Situation Statement.
WS01 replaces the classic "problem statement" with a three-part situation statement: what's happening, what the impact is, and what evidence backs it up. It's the first SAGE worksheet and the foundation everything else builds on.
Purpose
A problem statement describes what someone thinks is going wrong. A situation statement describes what's actually measurable — objectively, with sources, validated by stakeholders. Skipping this step means the rest of the program (root cause, stakeholders, trade-offs, decision) gets built on a hunch.
When to use
Every program starts with WS01. Fill it out in the Situation phase, before any solution is discussed, before WS02 Root Cause Analysis, and before you even have a stakeholder list. The situation statement will evolve during Situation but must be finalized before the phase transitions to Assess.
Template
The worksheet captures four kinds of input:
Investigation
| What | is happening — specific, observable, measurable |
|---|---|
| Where | does it happen — locations, systems, departments |
| When | is it happening — timing, frequency, patterns |
| Who | is affected — roles, populations, stakeholders |
| How often | does it occur — frequency data with time periods |
| How much | is affected — quantified scope and scale |
| Scope | — overall magnitude and boundaries |
| Standards | — performance gaps and missed targets |
Impact assessment
Employees, operations, business results, and objectives at risk.
Evidence
Quantitative data, qualitative observations, documentation, source validation.
The statement (three parts)
- Currently… (what's happening, from investigation)
- As a result… (impact, from impact assessment)
- The evidence supporting this is… (from evidence log)