methodatlas
Decision Making

Decision Framing Workshop

Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by framing the decision question, clarifying context and goals, and defining evidence needs and the next decision format.

Core question
Is everyone discussing the same decision with the same options, criteria, and roles?
MediumWorkshop60-120 min
Open runsheetPlan sessionStart comparison
Purpose

The method helps clarify options, criteria, and risks in a concrete way. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a decision frame, a decision question, and a criteria list.

How it works

The team follows the steps: frame the decision question, clarify context and goals, collect options and constraints, define criteria and roles, and determine evidence needs and the next decision format. Each step is captured visibly. At the end, a decision frame, a decision question, and a criteria list are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.

Visual orientation

Method sketch for a quick mental model.

Decision Framing Workshop · Decision FrameClarify decision question, mandate, options, criteria, constraints, and evidence needs before evaluation starts
Decision Framing WorkshopThe visual shows how a workshop frames a decision through question, roles, context, options, criteria, and evidence needs.Clarify the decision before evaluating optionsThe workshop makes question, mandate, criteria, and evidence needs visible so everyone discusses the same decision.frame firstthen make optionscomparableclarify evidence before evaluationRoles & mandatedeciders, advisors, affected peopleContext & goalwhy now, which target state?Decision questionWhich decision is due now?Optionsreal alternatives, not fake choiceCriteriawhat counts and what constrains hardEvidence needdata, experiments, open assumptionsNext formatmatrix, trade-off, DACI, or ADR

Flow

  1. 1Frame the decision question
  2. 2Clarify context and goals
  3. 3Collect options and constraints
  4. 4Define criteria and roles
  5. 5Determine evidence needs and the next decision format

The runsheet guides execution with 5 phases, timeboxes, 5 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.

Open runsheet

Ideal for

  • Complex stakeholder decisions
  • Architecture and product decisions
  • Strategic turning points

Not good for

  • Routine decisions
  • Pure ideation
  • Acute disruptions

Deep dive

In detail

Decision Framing separates the structure of a decision from its evaluation. The method clarifies which decision is at hand, why it matters now, which options are real, and by which criteria the decision should be made. It also makes roles, uncertainties, and required evidence visible. That prevents teams from comparing options while actually speaking about different questions.

Facilitation

Start with the decision question and keep it visible. Clarify the decision owner, participants, and advisors before options are evaluated. Make sure criteria and constraints are not mixed up, and end with a clear next decision format.

Output artifacts
Decision FrameDecision QuestionCriteria ListEvidence Plan
Tags
decision-framingalignmentcriteriaoptions

Sources

Decision Quality | Strategic Decisions Groupsdg.org
Artifact templates
Decision FrameTemplate for turning an unclear decision into a question, roles, options, and evidence needs.
markdown

decision-frame-markdown.md

Template for turning an unclear decision into a question, roles, options, and evidence needs.

Decision Frame: Topic

Decision question

What decision needs to be made now?

Context

Why is the decision needed, what happens without it?

Decider and roles

  • Decider:
  • Input:
  • Reviewer:
  • Informed:

Options

  1. ...
  2. ...
  3. ...

Criteria

  • ...

Constraints

  • ...

Evidence needed

What data, tests, or reviews are still missing?

Next step

Owner, date, format.

When to choose differently

Short decision aid for existing alternatives.

RAPID

Statt Decision Framing Workshop, wenn Rollen für Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input und Decide festgelegt werden müssen.

Decision Matrix

Statt Decision Framing Workshop, wenn ihr Optionen über explizite Kriterien, Gewichtung und Begründung nachvollziehbar vergleichen wollt.

Similar methods

All methods
Decision Making
Constraint Analysis

Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by defining the problem or decision boundary, collecting constraints, and deriving design or decision rules.

Decision Making
Option Framing

Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by collecting rough options, consolidating them, and creating a comparable shortlist.

Decision Making
Decision Rights Mapping

Moves options, criteria, and risks toward a concrete result through "identify key decision types", "collect roles", and "document and communicate the agreement".

Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis

Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by framing the decision, collecting options, and documenting trade-offs and the decision.

Decision Making
RAPID

Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by delimiting the decision, assigning RAPID roles, and documenting the decision and action steps.

Statt Decision Framing Workshop, wenn Rollen für Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input und Decide festgelegt werden müssen.

Decision Making
Decision Matrix

Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by listing options, defining criteria, and checking result and sensitivity.

Statt Decision Framing Workshop, wenn ihr Optionen über explizite Kriterien, Gewichtung und Begründung nachvollziehbar vergleichen wollt.