Improvements of Efficiency of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for Project Priority in International Rural Development

Abstract

This research was designed to review improvements of efficiency of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a way to facilitate decision-making on project priority in international rural development in the following ways; to apply an AHP method; to discover issues that might arise in the research preparation, conduct, and analysis; and ultimately to expand a practical use of AHP in recipient countries. The survey questioned residents of the Dadeldhura district in Far-Western Region of Nepal, on the assumption that one donor country has a plan to implement projects for rural development in a community. This research collected 104 questionnaires. 55 questionnaires with a Consistency Ratio (CR) greater than 0.2 were excluded and 49 questionnaires were accepted for AHP analysis. The rejection rate reached 52.9%. The results of AHP analysis showed that residents considered Number of Beneficiaries the first priority in terms of Criteria. They selected Education as the first priority project that most reflected their opinion. The top three priority projects were Education, Public Health/Hygiene/Sanitation, and Income Generation. Although the AHP method can be a useful tool in deciding project priority, some problems were revealed during the process of preparing and carrying out a survey. By addressing these problems and improving on its application, the AHP method can be expected to contribute to the academic field of international rural development and to allow for a more accurate selection of projects that fully reflect residents’ needs at the early stages of implementation in rural communities of recipient countries.