Answers to the assessment questions are summarized in this step into clear, outcome-oriented vulnerability and consequence statements. Profile sheets are drafted for your assets, sectors and services to clearly and efficiently communicate the outcomes of the assessment with your working group members, and enable them to respond with questions and feedback.

At this stage in adaptation planning processes, ranking or scoring is often used to summarize, prioritize, or reduce the number of issues to be addressed. The ART Program found that these methods have unintended results: leaving behind important vulnerabilities; masking interdependencies; creating unproductive conflicts over which vulnerabilities to eliminate or de-prioritize; and reducing the transparency of the overall planning process. To better navigate this process, the ART approach includes the Define steps between the assessment and planning stages in a project.

Beginning here, and continuing with Step 5 – Identify Issues, the ART Supplies and guidance will help you organize and summarize vulnerability and consequence findings; develop a clear story of the issues within the project area; and elevate key planning issues without eliminating vulnerabilities from the remaining planning steps.

Outcomes of this step

• Draft profile sheets for each asset, system of assets or sector that the working group and other stakeholders can easily review and provide input on the assessment findings:
  
• Asset description and existing conditions
• Vulnerability statements that describe the functional, physical, governance and information characteristics that lead to a vulnerability
• Consequences statements that describe how the identified vulnerabilities may affect people where they live, work, commute and recreate, and the environment and economy

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