Measuring the Total Value of Your Public Works Investment

This presentation will present tools to help you monetize community benefits such as improved water quality, public health and safety, energy conservation, flood risk reduction, etc.

 In the first segment, Eric Bill will provide an overview of triple-bottom line economic analysis, which reflects the environmental, social and financial impacts of various types of infrastructure investment. He will define Sustainable Return on Investment (SROI), Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) and the environmental and social factors that can be monetized using an SROI/BCA framework. Stéphane will also demonstrate how to use SROI/BCA tools.

In the second segment, Wes Saunders-Pearce will discuss the City of Saint Paul’s adoption of a new master plan for the 135-acre site of a former Ford Motor Company assembly plant on the bluffs of the Mississippi River, envisioning the site as a model of a 21st Century Community. Quantitative sustainability indicators for new public realm infrastructure are needed to support city planning decisions while also setting clear development and performance expectations. Using a monetized triple bottom line analysis allows the city to compare the full value of infrastructure alternatives, revealing investment trade-offs relative to sustainability and the allocation of costs and benefits.

 In the third segment, Arsheel Hirji will explore the City of Calgary’s commitment to utilizing sustainable building practices to achieve a number of triple-bottom-line benefits – including reduced operating costs, a reduction in the cost of building maintenance, providing workspaces that encourage employee productivity, and reducing the environmental impact of building operations. However, these benefits can often be intangible and decision makers still struggle with justifying the often small incremental cost of building green. The City of Calgary was the impetus behind multiple Canadian cities in finally putting a value to what were previously considered intangible benefits.

 In the fourth segment, Doug Melnick will talk about how the City of San Antonio utilized the SROI methodology, as part of its Sustainability Planning Proces, to make more informed decisions by understanding the direct and indirect benefits and impacts of key projects. This information was then used as part of the strategy prioritization process to develop their Sustainability Plan.

After attending this session, participants will be better able to:

• Describe the concept and methodology for calculating Sustainable Return on Investment (SROI).
• Discuss how this methodology has been applied in cities across North America.
• Identify and use tools that will quantify (in dollars) the value of community benefits (such as improved water quality or public health and safety) of infrastructure projects.

 

Speakers:

Eric Bill, M. Econ, MBA

Wes Saunders-Pearce

Arsheel Hirji

Doug Melnick

Moderator: Kim Lundgren