Project selection for group decision making using analytical hierarchy process: A private college perspective

Selection of the right projects is considerably critical for organizations to successfully
achieve their competitive advantages and corporate strategies. Due to limited resources
and dynamic changes in the business environment, selection of projects is quite
challenging. The main purpose of this case study was to identify the project selection
criteria that best meet the requirements of a well-diversified group of companies. Decision makers need a structured approach for decision making that allows the necessary trade-offs in a systematic fashion, in light of all of the considerations at hand. One structured approach to decision making that may work well is Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) which uses simple judgment known as pair-wise comparison. This paper reports the results of a case study where the AHP technique was employed to support the project selection in a multi-criteria environment. Six selection criteria and four
alternatives projects were identified. The selection criteria include financial aspect,
strategy, risk, urgency, contractor availability and technical knowledge. The AHP
technique successfully helped the group decision makers to single out the most
appropriate project that best suits the organization’s operational needs and prioritize these projects accordingly