<![CDATA[The success of software project management hinges on the ability to reliably forecast development effort. However, achieving precise estimates is notoriously difficult, primarily due to inherent project complexities and numerous uncertain variables. While various techniques exist, no single method has proven consistently reliable, leading to inaccurate scheduling and cost overruns. This study aims to develop a more accurate and robust estimation model by hybridizing a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method for handling uncertainty with a machine learning algorithm for predictive modeling. The proposed approach integrates the Consistent Fuzzy Preference Relation (CFPR) method to derive consistent weights for cost drivers from expert judgments. These weights are then used as Effort Adjustment Factors (EAF) to preprocess the COCOMO and NASA datasets, which are subsequently modeled using the Least Squares Support Vector Machine (LSSVM). Evaluation of the hybrid CFPR-LSSVM model confirmed its enhanced predictive accuracy. For the COCOMO dataset, the model yielded an MMRE of 28.463% and an RMSE of 0.4705. Its performance on the NASA dataset was particularly remarkable, with results indicating an MMRE of 1.104% and an RMSE of 0.4593, demonstrating a level of precision that underscores the model's effectiveness. This research contributes a novel hybrid framework that effectively combines consistent fuzzy preference handling with powerful non-linear regression. By providing a more structured and robust methodology for managing uncertainty, this approach offers a substantial advancement in software effort estimation, delivering more reliable predictions for improved project planning. ]]>
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