Decision Support System

This software is based on research from:

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Queensland Australia.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Southwest Watershed Research Center (SWRC) in Tucson Arizona.

This software was designed and built by:

Netstorm Pty Ltd, Queensland Australia.
http://www.netstorm.net.au
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Queensland Australia.
http://www.dnr.qld.gov.au

Funding sources for this project include:

The Natural Heritage Trust, Appraisal System for Catchment Resource Use Management Strategies.
The USDA Water Quality Initiative.
The Sugar Research and Development Corporation.

Software Description

This Multi Objective Decision Support System (MODSS) software uses decision rules, a hierarchical system for ranking criteria, score functions and linear programming to identify a preferred management option consistent with the ranking of the decision criteria. Assigning an importance order to the decision criteria overcomes in part the need to assign individual weights. The matrix framework of management options and decision criteria is generic and open, encouraging participation by all stakeholders and can accomodate measured data, simulation model results and expert opinions in the decision making process. The results can be viewed in one of two formats; bar and polar. Results in the bar format are displayed as horizontal bars with best and worst composite scores; the length of the bars representing the sensitivity of the resource management option to the individual ordering of the criteria. The polar format highlights, and groups, differences between best and worst composite scores. "What if" scenarios can be generated by reordering the decision criteria, selecting a different score function or by including additional options and criteria. The entire process can be exported to HTML allowing scenarios to be viewed from anywhere on the web.

Future Directions

Currently this software supports standalone operation both by a single person or as part of the facilitation process in a group scenario. In the future it will be provided in a multiuser version where groups of stakeholders can share and actively participate in scenarios from any location. Repositories will exist on the web (or locally) which stakeholders will use for synchronising their scenarios.

Programming Platform

This software is written entirely in platform independent Java. As a result it should run on any platform which supports the JDK/JRE 1.1.x environment.

Research

Continuing Research and Development collaborations between DNR Resource Sciences Centre and SWRC are detailed in the Memorandum of Understanding 58-5342-8M-F014 (USDA).

August 1999