# Problem statement and evidence worksheet

Version and date: [version / date]
Owner and review date: [person / date]
Status: [provisional / supported in this context / needs revision]

## Statement
Person and relevant situation: [who / when / context]
Task they need to finish: [goal in their words, not a feature]
Barrier: [specific difficulty]
Consequence: [what happens next, at the strength the evidence supports]
Working sentence: [person + situation + task + barrier + consequence]

## Evidence boundary
Source IDs and dates: [private pointers, not public personal details]
Evidence type: [observation / participant account / assumption]
Experience or version involved: [context]
What the evidence supports: [bounded finding]
What it does not establish: [prevalence / cause / demand / other limits]
Contradictory experiences and missing perspectives: [details]
Possible explanations, kept separate: [assumptions]

## Next learning step
Question that could change the statement: [uncertainty]
Who or what to learn from: [relevant people / existing material]
Method and privacy boundary: [method / access / permission]
Two different possible responses, not commitments: [option A / option B]
Next decision and owner: [decision / person / date]
Revision record: [date / change / reason]

A provisional statement is not a validated need. Keep identifying source material private and use appropriate review for higher-risk work.

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Blank template by Daniel Ziedins (https://www.danielziedins.com).
Read the guide: https://www.agent-six33.com/journal/how-to-write-a-problem-statement
Template library: https://www.agent-six33.com/field-kit
Guide updated: 2026-10-20

Public blank prompts only. No private journal notes or tool drafts are included. Keep completed copies and participant details private.