Mehrkriterienabwägung

Mehrkriterienabwägung, a German term, translates to multi-criteria decision analysis or multi-criteria decision making. It is a systematic approach used to evaluate and select the best option from a set of alternatives when faced with multiple, often conflicting, objectives or criteria. This method is particularly useful in complex decision-making scenarios where a single criterion is insufficient to capture the full picture of preferences and constraints.

The core principle of Mehrkriterienabwägung involves identifying all relevant decision criteria, assigning weights or importance levels to each criterion, and then evaluating each alternative against these weighted criteria. The alternatives are typically scored based on their performance for each criterion, and these scores are then aggregated, often through a weighted sum, to produce an overall score for each alternative. The alternative with the highest overall score is generally considered the preferred choice.

Various techniques fall under the umbrella of Mehrkriterienabwägung, including the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), ELECTRE, and PROMETHEE. Each technique offers different ways of structuring the problem, eliciting preferences, and aggregating judgments. The choice of technique often depends on the specific nature of the decision problem and the preferences of the decision-maker.

Mehrkriterienabwägung is widely applied in fields such as environmental management, urban planning, public policy, and engineering, where decisions frequently involve trade-offs between economic, social, and environmental factors. Its strength lies in its ability to make the decision process transparent, structured, and justifiable, by explicitly acknowledging and addressing the various dimensions of a complex problem.