A process perspective and multicriteria approach in decision-aiding contexts

This paper illustrates the underlying structures and logic of a multicriteria modelling and validation process, using the case study of an intervention on behalf of a regional Government in Italy. The hospital service emergency department reorganization was investigated in interaction with the many actors involved in the implementations of a previous regional plan. The principal elements of the modelling were: (1) the representation and structuring of opinions, proposals and implementations of actors involved in the organizational change process and/or in the plan implementation process; (2) the identification and representation of situation types by the elaboration of multidmensional reference profiles in relationship to different interpretaions of the emergency treatment; (3) the development of multidimensional models related to the different profiles and the formulation of hypotheses on the evolution of models in a constructive approach. Basic elements of an interactive procedure applied to the model validation process and to the development of a validated reference frame for organizational action are also presented.