Public Sector vs Private Sector - Research Paper Example

In practice, the method chosen for the evaluation of a project can highly vary depended on the project’s targets, the resources available and the environment in which the project was first developed. For example, if the project has been developed in the private sector its evaluation will be based on a method that will be different from those used in the public sector. Cost Benefit Analysis/ Cost Effectiveness Analysis The specific method of project evaluation is ideal for projects that have both economic and non-economic effects (Simic, Vratonjic & Beric 2011, p.114). When the costs involved in a project are difficult to be precisely estimated, then the Cost Effectiveness Analysis would be preferred.

The Cost-Effectiveness Analysis has an important benefit: it gives the chance to choose among alternative projects so that the project related to the lowest costs is identified (Simic, Vratonjic & Beric 2011, p.115). . Effectiveness Analysis (Simic, Vratonjic & Beric 2011, p.117) Setting project’s goals and purpose Setting ‘the conditions for the achievement of goals’ (Simic, Vratonjic & Beric 2011, p.117) Introducing alternatives; for each goal at least two alternatives need to be available, meaning alternative strategies/ methodologies for achieving a particular goal Introducing evaluation criteria; for example: ‘feasibility and availability’ (Simic, Vratonjic & Beric 2011, p.117) Introducing evaluation criteria related to costs; fixed cost criteria are preferred since they refer to a wide range of costs, including ‘research and development, project implementation and maintenance’ (Simic, Vratonjic & Beric 2011, p.117) Deciding on the quality/ appropriateness of alternatives Evaluating each alternative in terms of its sensitivity, i.e. whether it is vulnerable to changes.

Evaluating each alternative in terms of its content, meaning especially the accuracy of costs involved The findings of the research over the quality of a project are further discussed and analyzed aiming to present all aspects of the project and of the alternatives available A different process for the evaluation of a project can be chosen, taking into consideration the economic and social environment and the project’s targets. For example, the African Development Bank Group tends to use a specific process for evaluating its projects; this process is presented in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2 – Evaluation process of projects developed by ADBG (ADBG 2004, p.iii) Evaluation of project – Costs The costs of a project are usually categorized according to the nature of the project and its targets. In the case of BlueJay, costs would be divided into two major categories. A. Total ownership costs These are