The public session for the CAT presentation of the PhD Thesis Report submitted by Amaro Ricardo, with the provisional title "Essays on prioritization of investment in large-scale public infrastructure in Angola”, will take place on the May 27th 2022, at 10:30 am, via Zoom > Link here
The Comittee is composed by:
Chairperson: Prof. João Carlos da Cruz Lourenço (IST)
Prof. Francisco Maria Ribeiro da Costa Silva Pinto (ULHT)
Supervisor: Prof. José Rui de Matos Figueira (IST)
Supervisor: Prof. Rui Domingos Ribeiro da Cunha Marques (IST)
Abstract
Angola is often referred to as a resource-rich country. Massive infrastructure investments have been executed in recent years. Nevertheless, the general panorama of the public infrastructure is still critical. Unsurprisingly, the national development plan recognizes that the prioritization of the public agenda is too centralized, which, to some extent, inhibits its wide acceptance and appropriation. The current investments prioritization model, in force for just over a decade, allegedly favors imprecise decisionmaking. It is assumed to fit the post-conflict reconstruction scenario, as it rewards short-term or reactive and emergency objectives. Investments in quality infrastructure play a key role in economic growth and the well-being of the citizens. And public infrastructure, especially large-scale (LSPI), is multidimensional and requires substantial financial resources. The main objective of this essay is to contribute to the development of a comprehensive aiding LSPI prioritization model, enhancing public goods and services provision and, as a consequence, public expenditure quality. Purposely, it uses the MCDA approach, applying preference modeling to build a decision model with the intervention of the public policy decision-making process (DMP) and main stakeholders. Decision context description, the policymaking process (PMP), and infrastructure value-centered thinking are intentionally presented, giving rise to a broader family and subfamily of criteria. Applying the revised “Pack of Cards”, the importance of each criterion will be elicitated. Other preference parameters will be elicited through co-constructive procedures with the participation of the main stakeholders. Exploiting MCDA-ULaval Software, the model will be constructed. LSPI potentials alternatives will be evaluated and categorized into priority implementation levels according to their performance in each criterion, composing the final portfolio. The results will be validated through robustness analysis. Models’ practical implications in the decision context will be analyzed.