Sample Models
Decision making at the local level
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Model 5.1: ANP BOCR - Analyzing Merger of Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Governments (2005)
The purpose of this project is to analyze the potential alternatives in the current proposal to merge the city and county governments within Allegheny County. Four high-level alternatives were considered: a) Full Merger, b) Morph City to County, c) Merge Services Only, and d) Do Nothing
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Model 5.2: ANP BOCR - Pittsburgh Hockey Arena Decision
Losing the Pittsburgh Penguins to another city would be an economic and social disaster for the City of Pittsburgh. Currently, the future of the Pittsburgh Penguins without a new arena is doubtful. However, so is the notion of selling a new arena to taxpayers in a region still divided over the extensive use of public funds for the new convention center, PNC Park, etc.
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Model 5.3: ANP BOCR - Marcellus Oil Shale Drilling Management Decisions (2011)
The Marcellus Shale formation is the largest unconventional natural gas reserve in the world, containing at least 489 trillion cubic feet of recoverable reserves. The alternatives discussed are: a) No Drilling – no large scale increase in drilling currently occurring in PA, b) Drilling with regulation but without taxation, and c) Drilling with regulation and taxation – includes imposing a new severance tax comparable to those used in other states with mineral wealth.
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Model 5.4: ANP BOCR - Fixing Pittsburgh Public Transportation (2011)
The Port Authority of Allegheny County reduced the public transportation services offered to the Greater Pittsburgh region. This has resulted in a loss of jobs and a limited quality of service. The government has recognized that this is a problem, and is discussing what the governmental strategy for the future of public transportation in the Greater Pittsburgh region.
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Model 5.5: AHP - Bridge Selection
This was a AHP model used to select bridge. This is a SuperDecisions software sample model.
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Model 5.6: ANP - Bridge Selection
This was an ANP model used to select bridge. This model give an illustration of the superiority of ANP models over AHP models when there is feedback from the alternatives to the criteria.
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Model 5.7: ANP - Water Reservoir Simple Network
This was an simple ANP model used to select water level for water reservoir. This is a SuperDecisions software sample model.
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Model 5.8: ANP BOCR - PA Natural Gas Drilling : The Extraction Tax Controversy
The analysis performed in this model, attempts to both validate the decision to impose the current tax/fee on drillers, but also considers the likelihood that an actual tax will be assessed in the future and thus can be viewed as a future “tax” or “do not tax” decision model.
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Model 5.9: ANP BOCR - Should the university of Pittsburgh become a private university?
The University of Pittsburgh has faced losses of state appropriations in many of the past years and has had to introduce many cost-saving solutions such as freezes in pay increases, decreased budgets, layoffs of some staff, and delays in needed construction projects.
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Model 5.11: ANP BOCR - Outbound Enrollment Verification Calls
After the 2010 AEP timeframe, UPMC Health Plan chose to move the outbound verification call process back in house. We believed we were capable of managing the smaller volume of enrollment effectively, provide a higher level of quality service to our members, maintain better control of our compliance,...
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Model 5.12: ANP BOCR - Regardless of the Legal Definitions, Should UPMC be Considered Taxable or Tax-Exempt
In this model, we have tried to weigh these various opinions and facts to make a decision from the viewpoint of a Pittsburgh citizen. To do so, we tried to come up with all of the effects the change of the tax-status would have on three separate entities: UPMC, the local government filing the lawsuit, and most importantly, the Pittsburgh community itself.
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Model 5.13: ANP BOCR - Combined Heat and Power
Using SuperDecisions to model Subsidization Program. To answer the question of – subsidize CHP Installation ?
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Model 5.14: ANP BOCR - Legalization of Cannabis in the State of Pennsylvania
Ten states and Washington DC, have now legalized cannabis, or marijuana, for recreational use for adults over 21. In review of the possible options with cannabis, three alternatives were considered in the model: 1. Legalization for Recreational Use and Medical Use 2. Legalization for Medical Use Only 3. No Legalization
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Model 5.15: ANP BOCR - How should Pittsburgh Port Authority prepare for the future?
To find a way to fix the financial problems of the Pittsburgh Port Authority, we used the BOCR model to analyze this problem. Each subnet of Benefits, Opportunities, Costs and Risks were divided into the following categories: Economical, Environmental, and Social.
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Model 5.16: ANP BOCR - Should the University of Pittsburgh build a Parking Lot at Schenley Park?
This is a model to identify the best option for building a parking lot at the Schenley Park location.
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Model 5.17: ANP BOCR - Shale Drilling in Pennsylvania
This is a model to identify the best alternative to people of Pennsylvania between “Drilling” and “Not Drilling” the Marcellus Shale.
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Model 5.18: ANP BOCR - Should Pennsylvania Legalize Table Games?
Should Pennsylvania allow table games? Much hype due to recent legalization of slot-machines.
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Model 5.19: ANP BOCR - Best Way to Reduce Traffic Congestion in Pittsburgh
This project consisted of looking at the best way to reduce traffic congestion.
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Model 5.20: ANP BOCR - Funding Pennsylvania’s Transportation System: Roads, Bridges and Mass Transit
The goal for the model is to determine how Pennsylvania should raise the additional funds for the transportation system.
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Model 5.21: ANP BOCR - Chronic Illness and Hospital Admissions
To decide which illness offers the greatest opportunity for improved disease management and healthcare cost reduction they are rated against return on investment (ROI), sustainability, intervention spread, and the existing treatment gap.
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Model 5.22: ANP BOCR - Should Schools Offer Incentives for Students to Excel
An ANP model to determine if the school districts are actually helping their students with these programs or causing irrevocable harm.
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Model 5.23: ANP BOCR - Smoking Ban Decision for Pennsylvania
This model analyzes the political and social ramifications of removing the private property rights of business owners and forcing a state wide smoking ban in all businesses.
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Model 5.24: ANP BOCR - Build the Freedom Tower?
The purpose of our analysis is to use the Analytic Network Process (ANP) model to evaluate whether or not the decision to build the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center site was the right decision.
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Model 5.25: ANP BOCR - Drug Strategy: Legislation
This is a detailed super decisions model over the United States’ drug strategy, more specifically its conflict in legislation regarding the treatment of marijuana use in America.
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Model 5.26: ANP BOCR - What is the best way to reduce Traffic Jams?
The purpose of this project is to look at the latter and try to determine the best solution to reduce the number of traffic jams.
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Model 5.27: ANP BOCR - Public Education Funding Reform in Pennsylvania
There is a growing consensus that the real estate property tax should not be the primary source of public education funding. Property values and income levels have a direct impact on a district’s ability to raise education revenues.
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Model 5.28: ANP BOCR - Managing Liquor and Wine Sales in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is considered a “total control state.” This means that all sales of liquor and wine are conducted through state-owned stores staffed with unionized government workers. Sales revenues from these stores are funneled back into the organization, making them completely self-sufficient, and into other agencies such as the Pennsylvania State Police.
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Model 5.29: ANP BOCR - City-County Government Merger
inefficient taxing systems, political factions and competition for funding and services make it difficult for communities in southwest Pennsylvania to compete economically with other areas of the country. The question arises of how to manage the systems of government in order to best serve county residents.
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Model 5.30: ANP BOCR - Legalized Gambling in Pennsylvania
This analysis looks at whether gambling should be legalized from the viewpoint of the governor.
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Model 5.31: ANP BOCR - Private School Voucher Program in Pennsylvania
A fundamental value in the US is that a solid educational background will lay the foundation for future success. Thus, when students are unable to learn the fundamentals of education at an early age, their ability to succeed is affected. Therefore, failing public school system, or schools in specific districts, cause great concern for parents, communities, and political parties.
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Model 5.32: ANP BOCR - Rebuild or Not Rebuild New Orleans?
When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Southern US in August of 2005, New Orleans was hit hard. Its vital port was destroyed and its citizens were displaced. The city’s future was questionable, as a similar event in the future could destroy it in the same manner. Obviously, citizens and politicians would want the city to be rebuilt, but this analysis explores all options for its future.
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Model 5.33: ANP BOCR - Determining the Best Rebuild Option for New Orleans
This model addresses the issue of how best to fix the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
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Model 5.34: ANP BOCR - Implementing a Living Wage in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania (2003)
Energy is an inevitable necessity for human beings. But its sources are predicted to be scarce in the future years by growth of the population. Energy sources that are renewable, clean and less costly are needed. This model analyzes the alternative sources by taking into consideration the needs of Turkey.
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Model 5.35: ANP BOCR - The Choice of Fiscal Policy to Solve Budget Crisis (2002)
Proposals to help balance the budget are: Trimming $15 million to $20 million from the public safety budget, proposal to Introduce new taxes, another option on the list, Mayor said, is for Pittsburgh to consider seeking protection under state Act 47 as an “economically distressed’’ city. That would allow a state overseer to review city revenues and spending and possibly impose layoffs or new contracts on public safety personnel, and finally Raise taxes for the people who are currently paying taxes.
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Model 5.36: ANP BOCR - Legalization of Gambling in Pennsylvania (2002)
Legalization of gambling has been a prevalent topic across the United States, and especially in Pennsylvania. Social conservatives thought that all forms of gambling as a public nuisance that taxes the poor and as a vehicle that is morally detrimental to society. Before a state such as Pennsylvania decides to legalize gambling, it must take into consideration all of the relevant factors that will have an effect on its citizens and on society in general.
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Model 5.37: ANP BOCR - Pittsburgh’s Downtown Redevelopment Project (1999)
On October 4, 1999, Mayor Murphy announced a $480 million downtown renewal project named Market Place at Fifth and Forbes. The plan calls for the city of Pittsburgh to acquire 64 privately owned buildings in an area around Fifth and Forbes Avenues, which then would be sold to Urban Retail Properties Co., based in Chicago, to develop. The new development would include an 18 screen movie theater, as well as a number of restaurants and shops.
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Model 5.38: ANP BOCR - Prioritizing Sectors of Economy for Investment
Prioritizing Sectors of Economy for Investment in Agriculture, Electronic industry, Heavy industry, Tourism.
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Model 5.39: ANP BOCR - Best Candidate for the Position of Allegheny County Executive (1999)
In November 1999, an election was held for the position of Allegheny County Executive. A significant aspect of this election was that it marked a departure from the longstanding organization of the Allegheny County Government. Specifically the County Executive Committee consisted of three elected officials to be replaced by a County Executive.
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Model 5.40: ANP BOCR - Should Pennsylvania increase the minimum wage (2016)
In this project, a complex Analytical Network Process (ANP) model will be utilized to evaluate whether state legislators should increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania by accessing each criteria.