Methodology for the development of a new Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System for Developing Countries (SIRSDEC)

The improvement of infrastructures in developing countries has become a priority for the most advanced economies, which have founded a broad range of international development organizations to undertake infrastructure projects worldwide. Infrastructure is the key driver that can accelerate the balance among the economic, social and environmental aspects forming the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) in these countries. Given the lack of appropriate tools to ensure the achievement of this goal, this paper describes the methodology conceived for the development of a Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System (SIRSDEC) aimed at promoting the design, construction and operation of sustainable infrastructure projects in these geographical areas. SIRSDEC is structured into a hierarchical decision-making tree consisting of three levels of elements (requirements, criteria and indicators) selected to assess infrastructure systems according to sustainability principles. The methodology on which SIRSDEC is based combines the action of two multi-criteria decision-making methods (MCDM) such as the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Integrated Value Model for Sustainable Assessment (MIVES). AHP is proposed to weight the elements forming the decision-making tree after processing the opinions provided by a group of international experts regarding the importance of requirements, criteria and indicators, whilst MIVES is suggested to value infrastructure projects according to their contribution to the TBL. The article emphasizes the added value provided by the combination of AHP and MIVES in the design of an ad-hoc rating system aimed at fostering the implementation of sustainable infrastructure projects in developing countries.