Policy: Cost-Benefit Analysis
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all strategies, initiatives, and projects undertaken by Lepo ʻUla are evaluated through a balanced, culturally grounded, and community-centered framework. This process weighs both the measurable and immeasurable costs and benefits, ensuring decisions honor our kuleana as Native Hawaiians, lineal descendants, cultural practitioners, and community members while adapting responsibly to changing circumstances.
Guiding Principles
Please click the button below to access a detailed list of our Guiding Principles.
Guiding Approach
Our cost-benefit analysis process integrates the following considerations:
Cultural Impact – Assessing potential effects on traditional practices, sacred sites, community identity, and cultural integrity.
Community Benefit – Evaluating how the initiative supports economic opportunity, food security, public health, and other community priorities.
Environmental Stewardship – Considering the short- and long-term impacts on ʻāina, wai, kai, and natural ecosystems.
Feasibility & Sustainability – Weighing the financial, logistical, and operational capacity to implement and maintain the initiative.
Alternatives Exploration – Where a proposed strategy, initiative, or technology risks cultural or environmental harm, we will actively explore alternative options that achieve the greatest possible benefit with the least possible harm or deficit.
Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)
No initiative will move forward without meaningful engagement with affected stakeholders. FPIC is a cornerstone of our decision-making process and includes:
Providing communities with clear, accessible, and timely information.
Allowing adequate time for discussion, consideration, and response.
Ensuring that participation is free from coercion or undue influence.
Respecting the right of communities to give or withhold consent.
Recognizing “No-Go” / Absolute Kapu Situations
We acknowledge that some situations require no further cost-benefit analysis because the harm is so apparent and severe that the matter is non-negotiable. These absolute kapu (prohibitions) are rooted in our cultural values and our kuleana to protect that which is sacred. In such cases, the “cost” so greatly outweighs any possible benefit that the decision is clear without further deliberation.
Example: The desecration or destruction of large-scale burial grounds is strictly prohibited and will not be considered under any circumstance.
Other examples may include irreparable harm to sacred sites, waterways, or ecosystems central to cultural survival.
Any situation where damage would push us beyond the point of no return—where restoration, recovery, or replacement is impossible—is also considered a no-go, regardless of potential benefits.
Transparency and Accountability
All cost-benefit analysis findings will be documented and, where appropriate, shared with the community. This transparency ensures trust, promotes accountability, and strengthens collective decision-making.