ABSTRACT
The outputs from a positional analysis can be presented in a graphical form. This makes the information more accessible. Sustainability Assessment Maps (SAMs) are a graphic tool for displaying positional information and assisting in decision making. In more detail, their purpose is as follows:
To help to identify the range of effects entailed by each decision.
To clarify the trade-offs that are implicit in each strategic decision.
To assist organisations to define their goals and priorities.
To make all parts of a decision making process clear and explicit. Preconceptions, assumptions, and value judgements are inevitable, but are not usually made explicit. This allows them to influence the decision process in an unacknowledged, unverifiable, and uncorrectable manner. Making all inputs explicit, even without other change, will tend to improve management practice.
To serve as an educational tool.
