The SDI Group will create an Sustainable Development Indicator (SDI) Framework based on the concept of endowments, their output, and the processes that act upon them. The SDI Framework should be all-inclusive, use existing classification systems (when possible), and relate to existing frameworks. The primary products of Step 2 are a complete SDI Framework taxonomy, an electronic database, and a supporting document describing the SDI Framework components, underlying theories, and relationships to other frameworks. This framework serves as a tool to organize information and as the basis for the following stages in the selection process.
The SDI Group will form several teams consisting of experts from the Federal government, academia, and non-government organizations. Each team will create a taxonomy of endowment categories and subcategories based on specific areas or disciplines, such as economics, ecosystems, social capital, etc. Each group will flesh out the structure of the taxonomy to as many sublevels as needed to properly describe that area. The teams will then review the SDI framework as a whole to assure completeness and accuracy and remove duplications and gaps.