An ANP approach for R&D project evaluation based on interdependencies between research objectives and evaluation criteria

Abstract

As countries strive to become more efficient in investing limited resources in various national R&D projects, the evaluation of project has become increasingly important. However, due to the heterogeneity of the objectives of national R&D programs, few studies have been conducted on comparing programs on the basis of performance. This study explores the application of the analytic network process (ANP) approach for the evaluation of R&D projects that are elements of programs with heterogeneous objectives. The ANP produced the final priorities of projects with respect to benefits and costs when there are interdependencies between programs and evaluation criteria. The paper provides value to practitioners by providing a generic model for project evaluation. For researchers, the paper demonstrates a novel application of ANP under specific situation of heterogeneous objectives. The ANP approach is tested against empirical data drawn from R&D projects sponsored by the Korean government.