Incorporating Sustainability Decision Making for Public Infrastructure Investment ：A Qualitative Case Study of a Korean Preliminary Feasibility Study

[Purpose] The purpose of this paper is to investigate qualitatively the typology of current preliminary feasibility study (PFS) in the view of sustainability and the policy direction for incorporating sustainability within PFS in the era of UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the post－Covid 19. [Methodology] This research analyzed 30 internal and external experts’ perceptions regarding Korean PFS by utilizing a mixed explanatory research design based on the combination of Q methodology and Focused Group Interviews (FGI) to seek ways to harmonize the criteria of sustainability in the existing evaluation system. [Findings] First, the experts’ perceptions of PFS were classified into three categories: facilitator, policy－oriented alternatives, and environmentalist. Second, to design sustainability－ sensitive PFS system, it is necessary to strengthen the education for enhancing acceptance of PFS and enforcing environmental assessment within PFS. In addition, in approaching the consideration of environmental sustainability within PFS, it is more suitable to let external experts to intervene the institutional reform to fortify the environmental sustainability of PFS. [Policy Implications] About reconciling the sustainability criterion into the PFS system, previous studies have been limited so far. This paper can serve as a ground for the reform of current PFS toward sustainability－sensitive PFS with exact direction by providing actual expert’s thinking. The result can be directly applied to the future design of PFS by serving as an evidence for the reform and direction of reform. In addition, the findings could be served as a convincing reference for sustainability－sensitive evaluation system in public investment which is in imperative to meet the need of the times.