Step 4 - Evaluate Alternatives Against Criteria.

The purpose of this step was to evaluate alternatives against the criteria developed in Step 2. In September of 2009, the Stakeholder Working Group identified areas of agreement and areas of further discussion based on the ten alternatives prepared in Step 3. The Stakeholder Working Group created a smaller group called the Hammer-It-Out Group or HIOG to work on the areas requiring further discussion. The HIOG met every Friday from October 2 through November 20, 2009. During that time, the HIOG created nearly 20 policy papers, documenting its work. The policy papers were incorporated into the Summary of Emerging Consensus and Remaining Issues.

On January 5, 2010, the Stakeholder Working Group evaluated the HIOG's emerging consensus against the criteria developed in Step 2 and considered the areas left unresolved by the HIOG. For the most part, the Stakeholder Working Group agreed to adopt the HIOG's recommendation. The work of the Stakeholder Working Group was documented in the Revised Summary of Emerging Consensus and Remaining Issues.