Decisi-o-rama: An open-source Python library for multi-attribute value/utility decision analysis
Juan Carlos Chacon-Hurtado, Lisa Scholten · Environmental Modelling & Software · 2020
Environmental decisions are complex as they are multi-dimensional, highly interdisciplinary and not only involve multiple stakeholders with conflicting objectives, but also many possible alternatives with uncertain consequences. The difficulty lies in making trade-offs between tough value trade-offs on the one hand while appreciating uncertain impacts of alternatives on the other. To support decisions tackling such problems, a combination of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and environmental models is promising yet limited by the available MCDA software. Here, we present Decisi-o-rama, an open-source Python MCDA library for single and sets (portfolios) of alternatives in the context of multi-attribute value/utility theory (MAUT/MAVT). Its development was driven by four aspirations that are crucial for usability in the context of environmental decision-making: (1) interoperability, (2) uncertainty-awareness, (3) computational efficiency, and (4) integration with portfolio decisions. The results indicate that these aspirations are met, thus facilitating the adoption of MCDA methods by environmental researchers and practitioners.