Sustainability & SAM ~ Guide for Decision Making

Now that you know about SAM - here are few steps to help you in filling it out. They will guide through the process of making decisions with SAM.

Step 1: Identifying.

Identify a clear topic, policy, or issue that you would like to evaluate as to whether it is sustainable or not. The action should be written on the top of the form and written as a statement such as, "Building a three-lane roadway cross-section on Capitol Way," or "Purchasing stock copy paper." The more specific you can be, the better, because this will help focus your discussion on the action that is most important to you.

Step 2: Brainstorming.

Either by yourself or with a team, brainstorm strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in each of the four sustainability categories. Encourage the flow of discussion, meaning that although you may start in one category, this may lead to trade-offs and balancing factors in other categories. Those factors should be discussed together and put on the map at the same time so the team can begin to see the relationships and competing factors. After the list is brainstormed and distilled, compare the strengths and opportunities with the weaknesses and threats in each of the categories. Objectively evaluate whether there is enough strengths in a category to warrant a green, or if there is a good balance of strengths, opportunities, threats, and weaknesses, it may be a yellow. If the category is dominated by weaknesses and threats, it is likely a red light.

Step 3: Distilling.

After you have brainstormed all the ideas, it is helpful for the team to begin distilling and get the key issues summarized and prioritized so that all of the content is on one side of a piece of paper. Getting all the ideas on one sheet of paper provides discipline for prioritizing.

Step 4: Adapting.

you use the model more, you will note that there are different ways to use the tool. For example, you can run the action map for each alternative you are considering.

Other Tips and Thoughts:

Another interesting tool is to use color in the text to show linkages between statements in different categories. For example, if an action requires an opportunity in the Natural area, however, there is an economic implication through that opportunity; both statements could be shown in red. And finally, don't be so concerned about in which category to place an issue. What is most important is that it is identified.

Contacting Public Works:

  • Physical Address: 924 7th Ave. SE, Suite A
  • Mailing Address: PO Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507
  • Download printer-friendly (PDF) directions to our office
  • Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except for City-recognized holidays)
  • Phone: (360) 753-8588
  • TTY: (360) 753-8270
  • Email: Public Works
  • Public Works home page