# Placeward Quick Start

## 1. Define
- What is being proposed?
- Where is it located?
- Who is proposing it?
- What matters most to the affected community?
- What outcomes, safeguards, or conditions does the community want?
- Which public bodies control the relevant decisions?
- What decisions have already been made?
- What decisions remain open?

## 2. Investigate
- Identify the major issue categories.
- Gather primary records and credible independent sources.
- Separate confirmed facts from government statements, developer claims, third-party analysis, community concerns, and unresolved questions.
- Test material claims and assumptions.
- Examine potential benefits, costs, risks, tradeoffs, and long-term consequences.
- Identify what remains missing, conflicting, or unverified.

## 3. Act
- Identify the decision points that can still be influenced.
- Choose actions that fit the community's priorities and the available evidence.
- Engage residents, officials, agencies, utilities, developers, journalists, and other relevant stakeholders as appropriate.
- Use evidence in public comments, meetings, records requests, outreach, and requests for safeguards or changes.
- Keep actions specific, timely, and tied to desired outcomes.

## 4. Track
- Maintain a project timeline.
- Track permits, hearings, votes, commitments, conditions, and deadlines.
- Record new evidence and update prior conclusions when facts change.
- Verify whether important claims and commitments are supported or fulfilled.
- Keep unresolved questions and next actions visible.
- Keep sources linked to every material factual claim.