ABSTRACT
Ports have always been evolving to satisfy stakeholders’ new or changing demands. The long design lifetime of a port system calls for uncertainty considerations in the planning process. A structured framework is presented to deal with opportunities and vulnerabilities derived from uncertain developments. A three-dimensional decision surface is presented to quantify the salience of stakeholders. A problem structuring method and a fuzzy multi-attribute group decision-making method are integrated to define the success of the plan. Salient stakeholders are engaged to identify uncertainties. SWOT analysis is conducted to recognize opportunities and vulnerabilities. Effective actions are planned to seize opportunities and manage vulnerabilities in a projected lifetime. Port authorities and decision makers can strategically implement the actions in the face of uncertainty that emerges in the planning horizons. The results indicate that the uncertainties mainly present opportunities in the short-term horizon, while during the middle-term horizon the port is confronted with vulnerabilities.
