Costing curriculum and materials development

Costing curriculum and materials development

Introduction
	These modules identify cost factors associated with the development of curriculum materials for a literacy program. They will help you determine the cost of the materials you need to develop for your literacy program.
	This category of costs includes activities such as
	planning curriculum purchasing support materials for curriculum materials design publishing shipping, and providing storage.

Cost factors
	Here are cost factors related to materials that may need to be developed and tested:
	Background and technical materials for curriculum development (mostly to be purchased) such as dictionaries survey information technical reports planning materials, and reference materials. Curriculum development activities such as workshops travel computer time, and work materials. Pedagogical materials such as reading readiness materials basic instructional materials for reading or numeracy easy readers more advanced instructional materials content based curricular materials functional literacy materials teachers' manuals and guides, and transition or language learning materials. Supporting materials such as pencils, pens, crayons notebooks, slates, chalk flip charts pictures and picture books reference books, and blank paper.

Guidelines

If necessary and possible, get help from a program consultant or literacy specialist in deciding what materials will be needed and in what quantities.
Ask the following questions to help you consider relevant issues in costing the materials component of your program and estimate amounts and costs of curriculum materials :
- How many potential learners will make use of the materials being prepared?
- How many schools or classes are likely to be organized?
- How long will materials last under local environmental conditions?
- What steps will have to be taken to get the materials produced into the hands of learners and teachers?
- Over what period of time will the materials be needed? six months? two years? ten years?
- What materials can be produced locally, regionally, and nationally and how does this affect the cost of these materials?
- What quality of materials should you use and what type of production technology is appropriate to the situation?
- How many titles of easy reading material do you need to produce to stimulate motivation and to meet the local demand?
- Can any of the equipment be bought or built locally?
- For general reading materials, what is the potential market?
- Can general reading materials be sold at cost or will they have to be subsidized?

Things to do
	Here are things to do to cost curriculum and materials development:
	Library and reference materials
	Make a list of the library and reference materials that will be needed. Estimate the cost of each item. Estimate the cost of shipping, postage, and storage.
	Other supporting materials
	Determine the number of each item needed. If these are to be purchased, get estimates on the purchase price plus shipping and handling. If these are to be especially developed for the program, estimate composition and layout costs. Get a printer's estimate for printing and delivery. Estimate the cost of any special artwork or design work.
	General curriculum development costs
	Estimate development expenses such as computer time and materials. Estimate the cost of any activities associated with curriculum and materials developent.

See also
	Funding a literacy program Preparing a budget for a literacy program Costing a literacy program

Context for this page:

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 25 October 1999