Dialogue: Structured Elicit

Gather structured information through framework-aware questioning.

When to Use

Use this skill when you need to:

• Gather process context before designing capability flows
• Elicit requirements or constraints from the user
• Clarify ambiguous information
• Get decisions on alternatives you've identified

Elicitation Patterns

Process Context Elicitation

When gathering context for process design, elicit information across six areas. Four are mandatory; two are contextual.

Mandatory Questions (must elicit before proceeding)

Area	Purpose	Example Question
Phase	Determine SDLC phase	"Which phase does this process belong to?"
Purpose	Understand process goal	"What should this process accomplish?"
Inputs	Identify input documents/data	"What information flows into this process?"
Outputs	Identify deliverables	"What artifacts does this process produce?"

Contextual Questions (elicit when relevant)

Area	Purpose	When to Ask
Actors	Understand who's involved	When unclear who participates; multi-team processes
Constraints	Surface limitations	When regulatory, security, or technical constraints likely

Minimum Coverage Requirement

Do not proceed to decomposition until all four mandatory areas have answers.

If the user cannot answer a mandatory question:

1. Note the gap as an observation
2. Propose a reasonable default with rationale
3. Get explicit confirmation before proceeding

Example: "I don't have information about inputs yet. Based on similar Phase 3 processes, I'd expect requirements documents and stakeholder notes. Does that seem right?"

Coverage Checklist

Before proceeding from elicitation, verify:

[ ] Phase identified
[ ] Purpose stated
[ ] Inputs defined (or default confirmed)
[ ] Outputs defined (or default confirmed)
[ ] Elicited context logged as observation

Information Composition Elicitation

To estimate formal/tacit/emergent composition:

Question	Indicates
"Is there documented procedure for this?"	High formal if yes
"Does this require expertise that's hard to document?"	High tacit if yes
"Does new understanding emerge during execution?"	High emergent if yes
"Could someone follow written instructions to do this?"	Low tacit if yes

Pattern Selection Elicitation

When AI involvement is unclear:

Question	Helps Determine
"Should a human always make this decision?"	Human-Only vs other
"Could AI do this entirely without human review?"	AI-Only suitability
"Is human judgement essential, or just review?"	Partnership vs AI-Led

Using AskUserQuestion

Structure questions using the AskUserQuestion tool:

Use AskUserQuestion with:
- question: Clear, specific question
- header: Short label (max 12 chars)
- options: 2-4 distinct choices with descriptions
- multiSelect: true if multiple answers valid

Example: Phase Elicitation

question: "Which SDLC phase does this process belong to?"
header: "Phase"
options:
  - label: "Initiation (Phase 1)"
    description: "Project setup, feasibility, initial stakeholder engagement"
  - label: "Planning (Phase 2)"
    description: "Resource allocation, timeline, risk assessment"
  - label: "Requirements (Phase 3)"
    description: "Gathering and documenting what the system should do"
  - label: "Design (Phase 4)"
    description: "Architectural decisions, component design"

Example: Collaboration Pattern

question: "How should humans and AI collaborate on this step?"
header: "Pattern"
options:
  - label: "Human-Only"
    description: "Human does all work; AI not involved"
  - label: "Human-Led"
    description: "Human drives; AI assists and supports"
  - label: "Partnership"
    description: "Both essential; continuous collaboration"
  - label: "AI-Led"
    description: "AI drives; human reviews and approves"

Recording Elicitation Results

After eliciting information, use the dialogue-log-observation skill to record:

• Key requirements noted
• Constraints identified
• User preferences stated

This preserves the elicited context for future reference.

Escalation

If the user cannot answer or indicates uncertainty:

• Note the uncertainty as an observation
• Propose reasonable defaults with rationale
• Ask if defaults are acceptable

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Phase 1 (Initiation) Specific Elicitation

Phase 1 has 75% tacit information composition. Standard elicitation patterns need adaptation.

Key Differences from Later Phases

Aspect	Later Phases	Phase 1
Information source	Documents, code, systems	Stakeholder minds
Capture urgency	Can revisit documents	Must capture now or lose
AI role	Can lead elicitation	Facilitates human articulation
Validation	Check against formal specs	Probe for unstated assumptions

Phase 1 Elicitation Questions

Opportunity/Problem Framing

Question	Why Important
"What triggered this initiative?"	Captures origin story before it's forgotten
"What problem are you solving?"	Distinguishes problem from solution
"Why now? What changed?"	Surfaces temporal context
"What would happen if we did nothing?"	Tests problem significance
"What other ways could this problem be framed?"	Explores alternatives

Stakeholder Mapping

Question	Why Important
"Who requested this?"	Identifies primary stakeholder
"Who must approve?"	Identifies decision authority
"Who will be affected but isn't at the table?"	Surfaces hidden stakeholders
"Who might resist? Why?"	Surfaces political dynamics
"Whose expertise is essential?"	Identifies knowledge holders

Rationale Capture (Critical)

These questions preserve tacit knowledge:

Question	Captures
"Why do you think that?"	Reasoning behind positions
"What alternatives did you consider?"	Negative knowledge
"What assumptions are we making?"	Embedded constraints
"What would change your mind?"	Decision criteria
"What have we tried before?"	Historical context

Capture Window Awareness

Phase 1 insights are highly perishable. When a significant insight emerges:

1. Log it immediately using dialogue-log-observation
2. Confirm you captured it correctly with the human
3. Note if there's more context you should probe for

Do not wait until the end of a conversation to capture Phase 1 observations.

Example: Phase 1 AskUserQuestion

question: "What problem is this initiative trying to solve?"
header: "Problem"
options:
  - label: "Clear and documented"
    description: "Problem statement exists; I can point you to it"
  - label: "Clear but undocumented"
    description: "We know the problem but haven't written it down"
  - label: "Still being defined"
    description: "We're not sure yet; exploring options"
  - label: "Multiple competing framings"
    description: "Different stakeholders see it differently"

If "Still being defined" or "Multiple competing framings", switch to Facilitator mode:

• Help structure the exploration
• Surface different perspectives
• Document alternative framings as they emerge
• Avoid premature convergence

Phase 1 Process Suggestions

When Phase 1 work is substantial, consider offering structured processes:

User Need	Suggest Process	Default Mode
"I have an idea/opportunity"	PROC-1.1 Opportunity Identification	QUICK
"Need to align stakeholders"	PROC-1.2 Stakeholder Alignment	QUICK
"Problem isn't clear"	PROC-1.3 Problem Framing	QUICK
"Need to justify investment"	PROC-1.4 Business Case	QUICK

Offer these lightly: "Would you like to work through this systematically? I can guide you through a structured process that typically takes about 15 minutes."

If complexity emerges during elicitation, suggest upgrading to FULL mode.

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Part of the Dialogue Framework