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The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists assessments of species that have been conducted at a global level. National and regional data are not included in this list, unless such an assessment could be indicative of the global condition on a species. The majority of assessments found on the IUCN Red List are preformed by species experts or Red List Authorities, but anyone is eligible to complete an assessment and submit it for review, as long as it is thoroughly scientific. Guidelines for conducting such an assessment can be found on the IUCN Red List website. All assessments submitted to IUCN for review must be reviewed by two people that have been designated by a Red List Authority. If no Red List Authority is available for the species assessed, the IUCN staff will arrange for a species expert to review the document. This is usually completed within three months. Documents are then reviewed by the IUCN Species Program Staff as well as the IUCN SSC Steering Committee. Report authors are then notified of the outcome of their review. If it is rejected, it can be resubmitted after revision and correction. If it is accepted, it will appear on the IUCN Red List [16]. ​

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The Fish and Wildlife Services Endangered Species Program assesses and lists species in the United States. Listings and assessments are based on scientific research. The Endangered Species Act uses five listing factors to determine if a listing proposal is appropriate for consideration. These factor include 1) destruction or modification of a species’ habitat, 2) overutilization of a species or habitat, 3) disease or predation, 4) preexisting sub par regulatory mechanisms and 5) other manmade or natural factors threatening the proposed species’ existence. Candidates can also be re-assessed to determine if a status update, or possible removal from the candidate list is necessary. Assessments are updates annually. The product of these updates is a summary document called the Candidate Notice of Review. Information for all updates and assessments are gathered from many different avenues, including native American tribes. One of their primary sources of information is the State Natural Heritage Programs database, which monitor species that are threatened. State Wildlife Action Plans are also a chief source of information [11].​

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First, COSEWIC is approached by a Species Specialist Subcommittee (SSC). There are many of these Subcommittees, one of which being the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Subcommittee (ATK SC). The ATK SC is involved in every report that is issued by COSEWIC. The SSC Co-Chairs each prepare a list of species that their Subcommittee feel have been showing signs of potential decline. This usually happens yearly [2].​

Next, the SSC Co-Chair does research into each species to determine if they are eligible to be presented to COSEWIC. This is determined by four criteria; 1) Native origin 2) Dependence on Canadian Habitat 3) Taxonomic Validity 4) Regularity of Occurrence.  The selected candidates are placed on lists in order of their priority. There are three priority groupings on this list; 1) high (species facing impending extirpation from Canada) 2) medium 3) low. High priority animals are then sent to COSEWIC for review. COSEWIC ranks them, which results in the COSEWIC Candidate List. This list identifies species of highest priority for an in-depth assessment, called a COSEWIC status report. These reports summarize available information about these species that is used by SARA for status determinations. The compiled information for each candidate includes data on habitat, occurrence, range, distribution, abundance, population trends, and possible threat sources [2].

It is also possible for out-of-date reports to be updated. COSEWIC will then commission a status appraisal summary by members of the relevant SSC. This appraisal summary outlines the newest and most pertinent information about that species, even if its status has not changed [2].

Contracts for status reports are then placed on the COSEWIC website, where applicants can place bids on their desired report.  Applicants must submit a short resume, work plan, and a statement to relinquish intellectual property to the Crown on behalf of COSEWIC.  After the bidding process, applicants are reviewed by the relevant SSC and a successful applicant is chosen. The applicant then gets to work on forming a status report using scientific data.
Once a draft has been submitted to COSEWIC by the applicant (now, report author), and approved by the SSC responsible for the species recommendation, it is distributed to wildlife experts, the ATK SC, as well as other SSC members for peer review.  After peer review and corrections, the resulting paper is called a Provisional Status Report. If more changes are found to be necessary, the document is then called an Interim Status report. Once the document is finalized, it is distrusted though the Secretariat to all the organizations involved. All COSEWIC members will eventually receive a copy of the Interim Status Report at least two months before they hold a Wildlife Species Assessment Meeting. At this meeting, new information may be presented to COSEWIC, and the report can be deferred if necessary. The Secretariat is then given a final copy of the report by the SCC Co-Chair.  The report is summarized and translated by the Secretariat, who then submits if for publication. The result is the official COSEWIC status report. The report is then placed on the SARA public registry [2].​

After COSEWIC   has posted a report on the SARA public registry, the Ministry of Environment has exactly three months to respond. The federal cabinet then has nine months to decide whether or not to add a species to a list and give it protection. There are different schedules that SARA follows when it comes to the protection of species. These schedules apply to animals that were designated by COSEWIC before the creation of the Species at Risk Act in 2002. When a species is listed under schedule 1 of SARA, it is against the law to kill or harm said species. Destroying its habitat is also forbidden. If a species is listed under schedule 2 or 3, SARA must re-assess it, then simply listed or not listed under SARA [18].