Shary Heuninckx

Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) involves evaluating alternatives based on a comprehensive set of conflicting criteria, often requiring the involvement of varied decision makers. This has led to the emergence of stakeholder-based multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) frameworks. However, traditional MCGDM frequently overlooks the interactions and trade-offs among different actors and criteria. The Multi-actor Multi-criteria Analysis (MAMCA), developed in 2000, provides a transparent decision-making process explicitly considering these interrelationships. It allows diverse stakeholder groups to represent their priorities, thereby enhancing their understanding of their own and others’ positions. Over the past two decades, MAMCA has seen a significant rise in popularity and has been widely applied in diverse contexts, proving valuable as both a decision-making and stakeholder engagement tool. However, our analysis of publications on cases in which MAMCA was applied over the years shows that considerable variation exists in the overall process approach, contingent upon the specific goals and context. To address these variations, this paper proposes a modularized MAMCA structure, complemented by systematic application guidelines, to aid future users in navigating the process steps and identifying the most suitable methods for each step. Additionally, future research directions are suggested for potential enhancements to the MAMCA framework by integrating varied methodologies.

Energy communities (ECs) are often regarded as important tools for the empowerment of civil stakeholders in the energy system. They foster active participation and capacity building within the daily operations of the system. To ensure the reflection of stakeholders’ needs, it is important that participation is also guaranteed throughout the design phase of the EC. Despite a general consensus on the importance of stakeholder engagement in the set-up of sustainability-fostering projects, the effects of engagement initiatives are often not evaluated, making it difficult to learn lessons for future application of the applied method. We therefore wanted to study the impact of a specific stakeholder engagement tool (Multi Actor Multi Criteria Analysis, MAMCA) that was used in the set-up phase of eight different ECs. Through a survey, three core aspects are assessed: 1) the effect of MAMCA on the participants’ knowledge of ECs, 2) its effect on social learning (raised awareness as well as the impact on personal viewpoints and willingness to take action), and 3) the extent to which the engagement goals and the expectations of the participants are fulfilled. The study results show that stakeholder appreciation of the method is high and MAMCA has significant value as a learning methodology. The highest importance and best evaluation scores were attributed to its knowledge-raising aspects. Awareness and willingness to join an EC initiative also increased among participants. More attention to raising the technical knowledge of participants and feedback on the follow-up of the engagement initiative results are identified as elements that require a stronger focus in future applications.

The current energy transition is characterized by a high level of consumer and prosumer involvement. Energy communities (ECs) are instruments that fit into this trend, as they organize the collective and mainly citizen-driven exchange of clean energy. Most stakeholder engagement research for ECs focuses on one aspect such as awareness raising or deployment acceptance. Hitherto, no specific research has been conducted on a participatory approach that can be applied throughout all the phases of an EC setup and for different purposes. In our study, we determine how the Multi-Actor Multi-Criteria analysis (MAMCA) methodology can be used as an engagement tool for this purpose. By linking potential engagement goals and their connected tools and techniques to the corresponding MAMCA step, we have created a multi-layered practical framework that can be used by all types of EC initiators for stakeholder engagement throughout the setup of a new EC. As this practical tool stimulates solutions that cater better to stakeholder needs, it can contribute to smoother deployment and an associated increase in ECs in the general system. A theoretical evaluation and a performed case study demonstrate the utility of the methodology that is developed in this paper.