Rational black-start plans are necessary for restoring the power system as soon as possible. A novel method for assessing black-start plans， namely， hierarchical data envelopment analysis， is proposed in this paper. First， the hierarchy of assessment is arranged by employing the analytic hierarchy process（AHP） and the weights of assessment criteria are derived from the judgment matrix. Secondly， the plans are compared with regard to different assessment criteria by means of data envelopment analysis（DEA）. Finally， the effects of the assessment criteria and assessment indices are integrated and the plans are ranked in an all-round way. It is proved from an application to an actual power system that the method can provide dispatchers with more comprehensive and exact decision-making references.