A Value-Focused Multiple Participant-Multiple Criteria (MPMC) Decision Support Approach for Public Policy Formulation

Colin Williams () and Liping Fang ()
Additional contact information
Colin Williams: Ryerson University
Liping Fang: Ryerson University

Group Decision and Negotiation, 2019, vol. 28, issue 1, No 6, 99-126

Abstract: Abstract A decision support framework for policy formulation that incorporates a value-focused, multiple participant-multiple criteria (MPMC) approach is presented to address the systemic over-reliance of financial assessments as the primary decision support model. The proposed approach provides a robust decision support framework for aiding complex public decision-making processes involving conflicting multiple decision-makers (as participants) and values. Participant values are used to determine viable options which in turn determine feasible policy recommendations. Values also determine participant preferences. Through the application of the Graph Model of Conflict Resolution, policy-makers can generate viable and stable policy recommendations. In contrast to focusing solely on alternatives, this framework ensures that policy-makers review scenarios that align with organizational values and objectives, thereby producing informed policy decisions. Further, the framework is applied within a case study involving the City of Toronto, Canada, where policy recommendations to privatize curbside waste collection services were being considered. The framework incorporates multiple participant perspectives and their associated criteria, in lieu of traditional financial assessments (e.g., cost–benefit analysis). This study further demonstrates the usefulness and practicality of incorporating a value-focused, MPMC approach for the derivation of good public policy.

Keywords: Multiple participant-multiple criteria (MPMC) decision making; Participant; Public policy; Stakeholder; Strategic alignment; Values (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10726-018-9597-3 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:grdene:v:28:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s10726-018-9597-3

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/journal/10726/PS2

DOI: 10.1007/s10726-018-9597-3

Access Statistics for this article

Group Decision and Negotiation is currently edited by Gregory E. Kersten

More articles in Group Decision and Negotiation from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().