Evaluation of environmental investments procedures manual. Interim: Cost effectiveness and incremental cost analyses

Abstract

This manual serves as a guide for conducting cost effectiveness and incremental cost analyses for the evaluation of alternative environmental restoration or mitigation plans. It presents a procedural framework for conducting the cost analyses and discusses how they fit into, and contribute to, the Corps planning process. The procedures included in this manual are based upon the conceptual framework of the U.S. Water Resources Council's Principles and Guidelines and comply with current Corps regulations and guidance on incremental cost analysis for environmental restoration or mitigation planning studies. Discussed in the manual are the conceptual underpinnings, practical procedures, and implications for decision making of cost effectiveness and incremental cost analyses. Also provided are instructions for accompanying automated computational procedures for conducting the analyses. These automated procedures will execute the otherwise time-consuming number-crunching, allowing planners more time to formulate and evaluate alternative plans and their outputs.