Cost effectiveness

All ICT tools have a cost. However, there are very few studies looking at cost versus benefit of different applications or projects. Thus, while we can not provide cost effectiveness assessment, we can at least highlight the general costs and benefits involved, namely:

Costs

• Assessment and planning costs
• Development costs
• Infrastructure and equipment costs
• Training and outreach costs
  
• Maintenance costs - both in terms of content updating and tool maintenance
  

Benefits

• Extent of use
• Knowledge gained
  
• Use that translates in to action
• Action that translates in to target group benefit (e.g., increased income, lower costs, less labor, reduced risk, etc.)
  

These benefits are increasingly difficult to assess as you move from "Extent of use" to "Action that translates in to target group benefit". Benefits are often anecdotal, but such do have value.

Costs in tool development and maintenance have to be weighed against benefit. Such studies are rarely done.

Consider alternate (non-ICT) approaches