A MIVES-Based Multicriteria Framework for Prioritizing Indoor Air Quality Interventions in Educational Classrooms

Abstract

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in educational buildings has become a key priority, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the high vulnerability of children and a widespread lack of effective ventilation systems in classrooms. This study introduces a MIVES-based multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) framework to prioritize IAQ improvement investments in classrooms, aligning them with predefined sustainable development objectives. The MIVES methodology combines MCDM and multiattribute utility theory (MAUT), incorporating the concept of value functions (VFs) to standardize indicators, and uses the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to assign relative weights across evaluation criteria. The proposed prioritization investment index for indoor air quality (PIIIAQ) integrates a risk index (RI)—based on threat, the population at risk, and the classroom vulnerability—with a comprehensive sustainability assessment across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The framework was applied to 14 intervention strategies (Projects A to N) across various Spanish schools, producing accurate, consistent, and repeatable evaluations in a transparent and traceable way. Project K, which involved installing a complete HVAC system in a high-risk classroom (RI = 4.54), received the highest PIIIAQ score (0.81), followed by Projects M and J (0.75), while lower-ranked projects such as E (0.36) and B (0.39) offered minimal improvement or impact. A sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of results across different stakeholder-weighting scenarios. The model′s output closely matched expert judgment, validating its reliability and demonstrating its potential as a strategic tool for guiding resource allocation in public educational infrastructure.