Setting Priorities among Objectives

Wise allocation of resources implies knowledge of which actions will yield the highest net benefit. Predicting benefit requires comparing objectives for their importance and setting priorities among them. This article discusses ways in which policymakers can set priorities rationally. It looks at the advantages of ratios for comparing priorities, describes the "value contribution" technique for estimating priorities, and illustrates the technique with a set of educational objectives. Applications in Asia are reviewed, and the technique is evaluated.