Items found through these sources would be reviewed by staff and entered in the environmental scanning database. This review would test the potential significance (field number 3 in the "template" described in section 3 of the item by testing it against a number of criteria, such as:

Number of people affected affects a larger number of people.
Severity of affects has the highest potential for damage
Imminence is closest in time
Uncertainty is least certain
Catalytic potential can open the most doors downstream

Not all of the criteria need have the same weight, of course. This review would lead to a "score" for each item, based on its perceived significance. This score cannot be taken too seriously; however, the more important should be separated from the less important items. The list of criteria above provides a common procedure to respond to the third item or field in the environmental scanning data base template.