One program, two legitimate calculations
Suppose a hypothetical program costs $20,000 and enrolls 100 people, of whom 80 complete it. Cost per enrollee is $200; cost per completer is $250.
Neither is inherently the correct universal figure. The label should state which question is being answered.
Name the perspective
A provider budget may exclude participant travel, unpaid caregiver time, donated space, or volunteer labor. Those resources still matter, even when they do not appear as cash expenses in the program account.
| Cost category | Interpretation issue |
|---|---|
| Startup | May not recur at the same level |
| Staff time | Can include delivery and administration |
| Donated resources | Have value despite no cash payment |
| Participant burden | May fall outside the provider budget |
Do not equate low cost with good value
A low cost per enrollee says nothing by itself about benefit, reach, or harms. A program can be cheap because little useful service is delivered.
For comparisons, align price year, perspective, time horizon, and participant definition. If an expansion is proposed, distinguish fixed costs from costs that rise with volume. Average cost at one scale does not automatically predict the cost of serving the next group.
