Situational assessment is a process for gaining insight into an environment by understanding the dynamics of its components and their interrelationships. It is a technique used by decision-makers in a variety of fields to identify potential risk factors, uncover possible opportunities, assess the overall environment and make informed decisions based on available data. The assessment considers elements such as resource availability, weather patterns, political, economic and social trends, and focuses on context-specific factors such as an organization’s goals, industry uncertainty and competitor positioning.

See also: feedback loop, game theory, hill climbing, low-hanging fruit, simulated thinking