EquATR: A Decision Support System for Resource Allocation

Conflicts over distribution of natural & man-made resources exists in all societies, regions, nations etc. Consequently, different apportionment mechanisms & doctrines have been proposed by the researchers/consultants/administrators to resolve such disputes. However, objective & quantifiable translation of these methods poses a big challenge.

A novel web-based free to use Graphical User Interface tool named, EquATR (Equitable Apportionment in a Transboundary Resource), has been developed as a one stop solution for decision makers & stakeholders to compute allocations using commonly prescribed 10 different apportionment methods & if desired, determine the most appropriate method using 18 Social Choice Theory &/or 8 Multi-Criteria Multi-Decision Maker techniques. Though this framework has been developed for resolving water share allotment problems in transboundary watercourses, it has been designed as very generic, user friendly & easy to use for wide applicability across disciplines. Earlier, EquATR was developed as a Microsoft Windows based installation package, but in order to enhance its accessibility, it is now web based to make it Operating System independent & can be used from anywhere in the world on variety of popular web browsers. It comes with a downloadable user manual & uses spreadsheets to effortlessly take inputs & export the generated results.

EquATR is based on a procedurally & distributionally fair, equal opportunity paradigm in which each competing party has equal liberty to identify & propose, without any coercion or influence, one or more equity factors that are most favorable to it, as a valid basis for seeking apportionment. Its structure allows open & transparent negotiations, conciliation & voluntary compromise. Further, it has provisions to give equal as well as differential weights to the equity factors and the contenders. It also takes into the account the relative contribution of each party to the resource being sought.

A resolution, if achieved by this approach, has a good chance of compliance as it favors an all-inclusive approach & empowers all interested parties in making educated & informed decisions based on scientific results.