Methodological Evaluation and Cost-Effectiveness of Municipal Infrastructure Asset Systems in Senegal: A Difference-in-Differences Approach

{ "background": "Municipal infrastructure asset management in West Africa faces significant challenges in demonstrating cost-effectiveness and value for money. Robust, quantitative methodologies for evaluating the performance of these systems are scarce, hindering evidence-based investment and policy decisions.", "purpose and objectives": "This study aims to develop and apply a rigorous methodological framework to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of municipal infrastructure asset systems. The primary objective is to quantify the causal impact of a systematic asset management programme on maintenance expenditure and service delivery outcomes.", "methodology": "A quasi-experimental difference-in-differences (DiD) model was employed, using panel data from municipalities. The core estimating equation is Yit = \α + \β (Treati \× Postt) + \ + \ + \εit, where Yᵢₜ is the outcome for municipality i in period t. Robust standard errors were clustered at the municipal level to account for serial correlation.", "findings": "The intervention reduced annual routine maintenance expenditure by an average of 18.7% (95% CI: 12.3% to 25.1%) in treated municipalities relative to the control group, while key service availability indicators showed no statistically significant decline. This indicates improved efficiency in resource utilisation.", "conclusion": "The implemented asset management system proved to be a cost-effective strategy for municipal infrastructure stewardship. The DiD approach provided a credible causal estimate of the programme's financial impact, overcoming common limitations of observational data.", "recommendations": "Municipal authorities should adopt structured asset management systems, supported by longitudinal performance monitoring. Future infrastructure investment programmes should incorporate quasi-experimental evaluation designs from inception to rigorously assess value for money.", "key words": "asset management, infrastructure economics, programme evaluation, causal inference, municipal engineering, West Africa", "contribution statement": "This paper provides the first application of a difference-in-differences model to quantify the causal impact of an infrastructure asset management system in a Sub