Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 19 September 2024 - The Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD) organized a brownbag session on Social Benefit Analysis in Project Evaluations. Dr. Abdourahamane Dit Baffa Keita, Lead Corporate Performance & Result Specialist, facilitated this engaging session, which shed light on the importance of economic analysis as a powerful decision-making tool. Participants learned about the four levels of economic analysis—cost-utility, cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, and cost-opportunity—and how these can be applied in evaluating projects.

Through a case study of an IsDB education project implemented in Djibouti, Dr. Keita illustrated how to identify stakeholders, assess impacts, and determine the social value of interventions. A key takeaway from the session was the distinction between financial analysis and social benefit analysis. While the former focuses on financial returns, social benefit analysis is used for projects without income-generating purposes implemented in sectors such as education or health.

The session emphasized the critical role of social benefit analysis in providing real evidence to evaluate efficiency and impact, particularly for projects aimed at delivering long-term societal value.