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Multi-criteria Integrated Resource Assessment (MIRA)
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What is the Multi-criteria Integrated Resource Assessment (MIRA)?
MIRA is a new approach to helping inform decision makers and other stakeholders so that better environmental decisions can be made.
The process is used to:
- organize and rank decision criteria or indicators
- link the data to our policy decision
- use the decision context to determine the relative importance of the decision criteria, and
- explore alternative decision options
Tools in the MIRA Toolbox
How the MIRA modules connect with each other and with outside information:
Data Collection Manager
- allows users to store, sort, and retrieve data such as source emissions, demographics, and environmental quality values
Geostatistical Indicators Module
- allows users to take spatial fields (i.e., maps) and collapse them into a single number in order to compare one map to another in making a decision
Programmatic and Budget Decision Analysis Module
- provides a way to organize all decision criteria (i.e., indicators), include expert opinions and include what's important to stakeholders in making a decision
Fate and Transport Model Outputs
- outputs from Cause and Effect Models (from EPA and non-EPA sources) become inputs into MIRA; connects science with decision making (via the MIRA Decision Analysis Module)
9 Steps of the MIRA Process
- define the decision question; decide on decision criteria based on that question
- select the 'problem set' which is the set of elements (the decision options or pollutant sources) that are to be ranked using MIRA
- gather the data needed for each criterion
- index the set of elements
- weigh the criteria
- create an initial 'decision set' (a problem set whose elements are ranked based on the data and criteria weighting)
- create different decision sets for the initial problem set and modifying that problem set if appropriate as learning occurs and additional options are discovered;
- discuss these with stakeholders
- make the final decision
The data from the Data Collection Manager and from the Geostatistical Indicators Module, as well as other databases or models, are incorporated into the MIRA Process in step 3, as guided by the decision criteria and the problem set identified in steps 1 and 2. Users are key to the MIRA approach as it is these stakeholders that determine what criteria are used, which data adequately represent those criteria, how the criteria are weighted and the kinds of alternatives that will be examined.
MIRA Process Flow
Examples
- Optimality of Ozone Monitoring Network Design: Air Quality Data - A Methodology to Assess Optimal Ozone Monitoring Network Design (PDF) (21 pp, 766K, About PDF)
- Uncertainty in Decision Making: Environmental Policy Analysis: How Much Uncertainty is Too Much and How Do We Know? (PDF) (29 pp, 1.3MB, About PDF)
- Risk Management: Philadelphia Air Toxics Study: Evaluation of Risk Management Options Using MIRA (PDF) (1 pg, 83K, About PDF)
- Prioritizing Environmental Work and Resources Based on Science: Trans-Disciplinary Learning: A Case Study Linking Science to Budgets (PDF) (18 pp, 1.3K, About PDF)
- Evaluating Ozone Nonattainment: Technical Support Document for the 8-hour Ozone Designations 11-Factor Analysis
- Technical Support Document Cover Memo (PDF) (27 pp, 137K, About PDF)
- Errata Sheet to Technical Support Document (PDF) (1 pg, 8.4K, About PDF)
- Attachment A - Letter Discussing the MIRA Approach (PDF) (7 pp, 80K, About PDF)
- Attachment B - 8-hour Ozone Nonattainment Designations - Comparison with EPA 120d Recommendations vs. State Responses (PDF) (6 pp, 52K, About PDF)
- Attachment C - Memorandum of Agreement to Allow EPA to Grant the Separation of the Fredericksburg 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area From the Washington, DC 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area (PDF) (3 pp, 34K, About PDF)
- Attachment D
- Charles City County, VA 2001 (PDF) (9 pp, 340K, About PDF)
- Charles City County, VA 2002 (PDF) (9 pp, 375K, About PDF)
- Charles City County, VA 2003 (PDF) (9 pp, 394K, About PDF)
- Hampton Roads, VA 2001 (PDF) (9 pp, 368K, About PDF)
- Hampton County, VA 2002 (PDF) (9 pp, 347K, About PDF)
- Hampton Roads, VA 2003 (PDF) (9 pp, 356K, About PDF)
- Henrico County, VA 2001 (PDF) (9 pp, 336K, About PDF)
- Henrico County, VA 2002 (PDF) (9 pp, 410K, About PDF)
- Henrico County, VA 2003 (PDF) (9 pp, 369K, About PDF)
- Attachment E
- Madison, VA 2001 (PDF) (9 pp, 372K, About PDF)
- Madison, VA 2002 (PDF) (9 pp, 401K, About PDF)
- Madison, VA 2003 (PDF) (9 pp, 379K, About PDF)
- Attachment F
- Caswell, NC 2001 (PDF) (9 pp, 318K, About PDF)
- Caswell, NC 2002 (PDF) (9 pp, 313K, About PDF)
- Caswell, NC 2003 (PDF) (9 pp, 343K, About PDF)
Learn More
Please contact your local library or EPA's Philadelphia library to obtain the unlinked documents listed below.
- Science Policy Decision Making: Cimorelli, Alan J. and Cynthia H. Stahl. 2005. Tackling the Dilemma of the Science-Policy Interface in Environmental Policy Analysis
. Bulletin of Science, Technology, and Society 25: 46-52. - Evaluating Decision Consequences: Cimorelli, Alan J., Cynthia H. Stahl, Alice H. Chow, and Cristina Fernandez June/1999. Decision Consequence Model (DCM): Integrating Environmental Data and Analysis Into Real-Time Decision Making paper presented to the Air and Waste Management Association Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, June 1999
- Transparency and Consistency in Decision Making: EPA Office of the Inspector General (August 15, 2002), "Consistency and Transparency in Determination of EPA's Anticipated Ozone Designations" (PDF) (36 pp, 115K, About PDF), Report No. 2002-S-00016
- Uncertainty in Decision Making: Sanderson, H., C. H. Stahl, R. Irwin and M. D. Rogers. 2005. Reflections on uncertainty in risk assessment and risk management by the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry's (SETAC) precautionary principle workgroup. Water Science and Technology 52: 73-79.
- Environmental Decision Making: Stahl, Cynthia H. 2003. Multi-criteria Integrated Resource Assessment (MIRA): A New Decision Analytic Approach to Inform Environmental Policy Analysis. University of Delaware. For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
- Uncertainty in Decision Making: Stahl, Cynthia H. and Alan J. Cimorelli. 2005. How Much Uncertainty is Too Much and How Do We Know? A Case Example of the Assessment of Ozone Monitoring Network Options. Risk Analysis 25: 1109-1120.
- Environmental Decision Making: Stahl, Cynthia H., Alan J. Cimorelli and Alice H. Chow. 2002. "A New Approach to Environmental Decision Analysis: Multi-criteria Integrated Resource Assessment (MIRA)" (PDF) (17 pp, 146K, About PDF) , Bulletin of Science, Technology, and Society 22: 443-459 (December 2002).
- Sustainability and Decision Making: Cynthia Stahl, Alan Cimorelli, Christine Mazzarella, and Bill Jenkins. Toward Sustainability: The Integration of Science and Other Stakeholder Values, One Decision at a Time (PDF) (49 pp, 802K, About PDF) . Submitted to the Journal of Environmental Management, February 2, 2009.
- Evaluating Ozone Nonattainment: Stahl, Cynthia H., Cristina Fernandez, and Alan J. Cimorelli. April 15, 2004. Technical Support Document for the Region III 8-hour Ozone Designations 11-Factor Analysis. Philadelphia, PA: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III.
- Environmental Decision Making: Stahl, Cynthia H., Hong-Jin Kim, Alan J. Cimorelli and Alice H. Chow. 1999. Decision Consequence Model (DCM): Integrating Environmental, Social, Political and Economic Impact Assessment into Real-Time Decision Making. Proceedings of the 19th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Impact Assessment, Glasgow, Scotland
Contacts
Cynthia Stahl (stahl.cynthia@epa.gov)
Decision Analysis Module
Office of Environmental Information & Analysis (3EA10)
Environmental Assessment & Innovation Division
US EPA Region 3
1650 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
215-814-2180
Al Cimorelli (cimorelli.alan@epa.gov)
Decision Analysis Module & Geostatistical Indicators Module
Office of Environmental Information & Analysis (3EA10)
Environmental Assessment & Innovation Division
US EPA Region 3
1650 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
215-814-2189
Alice Chow (chow.alice@epa.gov)
Data Collection Manager (3AP22)
Air Protection Division
US EPA Region 3
1650 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
215-814-2144