Guide to developing wellbeing cost effectiveness measures in the charity sector

Directly measuring the wellbeing impact of interventions using the ONS measure of Life Satisfaction is a pragmatic, practical approach to assessing a charity’s impact. The What Works
Centre for Wellbeing have published guidance for how to assess wellbeing cost effectiveness where this is possible.

However, in practice, many charities are only just starting to gather data using the ONS wellbeing measures and it will take time for the evidence base to build-up. As such there is often a need to estimate the wellbeing impacts of an intervention based on data about other outcomes.

This guide is targeted at economists and other evaluation professionals operating in the charity sector who are working with charities who have not directly measured wellbeing using
the ONS measure of Life Satisfaction but are keen to assess their wellbeing cost effectiveness.

We outline a seven step approach to assessing the wellbeing cost-effectiveness of a charitable intervention: