G. Offringa et G. Dewet, A QUALITY OF LIFE-BASED DECISION-SUPPORT MODEL FOR THE DETERMINATION OF WATER RESEARCH PRIORITIES, Water S.A., 22(4), 1996, pp. 359-372
A ''value to the country and its peoples''-based decision support syst
em for the assessment and funding of applied, low-risk water research
is suggested, accentuating the fundamental quality of life and human n
eeds of each individual citizen of the country. Appropriate research a
ssessment models developed and in use. were investigated by means of l
iterature surveys and personal communication. Multicriteria decision-m
aking (MCDM) was selected, with the simple multi-attribute rating tech
nique (SMART), as the specific method among the family of MCDM methods
. A set of ''values to the individual person''-based assessment criter
ia was generated from an in-house exercise; as used by other instituti
ons; from interviews with water managers; from basic human needs and q
uality of life-concepts; and from issues raised by stakeholders in wat
er and sanitation. Weights for these criteria were elicited from techn
ical managers, and socio-political groups in the Country, and a scorin
g system added. Finally, some ancillary management elements were added
to the core research assessment method td complete the decision suppo
rt model.