In this paper multi-actor multi-criteria decision aid methodology are developed to examine the impacts of EU policies related to first generation biofuels on identified key stakeholders. The thesis focuses on the integration of relevant qualitative and quantitative criteria defined by key stakeholders into one comprehensive evaluation process, to serve as a decision support tool for decision makers. Weight allocation of the defined criteria will be assessed by using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) framework, where the multi-criteria decision-aid method PROMETHEE II is used to rank relevant policy alternatives based on the information provided. In the end, results will help the decision makers to identify the impacts of different EU policy alternatives on each stakeholder group.

The construction of dams and hydro-power stations are some of the most common anthropogenic changes of watercourses and rivers. While being important to humans and society by providing electricity, these obstructions of watercourses can have severe consequences for the aquatic ecosystems. One consequence is that dams often hinder the important movement of migrating fish species between habitats. This can lead to decline and even extinction of important fish populations. To prevent these negative effects, a number of different fish passage systems, including nature-like fishways, have been developed. Nature-like fishways mimic natural streams in order to function as a natural corridor for a wide range of species. Planning and construction of a nature-like fishway is a complex task that often involves many different interests. In the present study a combination of multi-criteria decision analysis and least-cost path analysis is used for determining the best location for a nature-like fishway past Strömdalen dam in Gavleån, Sweden. An anisotropic least-cost path algorithm is applied on a friction-layer and a digital elevation model, and the least-cost path for a nature-like fishway is determined. The results show that the method is useful in areas of varying topography and steep slopes. However, because low slope is a very important factor when constructing a nature-like fishway, slope becomes the dominating factor in this analysis at the expense of e.g. distance to roads. Combining the methods with results from biological studies of fish behavior and detailed hydrological modelling would provide a very strong tool for the planning of nature-like fishways.

ABSRACT: Liver transplantation and allocation has been a controversial issue in the United States for decades. One of the main concerns in the allocation system is the trade-off between the two main objectives, efficiency and equity. Unfortunately, it is difficult to reach consensus on how to develop allocation policies that aim at balancing efficiency and equity, among transplantation policy makers, administrators, transplant surgeons and transplant candidates.Our research identifies and classifies the outcomes of liver allocation into two major categories, efficiency and equity, that are, often times, conflicting. Previous researchers did not consider how to balance outcomes in these two categories. Our research uses Analytic Hierarchy Process, a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis methodology, to build a framework that quantifies the decision-making process and help decision makers to reach a valid consensus in terms of balancing these outcomes. Latest available patient registration and follow-up data are used in data analysis. Results from this analysis serve as inputs for the simulation model that is capable of evaluating alternative hypothetical policies.This research addresses the deficiencies of the current liver transplantation policy and is intended to refine the policy that will result in a more balanced allocation system with respect to efficiency and equity. Our proposed methodology can be applied to incorporate further changes in policy selection and refinement.

Σχεδόν κάθε επιχείρηση ιδιωτικού και δημόσιου τομέα την οποία μπορούμε να σκεφτούμε, έχει βρεθεί αντιμέτωπη με το πρόβλημα της χωροθέτησης των εγκαταστάσεών της κάποια στιγμή στην ιστορία της. Αυτό έχει οδηγήσει σε ένα έντονο ενδιαφέρον για την ανάλυση χωροθέτησης στα πλαίσια της επιχειρησιακής έρευνας. Η εγκατάσταση ενός νέου τραπεζικού υποκαταστήματος που αποτελεί ένα σημαντικό μέρος του προγραμματισμού και της διαχείρισης δικτύων κλάδων. απαιτεί μία πολύπλοκη διαδικασία λήψης απόφασης. Η λήψης της απόφασης αυτής μπορεί να ωφεληθεί από τη χρήση της πολυκριτηριακής ανάλυσης αποφάσεων (MCDM) καθιστώντας τη διαδικασία πιο ορθολογική και αποδοτική. Στην παρούσα εργασία εξετάζουμε το πρόβλημα της χωροθέτησης ενός τραπεζικού καταστήματος στα πλαίσια της πολυκριτηριακής ανάλυσης αποφάσεων (MCDM). / Almost every private and public sector enterprise that we can think of, has been faced with the problem of locating facilities at one time or another of its history. Τhis has led to a strong interest in location analysis within the operations research and management science community. Locating a new bank branch, an important part of branch network planning and management is a complex decision making progress. This decision making progress can benefit from the use of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) progress by making the progress more explicit, rational and efficient. In the present work we examine the problem of locating a bank branch using MCDM.

Assessment of the myriad of historic attempts to manage and/or restore degraded drylands offers a rich opportunity to learn from the past, particularly if conducted with full stakeholder engagement. Participatory environmental assessment of past land management and restoration actions would contribute to the improvement of future management techniques in a way relevant to the concerns of people involved with or impacted by these actions. This can also help to deal with the often scant information available, conflicting values and perceptions among stakeholders, and the uncertainties inherent to complex dryland systems. In this study I applied and evaluated a participatory protocol that incorporated multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools to assess five actions in the San Simon watershed, one of the most extreme examples of degradation and human intervention in southeastern Arizona (U.S.). The participatory assessment process included a semi-structured interview, elicitation of local-based assessment criteria, prioritization of the assessment criteria, estimation of data, a MCDA-based integration and group evaluation of final results. The process was used to evaluate five combinations of grazing management, vegetation management and hydraulic structures implemented between the 1940s and 1980s. The application of this process allowed me to not only evaluate these actions in a participatory way, but also to identify and compare values and perceptions connected to the historic, cultural and scientific narratives used by three different categories of stakeholders (researchers, practitioners and land users). The revised Simos' procedure used to elicit assessment criteria weights proved useful to expose values and perceptions, source of the individual criteria priorities, while revealing conflictive points of views among the stakeholders. The outranking-facilitated participatory assessment, when compared to the unaided baseline assessment, proved useful in making stakeholder preferences explicit in the form of evaluation criteria and weights, while incorporating data and uncertainty. The specific MCDA outranking integration model used, ELECTRE IS, proved to be simple and systematically synthetic, helping stakeholders structure and re-evaluate their unaided assessments. The results of this study provide insights in how stakeholders' knowledge and views can be elicited, explored and effectively incorporated to assess and learn from past land management and restoration actions implemented in drylands.

The purpose of my research is to contribute to the field of forecasting from a methodological perspective as well as to the field of crude oil as an application area to test the performance of my methodological contributions and assess their merits. In sum, two main methodological contributions are presented. The first contribution consists of proposing a mathematical programming based approach, commonly referred to as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), as a multidimensional framework for relative performance evaluation of competing forecasting models or methods. As opposed to other performance measurement and evaluation frameworks, DEA allows one to identify the weaknesses of each model, as compared to the best one(s), and suggests ways to improve their overall performance. DEA is a generic framework and as such its implementation for a specific relative performance evaluation exercise requires a number of decisions to be made such as the choice of the units to be assessed, the choice of the relevant inputs and outputs to be used, and the choice of the appropriate models. In order to present and discuss how one might adapt this framework to measure and evaluate the relative performance of competing forecasting models, we first survey and classify the literature on performance criteria and their measures – including statistical tests – commonly used in evaluating and selecting forecasting models or methods. In sum, our classification will serve as a basis for the operationalisation of DEA. Finally, we test DEA performance in evaluating and selecting models to forecast crude oil prices. The second contribution consists of proposing a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) based approach as a multidimensional framework for relative performance evaluation of the competing forecasting models or methods. In order to present and discuss how one might adapt such framework, we first revisit MCDA methodology, propose a revised methodological framework that consists of a sequential decision making process with feedback adjustment mechanisms, and provide guidelines as to how to operationalise it. Finally, we adapt such a methodological framework to address the problem of performance evaluation of competing forecasting models. For illustration purposes, we have chosen the forecasting of crude oil prices as an application area.

Today, population census results are not only fundamental for population counting but also for providing various information to many organizations and people who make research and take decisions about human-related issues. However, statistics produced on the basis of administrative divisions in Turkey are inadequate to meet the needs of most In this study, a new census geography is aimed for Turkey using Geographic Information Systems and Multi Criteria Decision Making methodologies. This new census geography is for statistical purposes only, independent from legal boundaries and generated by the concept of small area statistics. New rules and methodologies are created by taking the United States and the United Kingdom systems as models to reach to the main aim, and then they are applied on a case study area, &Ccedil / ankaya District in Ankara. Through this application process, firstly all the collected graphical and nongraphical raw data are geo-referenced and combined in a common geodatabase. Secondly, this geodatabase is used to understand the differentiation of quality of life indicators across the case study area. This pattern is then used to draw the boundaries of small statistical units of the new census geography in terms of the previously defined population sizes. In conclusion, a nationwide standard census geography hierarchy, which ranges between national level at the top and block level at the bottom, is proposed for use in 2010 Population Census and afterwards.

The main aim of this diploma thesis was to evaluate accounts of foreign exchange for students. The evaluation was made for two potencial students with different preferences. Another aim is carried out survey and later compare all results.

This thesis is focused on multi-criteria decision making. There were chosen new EU countries for the evaluation. Then there were found suitable criteria and set scales for them. The multi-criteria analysis was made with five methods and then there was defined the compromise order. The results were compared in 2007 - 2010 period, when all countries became members of the EU and there was impact of the economical crisis in these years.

The aim of this diploma thesis is an analysis of financial products for students in the Czech Republic and the chosen country of the European Union. The theoretical part describes the basic concepts related to banking, financial mathematics and decision-making models. In the practical part individual student accounts are analyzed and then two model examples for the monthly costs account and for multi-criteria decision-making methods are processed.