A QUALITY OF LIFE-BASED DECISION-SUPPORT MODEL FOR THE DETERMINATION OF WATER RESEARCH PRIORITIES

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.