EVPA’s Policy Brief series aims at explaining recent policies and regulations that have implications for the VP/SI sector, outlining their functioning and their impact, and proposing the way forward.
In this brief, we define Unit Cost Database (UCD) and explain how useful they are for social investment in the public sector. We look at their benefits and challenges, and give some examples of from the UK, Portugal and Australia.
A Unit Cost Database (UCD) gathers a set of estimated unitary costs in areas such as health, education, housing, and social services. They are particularly relevant when delivering public services through outcome-based mechanisms, as the estimated costs can be used as references to price outcomes. Unit Cost Databases are therefore strongly linked to social investment and social innovation strategies in the public sector.
This article was written by
Bennet Barth
Priscilla Boiardi
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