Abstract:
The selection of optimum number of indicators is the key to any Sustainable Development Indicator
(SDI) research. Indicators, too less in number may be inadequate to convey the message and; too many
may dilute the purpose. To arrive at a limited number of indicators from a larger set of potential ones, a
set of criteria is applied. In the past SDI-initiatives, emphasis was not laid on structuring criteria; these
were invariably considered in a linear way. This paper proposes a framework to organize criteria in a
tree fashion at successive levels. For each level, the weights of a criterion relative to others are
determined by following Analytical Hierarchy Process where experts’ opinions are considered. For
aggregation of scores, ‘displaced ideal’ method is proposed over linear additive model.
