Application of Combined SWOT and AHP Analysis to Assess the Reality and Select the Priority Factors for Social and Economic Development (a Case Study for Soc Trang City)

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, an analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) based on quantitative Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) has been conducted systematically to propose priorities from SWOT factors. This method compares identified SWOT factors in pairs. After that, the eigenvalue method applied in the AHP is used to analyze comparison matrices to indentify priorities and assign the importance of SWOT factors. The results have selected the proposed priority factors based on their weight for the overall socio-economic development goal of Soc Trang city in the period from 2021 to 2030, including following factors: taking advantage of investment capital (16.8%), promoting advantages of water resources (14.6%), paying attention to future challenges of changing watershed flows (5.3%), overcome the shortage of water in some places (4.5%) and low cultivation techniques (4.5%). The application of SWOT and AHP techniques is useful in studying overall socio-economic development master plans and help planners to analyze and forecast factors affecting development requirements better.KeywordsSWOTAHPSocial-economic developmentSoc Trang city