Ability to take the steps that are necessary in a cost-benefit analysis of a public or semi-public/private project.
- Ability to correctly apply principles of public economics.
- Improvement of writing and presentation skills.

Starting point of this skills training is the observation that a substantial number of (public) projects, once carried out, require substantial subsidisation. Think of, for example, the Millennium Dome in the UK, the “Treuhand Anstalt” in Germany, or the “Betuwelijn” in the Netherlands. For some projects this is a mere confirmation of the results from the ex-ante cost benefit analysis, but for other projects, this cost benefit analysis actually predicted a positive return. In this skills training, an ex post analysis of the actual costs and benefits of a project which was implemented or started in the past is made. An important component of such an analysis is a correct determination of (public) prices. Moreover, if an ex ante cost-benefit analysis of the project was carried out, this analysis is scrutinized in light of the ex post analysis.
The students have to form teams of two or three people. After reading the mandatory literature, each team searches for two projects one of which they would like to make a cost-benefit analysis of. At the end of the first week each team presents these projects and a choice for one of the two projects is made. Then, at the end of the second week, reports on the cost-benefit analyses are presented.

Introductory chapters and papers about cost-benefit analysis and project evaluation.

Introductory courses in microeconomics and public economics.