The analytic hierarchy process to support decision-making processes in infrastructure projects with social impact

Abstract

There is an increasing awareness among all kinds of organisations (in business, government and civil society) about the benefits of jointly working with stakeholders to satisfy both their goals and the social demands placed upon them. This is particularly the case within corporate social responsibility (CSR) frameworks. In this regard, multi-criteria tools for decision-making like the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) described in the paper can be useful for the building relationships with stakeholders. Since these tools can reveal decision-maker's preferences, the integration of opinions from various stakeholders in the decision-making process may result in better and more innovative solutions with significant shared value. This paper is based on ongoing research to assess the feasibility of an AHP-based model to support CSR decisions in large infrastructure projects carried out by Red Eléctrica de España, the sole transmission agent and operator of the Spanish electricity system.

Keywords:

• analytic hierarchy process
• decision-making
• innovation
• stakeholders
• corporate social responsibility

Notes

REE is the Spanish company dedicated exclusively to the transmission of the electricity and the operation of electrical systems.