An Epistemic Context-Based Decision-Making Framework for an Infrastructure Project Investment Decision in Indonesia

Abstract

Contextual information is a crucial delimitation that needs to be considered. A review of the literature suggests the need to develop a context-based decision-making framework (DMF) to improve the quality of the decision-making process. However, retrieving the right information within a specific decision-making context is not an easy task and requires a comprehensive study. To address this need, this study focuses on developing an epistemic context-based DMF. The contextualization was carried out by thoroughly investigating the three epistemic context dimensions related to infrastructure project planning and selection processes in Indonesia. This study adopts a mixed-method approach consisting of contextual information, contextual analysis, contextual synthesis, and contextual validation. All findings were used to develop the DMF, which was validated in a realistic setting. This study is meaningful because the developed DMF can advance the project investment evaluation process by bridging the gap between infrastructure assessment constraints and epistemic context awareness. The retrieval of relevant information within a context is considered useful to configure the required setting needed in the development of a DMF, thus enhancing the relevancy and usability of the proposed DMF.