Sabina Alkire
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199245796
- eISBN:
- 9780191600838
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199245797.003.0006
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
The sixth and seventh chapters that make up Part II of the book consist of one practical and much narrower application of the capability approach, namely, a discussion of how economic analysis ...
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The sixth and seventh chapters that make up Part II of the book consist of one practical and much narrower application of the capability approach, namely, a discussion of how economic analysis (cost‐benefit analysis) and systematic qualitative information on human impacts can be combined in order to assess the relative effectiveness of particular development activities in expanding human capabilities. This sixth chapter on assessing capability change first gives an introduction to Part II. It goes on to defend the necessity of efficiency considerations, such as those that are incorporated in cost‐benefit analysis and in project evaluation, and then looks at capability set analysis by reviewing two prominent participatory assessment methodologies that have been developed to supplement economic considerations with social data: one by the World Bank (participatory social assessment), the other as a result of US legislation governing public expenditure (social impact assessment). Both of these lack a systematic method for identifying changes valued by participants themselves and for devolving real control over a decision to the lowest level capable of making it, and this lack increases the chance of significant bias in gathering and interpreting value judgements. In response, a novel method of impact assessment is described that would complement and improve available assessment tools; the method of impact assessment represents one way in which the framework of the preceding chapters could be used.Less
The sixth and seventh chapters that make up Part II of the book consist of one practical and much narrower application of the capability approach, namely, a discussion of how economic analysis (cost‐benefit analysis) and systematic qualitative information on human impacts can be combined in order to assess the relative effectiveness of particular development activities in expanding human capabilities. This sixth chapter on assessing capability change first gives an introduction to Part II. It goes on to defend the necessity of efficiency considerations, such as those that are incorporated in cost‐benefit analysis and in project evaluation, and then looks at capability set analysis by reviewing two prominent participatory assessment methodologies that have been developed to supplement economic considerations with social data: one by the World Bank (participatory social assessment), the other as a result of US legislation governing public expenditure (social impact assessment). Both of these lack a systematic method for identifying changes valued by participants themselves and for devolving real control over a decision to the lowest level capable of making it, and this lack increases the chance of significant bias in gathering and interpreting value judgements. In response, a novel method of impact assessment is described that would complement and improve available assessment tools; the method of impact assessment represents one way in which the framework of the preceding chapters could be used.
