The SSA process
Four key questions
Repeated cycles of assessment
Map of key activities
The four questions in an SSA can be expanded into a map showing the main activities that comprise the process. Each of the phases contains several activities, which are shown in the order in which they naturally occur. This order is not fixed. It may be helpful to move backwards and forwards between them, as the SSA develops.
The SSA process starts with Record background in the Examine phase, and follows round the outer circle of the diagram. The Manage activities naturally occur throughout the process. However, it is useful to explicitly set aside time to Refine goals and Plan next steps straight after Record background, since these set the agenda for subsequent activities and identify specifically what you will do during the first cycle of the SSA. Remember that, at any stage, the activities may need to be replanned, based on findings so far.
More information about each of the activities can be found in the sections about each of the phases: Examine, Assess, Improve and Manage.