Services & Custom Research

The Extension Regional Economic Analysis Program (EREAP) offers a suite of services geared to providing community and industry stakeholders and Extension professionals with research-based information.

We offer customized studies and technical assistance using the following applied methods:

 
Analysis TypeWhat it DoesWhat it Cannot Do
Economic Impact AnalysisEstimates net new economic activity generated by an economic shock, including multiplier effectsDoes not evaluate cost-effectiveness, efficacy, or other merits of a policy, program, etc.
Economic Contribution AnalysisEstimates existing economic activity supported by an existing industry/program/etc., including activity supported through multiplier effectsDoes not estimate opportunity costs associated with spending, labor, and resources used by industry or program
Economic Base AnalysisQuantifies relative concentration of a particular industry in a geographic area; a way of measuring importance of industry to regional economyDoes not provide insights into industry within the context of the local economy beyond a measure of concentration
Cost-Benefit AnalysisProvides comparison of the costs (direct and indirect) associated with a particular policy/program/project/etc. and its benefits, measured in terms of monetary valueBest applied to projects, programs, investments, etc. Cannot be applied to industries; Not all costs and benefits can be easily quantified in terms of monetary value
Avoided Cost AnalysisEstimates costs avoided by a particular enterprise, individual, etc. due to a an intervention, program, policy, etc.Not a cost-benefit analysis or assessment of efficacy or efficiency of a program or intervention
Value Chain AnalysisProvides a map of interdependent industries involved in delivering goods and services to end-users, sometimes quantifies economic activity by value chain componentMost helpful within the context of a larger industry analysis or contribution analysis
Program EvaluationWe can customize analyses using research-based methods to evaluate program activities, outcomes, and impacts, as well as provide input on program design and data collection for robust program evaluation