Using cost-effectiveness vs cost-benefit analysis in decision-making

Abstract

In her lecture, Rachel Glennerster discusses the approach to cost-effectiveness analysis employed by J-PAL, drawing upon two papers that evaluated student attendance and learning. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the choices and assumptions made when conducting such analyses. Additionally, Glennerster explores the concept of extending cost-effectiveness analysis to cost-benefit analysis, which aims to compare outcomes on a single scale. While this approach is more intuitive for economists, it presents additional challenges and assumptions. – AI-generated abstract.