A multi-criteria decision-making support system for choice of method of compensation for highway construction contractors in Greece

The choice of method of contractor compensation is a complex decision that should be taken by awarding authorities (AAs) based on a systematic and scientific examination of alternative options instead of the decision-maker's knowledge, experience and intuition. Little research work has been carried out that applies multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods for the choice of contract type in the construction industry. This paper contributes to this area in research by presenting a comparative analysis of the application of the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Situation method and the multi attribute utility theory to the problem of choosing appropriate contract types for two pilot projects in Greece with varying characteristics and AA's needs. For each project, nine selection criteria (SC) were weighted by two experts using the analytical hierarchy process, the revised Simos' method and goal programming. Based on the results, a decision support system for the choice of contract type for highway construction contractors in Greece is proposed which utilizes the experience of professionals from AAs in Greece and abroad and applies the above-mentioned MCDM methods.