Models & Methods for Project Selection : Concepts from Management Science

Models & Methods for Project Selection systematically examines in this book treatment the latest work in the field of project selection modeling. The models presented are drawn from mathematical programming, decision theory, and finance. These models are examined in two categorical streams: the management science stream and the financial model stream. The book describes the assumptions and limitations of each model and provides appropriate solution methodologies. Its organization follows three main themes:
*Criteria for Choice: Chapters 1-3 investigate the effect of the choice of optimization criteria on the results of the portfolio optimization problem. This group of chapters examines the multiobjective linear programming approach, discusses the appropriate methods for adjusting for time and risk in the project selection problem, and expands on the discussion of optimization models and NPV.
*Risk and Uncertainty: Chapters 4-7 deal with uncertainty in the project selection problem. The models developed in this section are based on probability distribution assumptions or estimates and deal with uncertainty in some aspect of the project selection model.
*Non-Linearity and Interdependence: These chapters deal with problems of non-linearity and interdependence as they arise in the project selection problem. The ability to handle non-linear problems allows the application of the methodology to a far wider range of problems. Similarly, the ability to model interdependence between projects - as in the Information Technology models - is an important step in generalization. Chapters 8, 9 and 10 present solution methodologies, which can be used to solve these most general project selection models.