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(27-07) Using Life Cycle Assessment to Support Public Sector Decisions: A Case Study from Road Maintenance. Elghali, Lucia*,1,2, Begg, Katherine1, Child, Stephen2, Clift, Roland1, Cowell, Sarah1, Howell, Terry2, Ireland, Richard2, 1 Centre for Environmental Strategy, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom2 Surrey County Council, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom ABSTRACT- This work is part of a wider programme to provide support for environmental decision-making in the highway maintenance programme of a local government body: Surrey County Council. UK local authorities are required to demonstrate that sustainable development principles are addressed in service provision, by improving environmental, economic or social well being and improving public consultation 1,2. In highway maintenance projects requiring strategic decisions, difficulties arise in identifying relevant decision criteria to make this assessment and evaluating maintenance options against these criteria. These difficulties arise because the context for decision-making activity is complex, where multiple public policy objectives compete and a number of decision-makers and key players are affected by the outcome of such decisions. A further requirement is a means of utilising quantitative and qualitative information in deliberations, as well as engaging stakeholders in the decision process. A methodology was required to address this complexity in the decision context and to provide a clear audit trail for the decision made, in the interests of improving public accountability. The approach adopted combined life cycle assessment (LCA) with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) through the process of decision conferencing. This paper summarises the application of this methodology in assessing six options for the reconstruction of a principal road, as an illustrative exercise. Although this case study focussed on a project-level decision involving choices between highway maintenance methods, the approach is capable of further development to support other strategic decision-making. 1. Local Government Act 2000. HMSO: London 2. Local Government Act 1999. HMSO: London Key words: life cycle assessment, multi-criteria decision analysis, decision making, public policy |
