.

2.) Qualitative evaluation endeavors to ascertain quality, as the name suggests, and in this particular case, how well the course did in achieving its goals, which are presumably how effective its pedagogy was. This is juxtaposed to qualitative evaluation which measures how much the course did.

Here the measure is quality and relevance of a particular program.

In an interview, a qualitative evaluator could use open-ended questions rather than a scale to perhaps learn more about such issues as whether or not the course encouraged the development of critical thinking skills. Toward that end, a qualitative evaluator might ask, "What intellectual skills did the course help you develop?" Or "What critical thinking or problem-solving skills did the course help you develop?"

Conversely, a simple yes/no answer is appropriate for some questions, as in #1. The question might become, "Were the goals of the course clearly expressed at the beginning?" The answers could then be used to suggest either a positive or negative correlation.