Vignettes
How engagements work in practice.
Vignettes are anonymised. They show structure and decision value, not client identity.
See what a pack could look like for your case
Share your decision context and the constraint you are under. We will respond with a scoped output shape.
Examples
Each vignette shows what changed, what stayed uncertain, and how residual risk was handled.
Counterparty diligence for a time-sensitive transaction
A buyer needed to assess reputational exposure under a short timetable and present findings to an investment committee.
TransactionIntegrityTimebox
What changed
The initial risk perception was driven by unverified commentary. Authoritative anchors clarified identity and reduced noise.
Outputs
- Identity anchors and homonym exclusions
- Adverse narrative chronology (dated)
- Confidence tiers with explicit limits
- Residual risk controls and triggers
Residual risk
Low-probability litigation exposure remained; recommended controls included representations, monitoring triggers and staged approvals.
Supplier assurance for a critical delivery programme
A delivery team needed a quick but defensible view of supplier integrity and operational risk before award.
ProcurementDeliveryAssurance
What changed
Scope was narrowed to checks that would change the award decision. Non-material items were deferred with monitoring triggers.
Outputs
- Risk-by-theme summary (likelihood/impact/detectability)
- Evidence-weighted screening findings
- Contractual control suggestions (where appropriate)
- Monitoring trigger list
Residual risk
Medium residual delivery risk; mitigations focused on staged onboarding, audit rights and early performance indicators.
Market-entry framing with explicit assumptions
A principal needed to decide whether to enter a market under regulatory uncertainty and limited local information.
Market entryStrategyConstraints
What changed
The decision was reframed into testable assumptions. Uncertainty was carried forward as verification actions and triggers.
Outputs
- Decision ladder (assumptions → evidence → decision)
- Partner mapping and red-flag screen
- Scenario options with triggers
- Residual risk register (compact)
Residual risk
Regulatory path uncertainty remained; recommended gating was to delay irreversible commitments until specific triggers cleared.
Outcome delta
Why the structure matters
Shows what changed, what stayed uncertain, and what risk remains after controls.
Before
Without structure, work becomes a document exercise: long outputs, weak anchors, implied certainty.
After
With structure, outputs become decision artefacts: anchored claims, explicit limits, and controls where uncertainty remains.
Residual risk
Residual risk is never eliminated; it is expressed as controls, triggers and acceptance thresholds rather than binary pass/fail.
Typical engagement shape
This diagram is a reading guide: it shows the minimum structure, where pivots usually occur, and the artefacts you should expect. Depth varies with risk, deadlines, and data availability.
Engagement shape
A loop, not a line
Each phase produces an artefact. The loop is deliberate: evidence can force scope narrowing, identity disambiguation, or a risk-control pivot.
Pivots allowed
01
GateDefine
Agree the decision and the red lines. Capture identifiers early to prevent misidentification.
Output: Scope + identity anchors
02
FocusTest
Run targeted checks against the red lines, not a generic checklist.
Output: Targeted check set
03
DefensibleReconcile
Where sources disagree, weight evidence and state limits rather than forcing a clean narrative.
Output: Confidence tiers + limits
04
Non-binaryControl
If uncertainty remains, convert it into controls and triggers so decisions can still progress.
Output: Controls + triggers
If you want one thing from this: insist on explicit identifiers and explicit limits. It prevents the two most common failure modes: misidentification and narrative certainty.
Prefer the method view?
The Approach page shows the same loop with an explicit evidence rubric.
Common outputs
A compact list of outputs that typically show up in decision-ready packs.
Traceability
- Identity anchors and disambiguation notes
- Pivot log (what was checked and why)
- Evidence rubric and confidence tiers
Decision artefacts
- Decision ladder (assumptions → evidence → decision)
- Residual risk controls and monitoring triggers
- Compact summary for governance packs