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We offer a broad range of experience in applied economic analysis. In addition to cost-benefit and labour market studies, other areas of economic analysis include costing studies, cost recovery projects and economic modeling. Examples include:

• Estimating uptake and costs of a Skills Loans and Grants Program for a Provincial Government.

• Estimating annual costs to society of motor vehicle crashes, Social Costs of Motor Vehicle Crashes in Ontario.

• Estimating benefits and costs of infrastructure investments.

• Identification of the merits of a broad range of cost recovery opportunities for government services.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Cost-benefit analysis identifies the value of changes in the consumption or production possibilities of society. Increases in society's possibilities benefit society ­ reductions create costs. Cost-benefit analysis first quantifies annual benefit and cost impacts. Next it values impacts in terms of society's preferences. Annual values are then brought to a common point in time through a process which discounts future values. Present values of the benefit and costs streams are compared to identify whether society is made better off by the project, regulation or other change being investigated.

The economists of the Social and Policy Research division of TNS Canadian Facts have over fifteen years experience conducting cost-benefit studies. Cost-benefit analysis is a simple yet powerful means of evaluating and comparing alternatives. We have conducted cost-benefit studies for a range of issues including environment, health, and the labour market. Recent examples include:

• Global Benefits and Cost of the Montreal Protocol, the first ever global cost-benefit study commissioned by Environment Canada and presented at the Montreal Protocol 10th Anniversary Colloquium. We extended existing regional models to assess global impacts of substance use, on ozone layer depletion, ultra violet radiation, health and non-health impacts. Sector and country level studies of the cost of compliance were extended to all countries. The benefits of fewer health and non-health effects were compared to the cost of compliance to controls on substances which deplete the ozone layer.

• Estimation of the global benefits and costs to protect the ozone layer under the Montreal Protocol, Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of Implementing the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

• Estimation of the costs and benefits of the removal of exclusions to the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, Costs and Benefits of Further Requirements to the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System.

• Calculation of the costs and benefits of a criteria-based system to regulate the hazards of consumer chemical products, Socio-Economic Impacts of Reducing Consumption of HCFCs by Allocating Transferable Allowances to Producers and Importers.

• Quantification of the benefits and cost of flammability standards for tents.

Cost-effectiveness analysis

Cost-effectiveness analysis estimates the cost to obtain a level of impact. When more than one alternative is being considered, the cost of each program option achieving the same objective, is assessed. The most cost-effective option is the one that achieves the goal with the least expenditure of funds. We have assessed the cost-effectiveness of an R&D tax incentive in our study a Survey of Scientific Research and Experimental Development Claimants. We also developed a methodology and assessed the costs of alternative delivery methods in our Cost-Effectiveness Framework for Delivery Options under Aboriginal Business Developement.

Economic modelling

Sometimes models are used to assess complex economic impacts. For the Ministry of Transportation we estimated the Social Costs of Motor Vehicle Crashes in Ontario. This modelling exercise identified the results of the crash in terms of deaths, injuries by severity, and property damage. It identified inputs to the crashes including police, fire, ambulance, towing, and emergency and on-going health care services. It then applied social values to these various characteristics of crashes to estimate the overall social cost of motor vehicle crashes. The model is easily updated and provides a flexible tool to assess the benefit (social cost avoided) of various traffic safety interventions.

Econometrics

Econometrics models relationships among economic variables. We have used econometrics in the Development of Predictive Models in the Service and Outcome Measurement System. These models help predict the impact on four outcome measures of a labour market intervention for an individual or group based on the impact of past interventions.

Performance measures

Performance measures allow an organization to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of its resources. We developed measures and a system of monitoring in our Performance Information and Measurement Review for Human Resource Development Canada.

Competition

Governments regulate to achieve a number of desirable outcomes. However concerns exist over the impact of regulation on competition ­ the relative attractiveness of the price and non-price characteristics of a firm's product or service. The Federal Government requires a review of these impacts and has specified that a Business Impact Test or its equivalent be performed. We have done a number of studies using this methodology including an Analysis of Proposed Changes to the Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations.