Understanding the prerequisites for applying Decision Analyais (DA) is essential for its successful application.
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General prerequesists include:
- Decision problem that can be clearly formulated (including criteria/alternatives).
- Decision maker/stakeholders that are committed to the process.
- Skilled facilitator or analyst.
- Appropriate methods and tools that are suited to the problem.
- Data and/or expert judgments available.
- Resources and time available for the process.
When considering the application of decision analysis, one should carefully analyse whether these prerequisites are met in relation to the problem.
Outcome of the phase: An understanding of the kinds of situations in which decision analysis can be applied.
Follow up Questions for the AI
Ask the following questions to gather more information from the AI:
- Can you elaborate the above-mentioned prerequisites and discuss other possible prerequisites?
- What issues should be considered when deciding whether (or not) to use decision analysis?
- For what types of problems is decision analysis suitable or unsuitable?
- What are the key requirements for the [facilitator/decision analyst/stakeholders/problem/data] in a successful application of DA?
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Benefits and Risks of Using AI
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Benefits (++)
- Synthesising and elaborating the key prerequisites of applying decision analysis.
- Understanding how these prerequisites should be considered in the planning of the decision analysis process
Benefit Scoring: ++ Medium
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Risks (!!)
- Superficial understanding of the requirements.
- Reduced critical evaluation of which of the prerequisites are essential and what can
be relaxed.
- Lack of analytical competence in judging what is essential and what is not.
Risk Scoring: !! Medium
Questions to Better Understand the Benefits and risks of AI
Questions to make use of the benefits
- See follow up questions above
- I have this problem: [problem description as an input]. What are the main benefits of and prerequisites for applying decision analysis to this problem?
- How can AI support understanding of understanding the key requirements of applying decision analysis?
Questions to avoid the risks
- Are there any ways to relax some of these requirements if the approach would otherwise be beneficial?
- Explain the fundamental reasons behind these risks. Why is the risk of [risk here] relevant when considering AI support for understanding decision analysis?
Understanding of the risks is essential in terms of understanding for what types of situations decision analysis suits or NOT suits for
Questions NOT to Ask
- I have this problem [description to be given]. Can I use decision analysis to support my problem?
Asking yes/no questions could be dangerous, as the line between them is not always clear, and the way how the process is carried out may affect the answer. A better question is to ask “In what respects is my problem unsuitable for analysis using decision analysis and what could be done to correct the issue?”.