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Cost-utility analysis in educational needs assessment

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  • Ross, John A.

Abstract

Educational needs assessments (hereafter NAs) are inattentive to cost considerations and are frequently dominated by elite stakeholder groups. In this article I make a case for adopting a cost-utility approach, illustrating the argument with data generated in a NA of central library services in a Canadian school district. Using survey data from eight stakeholder groups, I found that (1) NAs based on the service preferences of a single stakeholder group can be misleading; (2) service preferences can be integrated into a single set of priorities, even when there are disagreements, by using the stakeholder group as the unit of analysis and assigning weights that privilege input from knowledgeable respondents; and (3) that the ranking of service operations produced by user preferences was not significantly correlated with the ranking produced by integrating preferences with costs. Cost-utility analysis would be more helpful if the utilities represented rigorously determined benefits of the services assessed, as well as stakeholder perceptions of the value of these benefits. Cost-utility analysis in NA will not reach its potential until cost considerations are routinely included in educational program evaluations.

Suggested Citation

  • Ross, John A., 2008. "Cost-utility analysis in educational needs assessment," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 356-367, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:epplan:v:31:y:2008:i:4:p:356-367
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lee, Yi-Fang & Altschuld, James W. & White, Jeffry L., 2007. "Effects of multiple stakeholders in identifying and interpreting perceived needs," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 1-9, February.
    2. Lee, Yi-Fang & Altschuld, James W. & White, Jeffry L., 2007. "Problems in needs assessment data: Discrepancy analysis," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 258-266, August.
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    1. Mariya Sheluntsova, 2012. "Methods of projects’ performance estimation in the public sector of economics," Economy of region, Centre for Economic Security, Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, vol. 1(1), pages 247-253.

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