assumption-inventory

name	assumption-inventory
description	Use when a recommendation, plan, diagnosis, or stakeholder judgment depends on unstated assumptions that must be named and tested. Use when applying assumption inventory, assumption mapping, leap-of-faith assumption review, or critical assumption testing.
license	Apache-2.0

Assumption Inventory

Use this skill to expose the assumptions underneath a diagnosis or plan and decide which ones need testing first.

Method Notes

• An assumption is something the plan relies on but has not yet proven.
• Not all assumptions require immediate testing. Prioritize assumptions by impact if wrong and uncertainty.
• This skill is useful before investing effort, making stakeholder moves, or committing to a strategy.

Required Inputs

Collect or infer these inputs before execution:

• current diagnosis, plan, or recommendation
• intended outcome
• key stakeholders or users
• known facts and constraints
• major risks if the plan is wrong

If an input is missing, mark it as missing, state the assumption used, and add a validation action.

When Not To Use

Do not use when the issue is primarily role ownership, numerical prioritization, or root cause analysis. Use raci-matrix, wsjf-prioritization, or five-whys-root-cause instead.

Step-by-Step Execution

Step	Required input	How to execute	Output
State the plan or diagnosis	Current recommendation, target outcome.	Write the conclusion in one plain sentence.	Plan / diagnosis statement.
Extract assumptions	Plan components, stakeholder beliefs, constraints, evidence gaps.	Ask what must be true for this plan to work.	Assumption list.
Classify assumptions	Assumption list.	Label each as market, customer, stakeholder, capability, resource, timing, risk, economics, or compliance.	Classified assumptions.
Rate criticality	Impact if wrong, uncertainty, reversibility.	Score impact and uncertainty as high / medium / low. Mark whether the assumption is reversible.	Critical assumption table.
Prioritize tests	Critical assumptions, available access, deadline.	Select the few assumptions that must be tested before action.	Test priority list.
Define evidence needed	Assumption, test method, success criteria.	State what evidence would confirm, weaken, or disprove the assumption.	Assumption test plan.

Output Template

### 1. Current Plan / Diagnosis
- Working conclusion:
- Desired outcome:
- Main consequence if wrong:

### 2. Assumption Inventory
| Assumption | Type | Evidence now | Impact if wrong | Uncertainty | Reversible? | Test priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  | stakeholder / market / customer / capability / resource / timing / economics / risk / compliance |  | high / medium / low | high / medium / low | yes / no / partly | high / medium / low |

### 3. Critical Assumptions To Test First
1.
2.
3.

### 4. Test Plan
| Critical assumption | Evidence needed | Fastest test | Confirm signal | Disconfirm signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |

### 5. Decision Implication
- Proceed now:
- Wait until tested:
- Adjust plan:

Quality Gate

• Do not list generic assumptions that would not change the plan.
• Prioritize by impact and uncertainty, not by ease alone.
• Separate assumption testing from action execution.
• Name what decision can be made now and what should wait.
• Keep wording professional and practical.