Comprehensive Option Assesment - UNEP

Module 2: Comprehensive Options Assesment Stages
Session 2.5: Screening and ranking of options
Purpose of session
The purpose of this session is to introduce the concept and principles of screening and ranking of options.
Learning objectives
As a result of this session, trainees will:
understand how to screen options using multi-criteria analysis to eliminate unfeasible options against agreed performance thresholds;
understand the iterative nature of the screening and ranking process.
ESTIMATED TIME REQUIRED FOR SESSION (MINUTES)
MODULE 2 Professional Decision-maker Policy-maker
Session 2.5
Preparation
30
Contact Time
60
20
20
Exercises
20
Discussion
40
15
Preparatory reading
WCD, 2000: Chapter 8 – Strategic Priorities: Comprehensive Options Assessment, pages 221–224.
ESMAP & BNWPP, 2003: pages 101–103.
UNEP, 2007: pages 19–30.
Emerton, 2008.
Goodland, Mercier and Muntemba, 1995.
Introduction
This phase typically consists of two steps: (1) the rapid exclusion of options (screening); and (2) the valuing (using either an ordinal or cardinal index)
of the remaining options (ranking). The options are assessed against the criteria to identify the ones that contribute most to the needs and objectives
set for the exercise.
When there are many options, there may be an initial stage where they are screened against 'coarse' criteria and reduced to a more manageable
number. This may include grouping similar options and eliminating options that perform poorly against the screening criteria.
For example, options that contradict provisions in national legislation can be excluded at this stage. In the Nepal Medium Hydropower Screening and
Ranking Project, compliance with the Laws on Conservation Areas required eliminating potential hydropower sites from the project inventory if they
were located in protected parks, conservation areas, and buffer zones. In irrigation development, options that would extract water from transboundary
rivers beyond quantities agreed in international treaties can be eliminated early on.
The reasons for excluding an option from strategic planning should be recorded. Some excluded options may still be candidates for a later cycle of
strategic planning – for example, if they were excluded because of a lack of current information. Screening can help focus efforts toward meeting
immediate needs if all options that do not contribute directly to alleviating the immediate need are excluded.
Comprehensive Options Assessment for sustainable development of infrastructure
Training Manual
41