Project: Sharpening the tools that drive better investment decisions at MCC

Behind every MCC investment is a rigorous cost-benefit analysis (CBA) model designed to predict impact and guide decision-making. But after a project ends, real-world data offers a chance to revisit those predictions. That’s where evaluation-based cost-benefit analyses (ECBAs) come in to provide a clearer picture of what worked, what didn’t, and why.

In this project, the Limestone Analytics team partnered with MCC to refine and update its growing library of ECBA Final Reports. We revised 23 reports to reflect new methodological standards, update benefit estimates, and improve consistency in how beneficiary counts and uncertainty are presented. This work included applying MCC’s updated analytical metrics and aligning analysis with evolving U.S. Government guidance. Limestone collaborated closely with MCC’s economic analysis team, so that its work reflects insights gained across dozens of investments in infrastructure, health, water, and education worldwide.

For MCC, conducting ECBAs is a way to transform learning into better policy. By comparing projected results with actual outcomes, MCC can adjust its models, improve sector guidance, and more accurately assess value for money. ECBAs also help validate the assumptions that underlie future investments, ensuring that public dollars deliver the greatest possible impact.

This learning product not only improved individual ECBA reports but also strengthened the tools and templates analysts use across the agency. Our revisions will help ensure that future ECBAs are easier to interpret, more methodologically robust, and better aligned with MCC’s mission of evidence-based development.