A composite indicator framework integrating regulator perspectives for assessing water service quality

IF 7.2 2区管理学 Q1 MANAGEMENT

Omega-international Journal of Management Science Pub Date : 2025-10-08 DOI:10.1016/j.omega.2025.103435

Hermilio Vilarinho , Miguel Alves Pereira , Giovanna D’Inverno , Ana S. Camanho

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study presents an innovative approach to assessing service quality in the water supply and wastewater treatment sectors, using directional Benefit-of-the-Doubt (BoD) models tailored to regulator needs. Unlike previous research, this work integrates the regulator preferences throughout the entire evaluation process, from selecting key performance metrics to determining reference weights and validating results through sensitivity analyses. A new index for the Assessment of the Quality of Services (AQS) was constructed using a set of indicators chosen by the regulator, ensuring a direct alignment with regulatory priorities. Additionally, the study examines the relationship between service quality and cost efficiency, the latter computed using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology, to address the inherent tension in the water sector between these often conflicting goals. By providing a comprehensive comparison of wholesale utilities’ performance, the findings highlight that cost efficiency and service quality do not always align. This underscores the need for a balanced regulatory approach that fosters service quality improvements while maintaining cost control, promoting sustainable and effective management of the sector.

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一个综合了监管者观点的综合指标框架，用于评估水服务质量

本研究提出了一种创新的方法来评估供水和废水处理部门的服务质量，使用根据监管机构需求量身定制的定向怀疑利益（BoD）模型。与之前的研究不同，这项工作在整个评估过程中整合了调节器的偏好，从选择关键性能指标到确定参考权重，再到通过敏感性分析验证结果。使用监管机构选择的一组指标构建了服务质量评估（AQS）的新指数，确保与监管优先级直接一致。此外，该研究还考察了服务质量和成本效率之间的关系，后者使用数据包络分析（DEA）方法计算，以解决水务部门这些经常相互冲突的目标之间的内在紧张关系。通过对批发公用事业公司的表现进行全面比较，研究结果强调了成本效率和服务质量并不总是一致的。这突出表明，需要采取平衡的监管办法，促进服务质量的提高，同时保持成本控制，促进该部门的可持续和有效管理。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Omega-international Journal of Management Science 管理科学-运筹学与管理科学

CiteScore

13.80

自引率

11.60%

发文量

130

审稿时长

56 days

期刊介绍： Omega reports on developments in management, including the latest research results and applications. Original contributions and review articles describe the state of the art in specific fields or functions of management, while there are shorter critical assessments of particular management techniques. Other features of the journal are the "Memoranda" section for short communications and "Feedback", a correspondence column. Omega is both stimulating reading and an important source for practising managers, specialists in management services, operational research workers and management scientists, management consultants, academics, students and research personnel throughout the world. The material published is of high quality and relevance, written in a manner which makes it accessible to all of this wide-ranging readership. Preference will be given to papers with implications to the practice of management. Submissions of purely theoretical papers are discouraged. The review of material for publication in the journal reflects this aim.