# Diagnostic Scope Control

> Defines scope, unknowns, decision support, owner, and time horizon for diagnostic work. Use when a business, data, process, organizational, or technology problem could expand beyond the user's real decision need.

- Skill: `bkjohn2018/diagnostic-scope-control` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add bkjohn2018/diagnostic-scope-control`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/bkjohn2018/diagnostic-scope-control/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: bkjohn2018 (https://skillmd.com/u/bkjohn2018)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/bkjohn2018/diagnostic-scope-control

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# 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
1. Name the visible diagnostic boundary.
2. State what the analysis will not try to solve yet.
3. Separate known facts from unknowns.
4. Tie the diagnostic work to the decision it supports.
5. Keep the scope narrow unless evidence shows escalation is needed.

## Output Template
```markdown
## 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.