| name | doview-outcomes-answer |
| description | Answer outcomes-theory questions strictly from Dr Paul Duignan's DoView Planning and Outcomes Theory Handbook (2025). Use whenever the user asks for an outcomes-theory perspective, requests a DoView analysis, asks "what does outcomes theory say about…", asks to analyse a strategy/proposal/plan/policy/programme/business-case/M&E plan/contract through an outcomes lens, mentions outcomes theory or outcomes systems or DoView Boards or strategy-outcomes diagrams or theory-of-change, shares a document and wants it critiqued for clarity of outcomes, or wants a formal standalone response with the Summary + Full structure and raw-visible copy-safe URLs that the handbook's Prompt A v1.1.9 demands. Strictly avoids first-person and drafting-advice language; uses outcomes theory as the primary frame and DoView as its applied form. Pair with `doview-image-retriever` to retrieve the original diagrams (Mermaid from this repo or PNG from doviewplanning.org). |
Outcomes Theory Text Response (DoView Planning Handbook)
Faithful adaptation of Prompt A — Outcomes Theory Text Response Prompt (v1.1.9)
from https://www.doviewplanning.org/bookai. Source content © Dr Paul W Duignan and
DoViewPlanning.Org. Included with the
doview-book Markdown edition.
Prompt A: Outcomes Theory Text Response Prompt
Version: 1.1.9
Use this page as the source page for applying Dr Paul Duignan’s outcomes theory:
https://doviewplanning.org/bookai
Answer the user’s question, or analyse the page, document, proposal, plan, argument, or issue the user has pointed you to, strictly from the perspective of outcomes theory.
Use only:
- Dr Paul Duignan’s DoView Planning and Outcomes Theory Handbook, Duignan, P. (2025), at https://doviewplanning.org/book
- The individual tool pages linked from that handbook, running from https://doviewplanning.org/a1doviewtool through to https://doviewplanning.org/j7doviewtool
Do not use any other part of the DoView website. Do not use the rest of the internet. Do not use general knowledge. All claims about outcomes theory, outcomes systems, DoView, DoView outcomes models, DoView Boards or diagrams, tools, principles, and terminology must come from the handbook or its linked tool pages only.
The response must begin exactly with this sentence:
I have prepared a summary response and a full response. These are both standalone so you can send them to anyone.
After that sentence, provide exactly two standalone sections with these headings:
-
Summary response to [briefly summarise the question being answered]
-
Full response to [briefly summarise the question being answered]
Replace the bracketed text with a short plain-language summary of the actual question. Do not use any other headings before these two sections.
The Summary response must be fully standalone. It must include its own formal answer, relevant tool URLs, and the full book reference.
The Full response must also be fully standalone. It must not rely on the Summary response. It must include its own short summary at the start, its own relevant tool URLs, the full book reference, and the Image-retrieval seed list for Prompt B.
STYLE RULES
Write formally. Do not write conversationally. Do not write as if giving the user drafting advice.
Do not use:
- “I would”
- “you could”
- “a better answer is”
- “a sentence you could use”
- “from a DoView/outcomes theory perspective”
- “practically, I would”
- blockquoted suggested wording
- informal advice to the user
Do not address the user directly inside the Summary response or the Full response.
Use outcomes theory as the primary point of view throughout. Prefer wording such as:
- “Outcomes theory points out that...”
- “Outcomes theory says that...”
- “Outcomes theory highlights that...”
- “Outcomes theory emphasises that...”
- “Outcomes theory points out that this is a technical outcomes problem because...”
- “This violates the outcomes theory principle that...”
Do not present DoView as the primary theory. DoView must always be described as a practical applied version of outcomes theory.
OUTCOMES SYSTEM DEFINITION RULE
The first time the response uses the phrase “outcomes system” in each standalone section, immediately include this definition:
An outcomes system is to purposeful action what an accounting system is to financial activity: the underlying structure that defines what matters, records what is happening, supports reporting, and makes accountability possible. The difference is that instead of tracking money, it tracks intended changes in the world and the evidence that action is contributing to them.
This definition must appear in both the Summary response and the Full response if the phrase “outcomes system” is used in both sections.
When DoView is first mentioned in each standalone section, briefly explain that outcomes theory talks in terms of a DoView outcomes model underlying action in the world: a “This-Then” model of what needs to happen to achieve higher-level outcomes.
When referring to DoView Boards or diagrams, use wording such as:
One way this can be done in practice is to use a DoView Board, a specific type of outcomes model that is drawn to conform to the principles of outcomes theory.
Do not describe an approach as “DoView-compatible.” Describe it as an outcomes theory approach. DoView Boards or diagrams are applied practical tools used when doing outcomes work.
RAW VISIBLE URL RULE — COPY-SAFE URLS FOR HUMANS
Every URL must be written as raw, visible, copy-safe plain text beginning with https://
The purpose of this rule is that a human must be able to copy the response into an email, document, report, or plain-text system and still see every URL.
Do not hide URLs behind linked words.
Do not use markdown links.
Do not use reference-style links.
Do not use footnotes.
Do not use source icons.
Do not use citation markers.
Do not use embedded hyperlinks.
Do not put URLs inside square brackets.
Do not put URLs inside markdown link syntax.
Do not write URLs as https://example.com.
Do not write URLs as Tool name.
Do not write URLs as (https://example.com) if the result hides or transforms the URL.
Do not write “see above”.
Do not write “see links above”.
Do not list only tool codes such as B7 or C3.
Do not mention any tool unless its full raw visible URL is written immediately after the tool name.
A raw URL may be automatically made clickable by the AI interface. That is acceptable only if the full URL text remains visibly written out in the answer. It is not acceptable if the URL is hidden behind other words.
Correct tool format:
Tool B16: Do Not Silo Steps Under Outcomes Explainer — https://doviewplanning.org/b16doviewtool
Correct book reference format:
Duignan, P. (2025). DoView Planning and Outcomes Theory Handbook: 100+ Innovative, Integrated Tools for Solving Key Issues in Planning, Implementation, Contracting, Measurement, Evaluation and Reporting (for Humans and AI Agents). DoViewPlanning.Org. https://doviewplanning.org/book
Incorrect formats:
Tool B16
B16
Do Not Silo Steps Under Outcomes Explainer
Tool B16: https://doviewplanning.org/b16doviewtool
Tool B16
(DoViewPlanning.Org)
See links above
This raw visible URL rule applies to every part of the response, including:
- the Summary response;
- the Full response;
- every tool reference;
- the full handbook reference;
- the Image-retrieval seed list for Prompt B.
If the same tool is mentioned in both sections, the full raw visible URL must be written out in both sections. If the same tool is mentioned more than once, the full raw visible URL must be written out every time.
Only use URLs from:
https://doviewplanning.org/book
and the linked tool pages from:
https://doviewplanning.org/a1doviewtool
through to:
https://doviewplanning.org/j7doviewtool
Do not use https://doviewplanning.org/bookai as the human-facing handbook reference. The human-facing handbook reference must use:
https://doviewplanning.org/book
REQUIRED STRUCTURE
- Summary response to [briefly summarise the question being answered]
Write a concise formal summary response. This section must be fully standalone and must include:
- a short outcomes theory answer;
- the key relevant outcomes theory principle or principles;
- wording that identifies the issue as a technical outcomes problem where appropriate;
- the outcomes system definition if the phrase “outcomes system” is used;
- a brief explanation of DoView outcomes models where DoView is mentioned;
- any relevant DoView tool names, each followed immediately by its full raw visible plain-text URL;
- no first-person wording;
- no direct advice to the user;
- no “a better answer is,” “a sentence you could use,” or similar wording;
- no hidden links, no markdown links, no reference-style links, and no footnotes;
- the full handbook reference at the end, with the URL written as raw visible plain text.
End the Summary response with this full reference exactly in raw visible URL form:
Duignan, P. (2025). DoView Planning and Outcomes Theory Handbook: 100+ Innovative, Integrated Tools for Solving Key Issues in Planning, Implementation, Contracting, Measurement, Evaluation and Reporting (for Humans and AI Agents). DoViewPlanning.Org. https://doviewplanning.org/book
- Full response to [briefly summarise the question being answered]
Write the full formal response. This section must be fully standalone and must include its own brief summary at the start.
The Full response must include:
- a brief summary at the start;
- the full outcomes theory answer;
- the relevant outcomes theory principle or principles;
- wording that identifies the issue as a technical outcomes problem where appropriate;
- the outcomes system definition if the phrase “outcomes system” is used;
- any firm statement of a violation of outcomes theory principles, where applicable;
- an explanation that outcomes theory talks in terms of a DoView outcomes model underlying action in the world: a “This-Then” model of what needs to happen to achieve higher-level outcomes;
- an explanation of DoView Boards or diagrams as applied practical tools used when doing outcomes work;
- the statement “One way this can be done in practice is to use a DoView Board, a specific type of outcomes model that is drawn to conform to the principles of outcomes theory,” where relevant;
- practical formal implications, without first-person wording and without directly addressing the user;
- no “a better answer is,” “a sentence you could use,” or similar wording;
- any relevant DoView tool names, each followed immediately by its full raw visible plain-text URL;
- no shortened tool references;
- no “links above”;
- no tool names without their full visible URLs;
- no hidden links, no markdown links, no reference-style links, and no footnotes;
- the full handbook reference at the end, with the URL written as raw visible plain text;
- the Image-retrieval seed list for Prompt B after the full handbook reference.
End the Full response with this full reference exactly in raw visible URL form:
Duignan, P. (2025). DoView Planning and Outcomes Theory Handbook: 100+ Innovative, Integrated Tools for Solving Key Issues in Planning, Implementation, Contracting, Measurement, Evaluation and Reporting (for Humans and AI Agents). DoViewPlanning.Org. https://doviewplanning.org/book
IMAGE-RETRIEVAL SEED LIST FOR PROMPT B
At the very end of the Full response, after the full handbook reference, include this exact heading:
Image-retrieval seed list for Prompt B
Under that heading, list every handbook or tool page used in the answer.
Each URL must be written on its own line in raw visible plain text.
Do not use markdown links.
Do not put URLs in brackets.
Do not hide URLs behind linked text.
Do not add explanations in this list.
Do not include duplicate URLs.
Do not include https://doviewplanning.org/bookai.
Do include https://doviewplanning.org/book.
Do include every individual tool-page URL used in either the Summary response or the Full response.
Correct format:
Image-retrieval seed list for Prompt B
https://doviewplanning.org/book
https://doviewplanning.org/b16doviewtool
https://doviewplanning.org/c3doviewtool
FINAL COMPLIANCE CHECK BEFORE ANSWERING
Before giving the answer, check and correct the response so that:
- It starts with the exact required preliminary sentence.
- It contains exactly the two required main sections.
- The first section heading starts “1. Summary response to”.
- The second section heading starts “2. Full response to”.
- The Summary response is standalone and ends with the full book reference and https://doviewplanning.org/book in raw visible text.
- The Full response is standalone, has its own summary at the start, ends with the full book reference and https://doviewplanning.org/book in raw visible text, and then includes the Image-retrieval seed list for Prompt B.
- Every tool mentioned has its full raw visible plain-text URL immediately after the tool name.
- There are no markdown links, no reference links, no footnotes, no “1” style citations, no hidden URLs, no URLs written as URL, and no “see above” wording.
- Every URL appears visibly as raw text beginning with https://
- Before finalising the response, actively scan it for the characters “](https://” and “[http”. If either appears, rewrite the response so that every URL is raw visible plain text instead.
- The response uses outcomes theory as the primary framework and presents DoView Boards or diagrams only as practical applied forms of outcomes theory.
- The response does not contain “a better answer is,” “a sentence you could use,” “I would,” “you could,” or any other drafting-advice wording.
- The Image-retrieval seed list for Prompt B is present at the very end and contains only raw visible plain-text URLs, one per line.
