Convergencies and divergencies in collaborative decision-making processes

This study analyzes a collaborative multi-methodology intervention designed and deployed to support rural regeneration initiatives in a wicked problem context, i.e. that of planning and management in a World Heritage site. In particular, the intervention consisted of three stages, i.e. framing, prioritizing and designing and integrated the following methodologies: SWOT analysis with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), then GIS, MCDA and Stakeholders analysis and in the last stage stakeholders’ analysis and choice experiments. The objective of this paper is to detect and analyze opportunities for convergence and divergence in the decision-making process, among the different methods being integrated, among the different actors in the process, and among the methods’ methodological requirements and the collaborative process’ characteristics. As a result, this study highlights promising synergies among different methods for more effective multi-methodology interventions design, as well as specific needs for better conflict support and anticipation in collaborative decision-making processes.