Methodological Framework to Select Evaluation Criteria for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Road Transportation Fuels and Vehicles

Studies applying Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to evaluate Road Transportation Fuels and Vehicles (RTFV) rely on a wide variety of evaluation criteria and appear to lack a structured and consistent way of criteria selection. This leads to non-transparent and not easily comparable evaluation results. To address this issue, a methodological framework is developed to systematically identify and select relevant MCDA-evaluation criteria for the assessment of RTFV. The methodological framework is based on Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis (LCSA) and considers environmental, economic, and social criteria that are complemented with a technical pillar. The scope of the analysis is further enlarged by considering positive and negative externalities. The first part of the framework follows the LCSA approach and requires the analyst to clearly define the context of the analysis. The second part is to decompose the problem by developing criteria categories along the relevant life cycle for each of the evaluation dimensions. This decomposition process helps decision makers to easily identify and select relevant criteria with clear added value within the context of the analysis. In an exemplary application, the developed methodological framework is used to identify relevant criteria for the evaluation of RTFV alternatives for an island aiming at energy self-sufficiency

Financial Inclusion and Social Protection: A Case for India Post

Analysis of empirical evidence from three Indian states suggests that financial inclusion strategies may be inefficient if designed without accounting for the government social protection programmes. Social protection programmes generate additional needs for financial services among the poor, meeting which can also deepen the impact of such programmes. Being a government department and the largest financial service-providing network, India Post may be most suitably located to implement such synergistic strategies. An examination of the official data on India Post indicates that the approach of diversifying its financial products to target higher-end clients in largely urban areas may not be appropriate due to its competitive disadvantage. We argue that delivery of financial services through post offices, built around social protection, may contribute to financial inclusion in rural areas while improving revenues of India Post