Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)

Scenario 1 You are about to buy a CD for £10 at HMV when a friend tells you that the same CD is available online for £5. Do you: a)Buy it online for £5 b)Buy it at HMV for £10

Scenario 2 You are about to buy a laptop for £1205 while you are in PC World. You can get the very same laptop online for £1200. Do you: a)Buy the laptop online for £1200 b)Buy the laptop in PC World for £1205

Definition of CBA The study that compares the costs and benefits of a given situation. It is commonly used to assess the desirability of a project.

Costs What you give up when you decide to do something Also referred to as OPPORTUNITY COST Eg: Time, money, displacement, improvements on other things

Benefit Something that satisfies your wants Eg: Time, saves money, improved safety, improvements in the local area

Ending World Hunger Would you end world hunger at the cost of the death of ten random people in the world?

Ending World Hunger Would you end world hunger at the cost of the death of ten random people in your country?

Ending World Hunger Would you end world hunger at the cost of the death of ten random people in your school?

Ending World Hunger Would you end world hunger at the cost of the death of ten random people in your class?

Should the government implement a policy that is guaranteed to save lives per year? A policy to save 500+ lives?

Costs & Benefits??

PRIVATE Costs & Benefits The costs or benefits that are incurred by the individual consumer or firm, directly involved in the economic transaction (1 st party costs) e.g. Driving from A to B The 1 st party cost would be the petrol, car, time taken.

EXTERNAL Costs & Benefits The costs or benefits that are incurred by the 3 rd party, who are NOT directly involved in the economic transaction e.g. Driving from A to B The 3 rd party cost would be congestion, pollution caused by driving. External Costs = Negative Externalities External Benefits = Positive Externalities

SOCIAL Costs & Benefits The total costs/benefits associated with an economic transaction Social Costs = Private Costs + External Costs Social Benefits = Private Benefits + External Benefits

Example What are the external costs of the proposal? East Northamptonshire Councillors have refused to grant planning permission for a chip shop to open near two schools in Rushden, Northamptonshire.chip

Example Consider the decision to build a local bypass. What are the costs and benefits of the project?

Activity In pairs/threes, put together a 5 minute presentation that outlines the private & external costs and benefits associated with your given example.

Difficulties associated with CBA Putting a value on a green open space?

Difficulties associated with CBA The ‘National Ecosystem Assessment’ attempts to give a standard valuation on ‘ecosystem services’ like pollination by insects, water and air purification by soils and plants, the flood alleviation provided by woods and marshes upstream of towns and cities, and the value of living close to a green space; for example the value of living near a green space is calculated as £300 in terms of savings to the NHS.

Difficulties associated with CBA 1)Finding a common unit for analysis 2)Variable opinions 3)Is there a right or wrong answer? 4)Based on estimates, making recommendations only guides