The Indicator-based Sustainability Assessment Tool (InSAT) serves as a user-friendly tool to support coastal and marine management, with particular focus on sustainability and incorporates environmental, social, and economic aspects. The indicator set is provided in an EXCEL spreadsheet format and can be tailored to the strategic goal and requirements of ICZM initiatives. The three categories Environmental Quality, Economics and Social Well-Being are used to assess changes in the state of sustainability. They are further subdivided into several sub-categories and assessed based on altogether 36 core indicators which have to be answered, and 39 optional indicators that can be selected. The fourth category “Process” consists of 14 core indicators and evaluates the management process. The application process of InSAT consists of six steps:
The selection of indicators is based on different criteria, such as the scope, relevance and data availability. Data is collected in order to score each indicator. The scoring for the sustainability indicators is done in a qualitative way, using a 7 point Likert scale ranging from -3 (strong negative effects) to 3 (strong positive effects). Process indicators are scored on a scale from 0 (no, not at all) to 4 (yes, fully). Final scores for each category are automatically calculated as averages.
Within Coastal Management and SAF InSAT can be applied to: