A Final 1997 SDI is an indicator from the Proposed SDI List that passed formal, external review in the 1996 cycle of the selection process to become an official SDI for the year 1997. The Final 1997 SDI List is the total set of indicators that passed formal, external review in the 1996 cycle of the selection process. Individual indicators may get replaced, added, or modified when the selection process repeats in 1997 to choose the Final 1998 SDI List. These review criteria ensure that the Final 1997 SDI List represents the most current, comprehensive, and accurate view of key issues of sustainable development in the United States.
1) Balance Economic, Environmental, and Social: The combined set of Final 1997 SDI should equally address the economy, environment, and society. The 1997 SDI should have a consistent level or depth of detail. The Final 1997 SDI should have clear and obvious relationships with each other.
2) Total Number of Indicators: The total number of sustainable development indicators should not exceed a manageable number (10-20). This target challenges the SDI Group to select a few, highly powerful pieces of information to produce a small, useful set of SDI.
3) Uniqueness: No two SDI should measure the same endowment or reflect the same issue. The small number requires minimal overlap between SDI.