Application of Various Multiple Criteria Analysis Methods for theEvaluation of Rural Road Projects

Introduction:Ex-ante evaluation of rural road projects is important for proper utilisation of scarce financial resources. In recent years, severalmultiple criteria analysis methods have been applied for the evaluation of transportation projects. Methods:Here we compare three multi-criteria methods (i.e. TOPSIS, MOORA, and PROMETHEE) in ranking rural roads. The criteria andweightage were identified with an expert questionnaire survey and the decision matrix was obtained from a field survey of four ruralroads of Nepal. These data demonstrate the successful application of various multi-criteria analysis methods for the evaluation ofrural road projects with sustainable indicators. Results:The results of multi-criteria methods depend upon the value of performance measures, weightage, normalization, and aggregationprocedures. Conclusion:We also concluded that the multi-criteria methods used (i.e. TOPSIS, MOORA, and PROMETHEE), in which weightage is derivedusing robust methods (e.g. AHP) and precise measurement of criteria of rural roads, in general return similar rankings