**Appendix A**

The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) proposed by Thomas L. Saaty (1980) is a method to express the relative importance or dominance of individual element(s) over an assessment, such as criteria or characteristics useful, for example, for decision-making [42]. This technique organizes the evaluation elements into a hierarchy level, assigning numerical values, which gives mathematical support to the organization. The AHP uses pairwise comparison or paired ranking to compare the various elements of the analysis. This comparison is based on a numerical qualification, considering a prime number subjacent scale from 1 to 9 (Saaty scale). Data are entered into a squared matrix to give qualifications; therefore, the level of importance (Table A1).


#### **Table A1.** Saaty scale used in paired ranking.
