PSD.11:1 - Problem frame

Use this when alternatives have been named or ranked but nobody can reconstruct what each would change, for whom, over what time, and under which assumptions. Also use it when a development direction looks attractive from one component’s score while its service, transition, interaction, or protected-condition consequences remain absent.

Begin with one alternative and one consequence that matters. Trace the proposed change through its supported mechanism and conditions to the affected subject, then compare that same consequence for the other alternatives. The gain is a comparison that explains its result and its limits.

The governed object is the consequence comparison, not the future outcome or the authorized choice. A consequence claim may be a forecast, conditional model result, observation, or unsupported hypothesis.

Do not use this pattern when a current qualified comparison already covers the exact alternatives and receiving use. Use the direct domain Method for a single missing calculation or effect estimate. If the only remaining question is the authorized choice among adequate options, use C.11 or the direct decision guidance.