bkjohn2018 Diagnostic Scope Control
When to Use
- A diagnostic request could expand into too many topics.
- The user needs analysis tied to a decision, owner, or time horizon.
- The problem touches multiple teams, systems, processes, data assets, or governance boundaries.
Scope Questions
Identify:
- In scope: What will be diagnosed.
- Out of scope: What will not be addressed unless requested.
- Unknowns: What information is missing.
- Decision supported: What this analysis is helping decide.
- Likely decision owner: Who needs to act or approve.
- Time horizon: Immediate, short-term, long-term, or strategic.
Workflow
- Name the visible diagnostic boundary.
- State what the analysis will not try to solve yet.
- Separate known facts from unknowns.
- Tie the diagnostic work to the decision it supports.
- Keep the scope narrow unless evidence shows escalation is needed.
Output Template
## Scope
- In scope:
- Out of scope:
- Unknowns:
- Decision supported:
- Likely decision owner:
- Time horizon:
Quality Checklist
- The scope reflects the user's request, not every framework possibility.
- Out-of-scope items are explicitly deferred, not ignored.
- The analysis supports a decision or next learning step.
- Scope can escalate only when risk, ambiguity, or evidence justifies it.