Crosby_PBPL1_W25_Wk7B (1)
Course Overview
PBPL 1: Intro to Public Policy Analysis
Instructor: Andy Crosby, PhD
Winter 2025: Week 7B
Class Reminders
Housekeeping
Office hours change:
Tuesdays: 2:30 - 4:30 PM
Thursdays: 2 - 3 PM
Meeting #1 grades have been posted.
Note on upcoming Exam 2:
Class will not meet on Thursday, February 27
Study guide discussed on Tuesday, February 25
More application-heavy questions on Exam 2 and 3 (e.g., surveys, cost-benefit analysis).
Public Meetings Assignment #1
Discusses the role of public meetings in policy analysis.
Policy Analysis Topics
Policy Analysis and Evaluation
Continues from previous weeks with tools for policy analysis.
Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Examples
Private Company Example: Ice Cream
Cost per gallon: $3.50
$2 ingredients, $0.50 labor, $1 maintenance
Benefit (Selling Price): $10
Net Benefit: $10 - $3.50 = $6.50
Decision Making
Compare Option 1 (Status Quo) with Option 2 (New Speakers).
Net Benefits Calculation:
Option 1: Costs $10,000, Benefits $12,000 → Net Benefit = $2,000
Option 2: Costs $10,000, Benefits $8,600 → Net Benefit = -$1,400
Applying B/C Ratio
Option 1 Ratio: 12000/10000 = 1.2 (Profitable)
Option 2 Ratio: 8600/10000 = 0.86 (Not profitable)
Community Pool Project: Options & Costs
Options Identified
Competition only pool
Competition and recreation pools
Recreation only pool
Construction Costs
Option 1: $8,967,689
Option 2: $8,030,032
Option 3: $10,918,432
Projected Operating Costs
Site Plan Option 1: Revenues and expenses projected over 5 years show significant net losses.
Comparison Table: Evaluating revenues and operating expenses for each option.
Recommendations
Combine competition and recreation programming.
Proceed with Site Plan Option 2 for its balanced development cost.
Evaluate a joint venture with the Davis Joint Unified School District for better cost recovery.
Multi-Attribute Analysis (MAA)
Considers factors beyond efficiency (e.g., political feasibility, fairness).
Identify criteria, weight them, and score options.
Examples of Applying MAA
Case studies on transit projects in Calgary demonstrate how MAA aids fund allocation and investment decisions.
Extensions of CBA
Sensitivity Analysis: Review results based on assumption changes to gauge robustness.
Study Focus for Upcoming Exam
Understand policy analysis and basic cost-benefit analysis principles.
Prepare for further discussions on policy tools.