voorkeursalternatief

Voorkeursalternatief is a term used in Dutch planning, decision making and procurement to denote the option among several alternatives that is designated by the decision-makers as the preferred choice for further development or implementation. The designation occurs during the evaluation phase of a project and is based on a comparative assessment of how each alternative performs against predefined criteria such as cost, feasibility, environmental and social impact, risk, and alignment with policy goals.

In practice, het wordt toegepast in contexts such as environmental impact assessments, transport and infrastructure planning, spatial planning, and procurement procedures. The preferred alternative is typically identified in the project documentation and decision papers, and it serves to communicate to stakeholders which route, design, or approach is being considered as the lead option, while still allowing room for final approvals and potential adjustments if new information becomes available or constraints change.

The process to select a voorkeursalternatief usually involves generating multiple options, assessing them against objective criteria, conducting stakeholder consultations, and performing sensitivity analyses. The designation is meant to be transparent and justifiable, providing a clear rationale for why a particular option is favored over others. It is not a binding final decision on its own; it guides subsequent steps and can be revisited if conditions or requirements evolve.