Recent developments in multi-criteria evaluation of regulations

Introduction Agricultural activity is affected by a wide set of regulations and prescriptions due to agricultural and non-agricultural policies. In agricultural policy literature, growing attention is being paid to the issue of policy evaluation. Objectives The objective of this paper is to provide a literature review of the Multi-Criteria Analysis applied in the evaluation of policy and regulations. Methodology The paper proceeds by firstly identifying the main issues of the policy evaluation process and then discussing the potential contribution of Multi-Criteria Analysis as a decision support tool in a policy-making context. Results Multi-Criteria Analysis was created as a decision support tool for the selection of alternative projects when decisions are effected by trade-offs between different criteria. However, existing applications to policy evaluations still show significant room for improvement. In particular, an improved ability to support decision-making processes can be expected if Multi-Criteria Analysis is included in a consistent process of monitoring and gathering of data, and both Multi-Criteria Analysis and monitoring are developed in such a way as to provide a structured interaction with the decision maker in a participative approach. Conclusion A cautious integration of Multi-Criteria comparison techniques and policy-analysis concepts should be sought in order to better contribute to policy evaluation processes.