Cost and Effective Analysis of the LINKAGES ... - Linkages Project

Table 6: Relationship Between Costs and Outcomes (LINKAGES and Partner Costs)North Center South17,693 20,065 6,042Number ofBeneficiariesIndicator Cost PerBeneficiaryPCTChg inIndicatorCost PerBeneficiaryPCTChg inIndicatorCost PerBeneficiaryPCTChg inIndicatorLAM User Rate $33,755 $1.91 6.78% $43,909 $2.19 4.47% $19,323 $3.20 3.28%6.2. What are Determinants of Costs and Cost Effectiveness?Overall Finding The cost of training activities and IEC are the key cost drivers. Thekey factors affecting cost effectiveness include baseline and outcome behaviorchange rates and the size of targeted population.Higher total cost or cost per beneficiary does not necessarily imply lower or higher cost effectiveness(defined as cost per new acceptor). Many factors affect total costs and cost effectiveness. Costs aredisaggregated in a variety of ways to examine patterns among different types of costs, and factors thataffect cost effectiveness.6.2.1. Key Cost DriversThe cost patterns in the three regions are similar – costs were concentrated in BF/LAM trainingactivities (60% of costs in the Center, 58% in the North, and 54% of costs in the South region), withIEC, mother-to-mother support group activities, and monitoring and evaluation the next largest costcomponents.Although BF/LAM training is clearly the highest cost activity in all regions, there are regionaldifferences in the cost per beneficiary. Table 7 shows the cost of each activity by region. TotalBF/LAM training cost per beneficiary in the North is $1.06, in the Center $1.32, and in the South$1.73.There is a difference in the proportional distribution of MTMSG activity costs across the regions.They comprise 3% of total costs in the North, 7% in the Center, and 11% in the South. Further, theMTMSG costs per beneficiary were six times higher in South ($0.36) than in North ($0.06), and twicethat of the Center region ($0.16).Another notable difference in the proportionate distribution across the regions can be found in IECcosts. IEC costs represent 20% of the total costs in the North and 13% of costs in the Center. On aper beneficiary basis, the costs in the North ($0.38) were 31% higher than in the Center region($0.29). Even though total IEC costs in the South were lower than in the North and Center regions,cost per beneficiary ($0.54) was 86% higher than in the Central region and 42% higher than in theNorth. This is due to the fact that the coverage population in the North was triple and in the Center3.3 times that in the South.Linkages Project/AED 6. Findings 19