Evaluation of sustainable development in the sub-regions of Antioquia (Colombia) using multi-criteria composite indices: A tool for prioritizing public investment at the subnational level

This article comparatively evaluates sustainable development levels in the nine sub-regions of the department of Antioquia (Colombia), using composite indices. Given the complexity and the diversity of sustainable development aspects, a multi-criteria evaluation framework was developed and organized at different stages. These stages included defining a conceptual framework; choosing relevant indicators for evaluation; completing a multivariate analysis to reduce indicators; standardizing data; weighting indicators through the process of analytical hierarchy, and finally, aggregating the indicators. The results indicate that the Aburra Valley and East sub-regions are at the stable sustainable development level (medium-high); the West, North, Southwest, Middle Magdalena, Northeast, and Uraba sub-regions are at the unstable sustainable development level (medium-medium); and Low Cauca is at the unstable level (medium-low), which gives the true picture of the disparity between the sub-regions. The disaggregated results allowed us to identify public investment priorities for each of the sub-regions studied. Thus, the use of composite indices is presented as a high-level technical tool that supports governmental decision-making at a subnational level.