Prioritizing Local Agenda 21 Programmes using Analytic Network Process: A Spanish Case Study

• Published in: Sustainable development (Bradford, West Yorkshire, England) Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 338 - 352
• Main Authors: Peris, Jordi, García-Melón, Mónica, Gómez-Navarro, Tomás, Calabuig, Carola
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-09-2013; Wiley; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Agenda 21; Analytic Network Process; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Benetusser; Biological and medical sciences; Case studies; Decision analysis; Development planning; Development programmes; Environment and sustainable development; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hierarchies; Local Agenda 21; Local government; multicriteria decision-making; Multiple criteria decision making; Municipalities; Spain; stakeholder engagement; Studies; Sustainable development; Urban development; Urban government; Spain; Case study; Century 21st; Stakeholder; Analytic Network Process; Decision making; multicriteria decision-making; stakeholder engagement; Local Agenda 21; Sustainable development
• ISSN: 0968-0802; 1099-1719
• DOI: 10.1002/sd.514

ABSTRACTGiven that prioritization of programmes is a key concern in Local Agenda 21 processes, the aim of this paper is to explore how the Analytic Network Process (ANP) can provide greater consistency and legitimacy to prioritization of local action plans. Through the analysis of an experience in the municipality of Benetusser in Spain, the study shows how ANP, by modelling reality as a network of multiple and mutual interrelations, embraces complexity and translates it into a set of operational questionnaires that help participants to reflect on their preferences and think deeply on the real implications of programmes for sustainable development. In the case study, citizens, technical staff and politicians of Benetusser carried out the prioritization process by defining a set of criteria and assessing the programmes in an interrelated way. The experience shows that the ANP procedure not only allows prioritization to be dealt with in an organized and systematic way, but also enables reflective thinking on sustainable development and the role of Local Agenda 21 itself. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.