Brief: Measuring the Value for Money of Acceleration
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This September 2018 brief was originally published by the Global Accelerator Learning Initiative (GALI) and was developed out of a literature review and methodological guide from Elizabeth Brown, PhD.
Researchers and evaluators use various methods to assess how efficiently a program or project converts inputs into outcomes, often referred to as “value for money.” For example, for every $1 invested into an accelerator program, how many jobs were created? How much additional revenue did businesses earn?
This method brief first frames the various ways accelerators can think about value for money of their programs. Then, it explores one practical approach to calculating value for money. Finally, the brief summarizes similar evaluations conducted for other types of entrepreneur support programs.
Accelerators and funders can use this guide to understand their options for assessing value for money and to consider how they could incorporate this concept into their data collection and program assessments.
A template for conducting the analysis explained in the brief is available here.