Acknowledgement: Shared by Peter Bamuhigire, techguypeter.com, +256 784 464178.
Use When
- Use this skill when the assignment needs consulting frameworks to shape methodology, analysis, or recommendations.
- Load it when a proposal section needs structured problem-solving logic.
Do Not Use When
- The task only needs formatting or proposer-profile selection.
- Another supporting skill is a closer fit for the assignment.
Required Inputs
| Artefact | Source | Required? | If absent |
|---|---|---|---|
| ToR problem, objectives, deliverables, and evaluation criteria | Client procurement pack | required | Stop framework selection and identify missing scope. |
| Sector evidence and delivery constraints | Verified sources and discovery | conditional | Qualify the model and list validation needs. |
Workflow
Stop or block the workflow when a required input, permission, or acceptance basis is missing. Recover by revising the scope, obtaining evidence, or returning the narrowest qualified draft before proceeding.
- Identify which analytical problem the proposal needs to structure.
- Decide whether the assignment also needs premium pricing, service design, technical strategy, or evaluator-story framing.
- Read the local references only where they materially improve the output.
- Select the frameworks that fit the assignment and turn them into proposal-ready logic.
- Integrate the result into the relevant section and check for consistency.
Quality Standards
- Translate frameworks into practical proposal language, sequence, and decisions.
- Use only the methods that improve the actual assignment response.
- Preserve compatibility with existing repository workflows and file paths.
Anti-Patterns
- Listing frameworks without an assignment decision. Fix: name the question and deliverable each serves.
- Combining overlapping models for appearance. Fix: select the smallest coherent stack.
- Copying a textbook sequence over the ToR. Fix: align phases to client decisions and acceptance points.
- Hiding assumptions behind diagrams. Fix: state assumptions and their validation step.
- Using a framework as evidence. Fix: distinguish method from verified findings.
Outputs
| Artefact | Consumer | Acceptance condition |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual approach and phase logic | Evaluator and methodology writer | Shows problem decomposition, evidence flow, decisions, deliverables, and ToR links. |
Evidence Produced
| Evidence | Consumer | Acceptance condition |
|---|---|---|
| Framework-to-requirement map | Traceability table | Every selected component serves a named requirement or is removed. |
Capability and Permission Boundaries
Read and search are required; any edit or external action remains within the explicit authority and permission boundary stated below. Read and search are required; proposal editing requires authority. Framework selection does not authorise client decisions, operational mutation, or claims that unperformed analysis is complete.
Degraded Mode
If sufficient brief or evidence is unavailable, return a provisional framework with explicit assumptions, alternatives, and discovery questions. Do not imply that a diagram validates the approach.
Decision Rules
| Need | Action | Risk avoided |
|---|---|---|
| Explain the assignment as a system | Use a conceptual model | Disconnected activities |
| Break a complex problem into testable parts | Use an issue tree | Overlapping workstreams |
| Convert diagnosis into implementation | Use staged decision gates | Recommendations without adoption path |
Worked Example
For a service-redesign bid, structure evidence gathering, journey diagnosis, option selection, prototype, and handover, with a client decision after diagnosis.
References
- Proposal skills router for repository-wide routing and mandatory quality gates.
- Local
references/files when detailed frameworks or examples are needed. - ../references/technical-strategy-credibility-checklist.md for software, SaaS, AI, cloud, API, roadmap, operations, and architecture strategy.
- ../references/service-design-methodology-module.md for journey mapping, blueprints, co-creation, and service implementation frameworks.
- ../references/proposal-narrative-patterns-and-case-story-spine.md for evaluator journey, proof stories, and design rationale.
A library of structured analytical frameworks drawn from top-tier consulting practice. These frameworks are the building blocks of methodology sections — they determine how problems are decomposed, how analysis is structured, and how recommendations are developed.
When to Read This Skill
- Designing the conceptual approach for a methodology section
- Structuring analytical phases for a diagnostic, strategy, or implementation proposal
- Selecting the right problem decomposition method for a given ToR
- Building quantitative analysis into a methodology
- Structuring recommendations and deliverable presentations
How to Use
- Identify the assignment type from the ToR (market entry, profitability, M&A, operational improvement, strategy, etc.)
- Select the matching framework from the relevant reference file
- Customise sub-activities to the specific client context
- Embed quantitative analysis patterns where the ToR requires financial or feasibility analysis
- Structure the final deliverable presentation using the communication frameworks
Reference Files
| Reference File | Contents | Use When |
|---|---|---|
references/problem-structuring.md |
Eight first-principles structuring strategies, issue tree construction, MECE compliance, hypothesis-driven analysis, eight-bucket system, idea expansion techniques, lateral thinking toolkit, Six Thinking Hats | Designing any methodology's conceptual framework; decomposing any consulting problem |
references/financial-analysis.md |
Expected value, cannibalisation analysis, breakeven, profitability decomposition, market sizing, pricing toolkit, pocket pricing model, customer lifetime value, experience curve | The ToR requires financial feasibility, investment appraisal, cost-benefit analysis, or market analysis |
references/strategy-frameworks.md |
Market entry, competitive response, build/buy/partner, adjacent market proximity, M&A evaluation, pricing strategy, Blue Ocean ERRC, Discipline of Market Leaders, disruptive innovation, structured choice decision-making, scenario planning, Rumelt's Kernel, Innovation-Change-Learning Matrix | Strategy, market entry, growth, competitive positioning, innovation, or acquisition assignments |
references/operations-frameworks.md |
Process bottleneck, stakeholder-based framework, criteria-based option evaluation, situation assessment, job-to-be-done, importance × satisfaction analysis, structured decision-making | Operations improvement, process reengineering, multi-stakeholder assignments, option appraisal |
references/devops-delivery-diagnostics.md |
Value-stream flow, CI/CD, release governance, PHP/LAMP operations, cloud-native delivery, observability, incident response, DevSecOps, GitOps, and software delivery KPIs | Software delivery, SaaS operations, digital platforms, cloud migration, production reliability, or DevOps transformation |
references/communication-structures.md |
SCORE storytelling, top-down recommendation structure, exhibit interpretation, analytical sense-checking, action titles, Hero's Journey narrative, Tufte's data visualisation rules, Comma Effect | Structuring deliverables, presentations, experience narratives, and qualitative analysis |
Relationship to Other Skills
business-analysis-tools/— diagnostic instruments applied DURING delivery (SWOT, PESTLE, gap analysis, maturity models). Consulting frameworks here are for DESIGNING the methodology.- references/consulting-delivery-excellence.md — how to deliver well (process, quality, team management). Frameworks here are what analytical approach to use.
- references/proposal-strategy-and-persuasion.md — how to write persuasively. Frameworks here provide the analytical substance that persuasion wraps around.
- 06-methodology/SKILL.md — the methodology section skill. It draws on these frameworks when building the phase-by-phase plan.
Follow east-african-english standards throughout.