Scholarly record
COMBINING INCLUSIVE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS AND HCD: A MULTI-CRITERIA EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
Abstract
Design is inherently a decision-making process that involves generating alternatives whose evaluation allows for the improvement of the final intervention. In public contexts, decision-making requires a shared and participatory approach, as such processes are inherently characterized by multi-actor involvement and multidimensional considerations, especially in matters concerning sustainability and environmental governance. Participatory Multi-Criteria Evaluations (PMCEs) implement a multidimensional approach and consider the direct involvement of users aimed at the shared and inclusive choices of the design alternative based on predefined goals and criteria. PMCEs function as an operational tool capable of synthesizing the rationality of the decision-making process with the inclusiveness of a participatory pathway, supporting Human-Centered Design (HCD) as a multidisciplinary practice that seeks to integrate multiple perspectives, ensure that human needs are met, and make the product accessible, understandable, and usable. Within this evaluative framework, such an approach can ultimately be interpreted through the convergence of two complementary paradigms, the participatory and the deliberative, which together emphasize inclusive dialogue, collective reasoning, and the co-construction of shared value judgments.The paper proposes a PMCEs method for community-based approaches and environmental policy for a HCD processes. This method involves users themselves in the structuring of the evaluation phases in an inclusive and participatory manner.
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References17
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