Our goal for Design Your Project is to help you lead an efficient, outcome-oriented process that accommodates the interests, political realities, resources, and time available for your project. The ART Program has developed, tested and refined each step in Design Your Project with the specific challenges of climate adaptation in mind, while integrating good planning practices throughout.

How to use Design Your Project

To use this ART Portfolio resource for your project, you will need to do two things:

1. Visit the Design Your Project pages (below) which provide snapshots of the 8 planning steps and links to the ART Supplies downloads needed for each step.
2. Download the Guide (25 pages) which details how to do the Design Your Project steps, including the specific outcomes, roles and tasks for your project team and stakeholders.

While we recommend that you start at the beginning, you should also feel free to use what you need and click around. In other words, jump right in!

1. Scope & OrganizeDefine what to address in the project. Convene stakeholders. Set project goals.

2. Choose an ApproachPlan out the assessment methods. Select climate scenarios.

3. Do the AssessmentConduct the vulnerability assessment and climate impacts exposure analysis.

4. Summarize FindingsSynthesize assessment findings on asset profile sheets, and share with the working group.

5. Identify IssuesDefine key planning issues. Refine project resilience goals.

6. Develop ResponsesDevelop adaptation responses for key planning issues and agency-specific vulnerabilities.

7. Evaluate ResponsesEvaluate adaptation responses for key planning issues against resilience goals.

8. Advance OptionsShare outcomes. Explore options and develop recommendations for taking action.

How do these 8 steps fit into the 5-part ART planning process? Visit the Help Desk for answers to more FAQs, as well as bios and contact information for ART Program staff.

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Good Planning Practices

Collaborative by design

Climate change, similar to hazard planning, means planning across jurisdictions, geographies, sectors, and time frames to address complex, cross-cutting issues. This requires active, ongoing participation of stakeholders representing the diverse values, viewpoints and responsibilities that are relevant to the project. ART emphasizes convening and closely collaborating with a stakeholder working group throughout a project to achieve project goals and build relationships that lead to future collaborations.  ART Good Planning Guide: Stakeholder Engagement

A transparent process

To build a strong and actionable case for adaptation, the ART approach adheres to transparent decision-making throughout the planning process. ART guidance, tools and information help maintain transparency and support clear communication to stakeholders about the decisions and project outcomes, including resilience goals developed and agreed upon by the working group, and evaluation criteria that clearly lay out priorities and objectives.  ART Good Planning Guide: Transparent Decision Making