‘The Case for Cost Evidence’ published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review

In an op-ed for the Stanford Social Innovation Review in November 2024, Jeannie Annan and Justin Labeille of the International Rescue Committee cover IRC’s costing journey and make the case for cost evidence, including Dioptra’s role in generating comparable cost data across the sector. The main argument developed in the op-ed is that in light of funding shortfalls and overlapping challenges “[m]ore money is one answer, but realistically there will always be a gap between need and funding. How can we do more for the nearly 300 million people worldwide who need aid? We need to maximize impact for every dollar spent.”

As a software tool for rapid, rigorous, and standardized cost-efficiency analyses, Dioptra can help accelerate the production of cost data. “Dioptra uses project data and program staff knowledge to calculate the cost per output of any intervention. What started as a tool is now a consortium and a community: Nine organizations with a combined $7 billion annual budget have adopted Dioptra.” As one of its calls to action, the op-ed asks for “financial and political backing to generate and share comparable cost evidence, such as support to scale Dioptra,” referencing the cost analyses that will be generated for collective learning with Open Philanthropy’s support.