Making the Case for Domestic Violence Prevention Through the Lens of Cost-Benefit
A Manual for Domestic Violence Prevention Practitioners
(and the State and Local Policy-Makers They Present to)
Why Look At Costs And Benefits?
In an environment of limited funds for social programs, prevention advocates need to be able to convince funders, policy-makers and the community at large that our prevention programs are effective and efficient – that these programs are improving people’s lives in specific, measurable, and cost-effective ways.
More than ever, domestic violence prevention programs are being asked:
Is this program a good investment of public and private funds?
Can this program explain where its money goes and what the actual result of using its money this way is?
Can this program’s costs be justified?
“Many policy-makers want to see the numbers. They say, ‘tell me this works or doesn’t work.’ A program is often deemed effective by how many are served, rather than by what changes have occurred within individuals or in the community. Much of the important work of preventing violence and abuse will need to be evaluated through indicators that can measure changes over time, and how social norms have been impacted by our work.”
Nancy Bagnato, Coordinator
Violence Against Women Statewide Prevention Project
California Department of Health Services, EPIC Branch, September 23, 2005.
In the case of domestic violence prevention, cost-effectiveness means that the prevention program costs society less than it would cost to deal with the resulting consequences of domestic violence were there no prevention program.
Most of you who are reading this material already know that there are many advantages to being able to answer the above questions. Both public and private funders want serious and realistic reporting demonstrating that the programs they support have the best possible impact for the dollars being spent. Program practitioners must not only be able to account for all of the resources used by a program, they must also demonstrate the value or impact of their programs in ways that policy-makers and funders can understand. Why risk appearing to waste money or spend funding in illogical ways?