📝 Conversation Documentation Template

Systematic format for capturing insights, tracking validation progress, and integrating findings into your Problem Tree. Transform scattered conversations into organized, actionable intelligence.

🔗 From Conversations to Validated Analysis

The Integration Challenge

You’ve had rich conversations using your Interview Questions and Cultural Considerations. Now you need to systematically capture and organize insights to update your Problem Tree Analysis.

Documentation as Analysis Tool

Good documentation doesn’t just record what happened - it actively supports analysis by:

Tracking which assumptions get validated or challenged
Identifying patterns across multiple stakeholders
Capturing nuances that inform solution design
Building evidence base for proposals and reports

📋 Core Documentation Framework

Essential Information Capture

Every stakeholder conversation should capture these elements:

Basic Details:

Who (stakeholder name, role, organization)
What (conversation type, topics covered)
When (date, duration)
Where (location, setting context)
How (interview, focus group, informal chat)

Content Capture:

Key insights about problem/causes/effects
Validation status of your assumptions
Surprising or contradictory information
Quotable moments that illustrate points
New questions or connections that emerged

Relationship Tracking:

Quality of rapport established
Willingness to engage further
Other stakeholders they suggested
Partnership potential identified
Follow-up commitments made

Three-Layer Documentation System

Layer 1: Immediate Capture (During/Immediately After)

Raw notes, key quotes, immediate impressions
Audio recording if consented
Photos of visual aids or community spaces (with permission)

Layer 2: Structured Analysis (Within 24 Hours)

Organized insights by theme
Problem Tree validation tracking
Pattern identification
Action items and follow-ups

Layer 3: Integration (Weekly)

Cross-stakeholder pattern analysis
Problem Tree updates
Strategy adjustments
Team briefings

📝 Standard Conversation Record Template

STAKEHOLDER CONVERSATION RECORD

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
BASIC INFORMATION
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Date: _________________ Time: _________________ Duration: _______
Stakeholder Name: ______________________________________________
Title/Role: ___________________________________________________
Organization: _________________________________________________
Location: ____________________________________________________
Meeting Type: □ One-on-one  □ Group  □ Focus Group  □ Community Meeting
Facilitator(s): _______________________________________________
Note Taker: __________________________________________________
Language: _________________ Interpreter: ______________________
Audio Recording: □ Yes (Consented)  □ No

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
CONVERSATION OVERVIEW
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Main Topics Covered:
□ Problem definition and scope
□ Root causes exploration  
□ Effects and impacts
□ Current coping strategies
□ Solution ideas and preferences
□ Other stakeholders to engage
□ Partnership opportunities
□ Other: ___________________________________________________

Stakeholder Category:
□ Primary (Directly affected)
□ Secondary (Influence/expertise)  
□ Tertiary (Indirect interest)

Power-Interest Assessment:
Power Level: □ High  □ Medium  □ Low
Interest Level: □ High  □ Medium  □ Low
Quadrant: □ Manage Closely  □ Keep Satisfied  □ Keep Informed  □ Monitor

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
PROBLEM TREE VALIDATION
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

ROOT CAUSES - What did they say about why this problem exists?

VALIDATED (Confirmed our assumptions):
□ [Assumption 1]: ____________________________________________
   Supporting evidence: ____________________________________
□ [Assumption 2]: ____________________________________________
   Supporting evidence: ____________________________________

CHALLENGED (Contradicted our assumptions):
□ [Assumption 3]: ____________________________________________
   Their perspective: ______________________________________
□ [Assumption 4]: ____________________________________________
   Their perspective: ______________________________________

NEW INSIGHTS (Causes we hadn't considered):
• __________________________________________________________
• __________________________________________________________
• __________________________________________________________

CORE PROBLEM - How do they define/experience the central issue?

Their description: ____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Alignment with our problem statement:
□ Strong alignment  □ Moderate alignment  □ Significant differences

Key differences in their framing:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

EFFECTS/IMPACTS - What consequences do they see/experience?

VALIDATED EFFECTS:
□ [Effect 1]: _______________________________________________
   How they experience it: __________________________________
□ [Effect 2]: _______________________________________________
   How they experience it: __________________________________

NEW EFFECTS IDENTIFIED:
• __________________________________________________________
• __________________________________________________________
• __________________________________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
KEY INSIGHTS BY THEME
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

LIVED EXPERIENCE:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

BARRIERS/CHALLENGES:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

COPING STRATEGIES:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

SOLUTION IDEAS:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

RESOURCE AVAILABILITY:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

POWER DYNAMICS:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

CULTURAL FACTORS:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
MEMORABLE QUOTES
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

"____________________________________________________________"
Context: ____________________________________________________

"____________________________________________________________"
Context: ____________________________________________________

"____________________________________________________________"
Context: ____________________________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
SURPRISING INFORMATION
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

What challenged our assumptions or revealed new dimensions?

1. __________________________________________________________
   Why was this surprising? __________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________
   Why was this surprising? __________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________
   Why was this surprising? __________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
NEW QUESTIONS RAISED
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

What new questions emerged from this conversation?

1. __________________________________________________________
   Who might help answer this? _______________________________

2. __________________________________________________________
   Who might help answer this? _______________________________

3. __________________________________________________________
   Who might help answer this? _______________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
RELATIONSHIP ASSESSMENT
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

RAPPORT LEVEL: □ High  □ Medium  □ Low

ENGAGEMENT QUALITY:
□ Very open and detailed
□ Somewhat guarded but helpful  
□ Polite but surface level
□ Resistant or uncomfortable

FUTURE ENGAGEMENT POTENTIAL:
□ Eager to stay involved
□ Willing to be consulted occasionally
□ Neutral/no strong preference
□ Prefer minimal future contact

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
□ High potential for collaboration
□ Some specific areas for partnership
□ Willing to provide occasional support
□ Better as information source only

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDERS IDENTIFIED
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

New stakeholders they suggested:

Name: _____________________________________________________
Role/Organization: ________________________________________
Why important: ____________________________________________
Contact info: _____________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________________________
Role/Organization: ________________________________________
Why important: ____________________________________________
Contact info: _____________________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
ACTION ITEMS & FOLLOW-UP
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS (Within 48 hours):
□ Send thank you message
□ Share conversation summary if requested
□ Connect them with [resource/person] as promised
□ Other: ________________________________________________

SHORT-TERM FOLLOW-UP (1-2 weeks):
□ Follow up on [specific question/commitment]
□ Invite to [upcoming meeting/event]  
□ Share [document/resource] mentioned
□ Schedule follow-up conversation
□ Other: ________________________________________________

ONGOING RELATIONSHIP:
□ Add to regular update list
□ Invite to future planning meetings
□ Explore specific partnership opportunity
□ Consult on technical questions
□ Other: ________________________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
TEAM BRIEFING NOTES
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

KEY POINTS FOR TEAM DISCUSSION:
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________

IMPLICATIONS FOR PROJECT STRATEGY:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

ADJUSTMENTS NEEDED TO APPROACH:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
POST-CONVERSATION REFLECTION
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

What went well in this conversation?
____________________________________________________________

What would you do differently next time?
____________________________________________________________

What cultural dynamics did you notice?
____________________________________________________________

How did your own assumptions/biases show up?
____________________________________________________________

What did you learn about effective engagement?
____________________________________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
DOCUMENTATION METADATA
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Template completed by: ____________________________________
Date completed: __________________________________________
Shared with team on: ____________________________________
Added to master analysis: ________________________________

📊 Pattern Analysis Template

Use this after every 3-5 conversations to identify emerging themes:

CROSS-STAKEHOLDER PATTERN ANALYSIS
Date Range: _______________  Conversations Included: ___________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
ASSUMPTION VALIDATION TRACKING
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Problem Tree Assumption: ___________________________________

VALIDATION STATUS:
□ Strongly supported (4+ stakeholders confirmed)
□ Moderately supported (2-3 stakeholders confirmed)  
□ Mixed evidence (some support, some challenge)
□ Weakly supported (1 stakeholder confirmed)
□ Contradicted (multiple stakeholders disagreed)

Supporting Evidence:
• Stakeholder A said: _____________________________________
• Stakeholder B said: _____________________________________
• Stakeholder C said: _____________________________________

Contradicting Evidence:
• Stakeholder D said: _____________________________________
• Stakeholder E said: _____________________________________

RECOMMENDATION:
□ Convert from (A) to (E) - assumption validated
□ Revise assumption based on stakeholder input
□ Need more validation - engage additional stakeholders
□ Remove from Problem Tree - not supported

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
EMERGING THEMES
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

THEME: ___________________________________________________
Mentioned by: _____________ stakeholders
Key quotes: _____________________________________________
Implications: __________________________________________

THEME: ___________________________________________________
Mentioned by: _____________ stakeholders  
Key quotes: _____________________________________________
Implications: __________________________________________

THEME: ___________________________________________________
Mentioned by: _____________ stakeholders
Key quotes: _____________________________________________
Implications: __________________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

CONTRADICTION: ____________________________________________
Stakeholder A perspective: ________________________________
Stakeholder B perspective: ________________________________

Possible explanations:
□ Different contexts/experiences
□ Different time periods referenced
□ Different aspects of same issue
□ Misunderstanding/miscommunication
□ Legitimate disagreement

Further investigation needed: _______________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
SOLUTION PREFERENCES
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

FREQUENTLY MENTIONED SOLUTIONS:
1. ____________________________________________________
   Supported by: _______ stakeholders

2. ____________________________________________________
   Supported by: _______ stakeholders

3. ____________________________________________________
   Supported by: _______ stakeholders

CONFLICTING SOLUTION PREFERENCES:
Some stakeholders want: ____________________________________
Other stakeholders want: __________________________________
Possible compromise: ______________________________________

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
ENGAGEMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

STRONG RELATIONSHIPS BUILT:
• [Stakeholder]: High partnership potential
• [Stakeholder]: Willing ongoing advisor
• [Stakeholder]: Strong community connector

CHALLENGING RELATIONSHIPS:
• [Stakeholder]: Reason and strategy for improvement
• [Stakeholder]: Reason and strategy for improvement

MISSING VOICES:
• [Gap identified]: Plan to address
• [Gap identified]: Plan to address

CULTURAL LESSONS LEARNED:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

💾 Documentation Management System

File Organization

📁 Stakeholder Engagement Documentation/
├── 📁 Individual Conversations/
│   ├── 📄 2024-01-15_Mary-Johnson_Community-Leader.docx
│   ├── 📄 2024-01-16_Dr-Smith_Health-Director.docx
│   └── 📄 2024-01-17_Focus-Group_Women-Farmers.docx
├── 📁 Pattern Analysis/
│   ├── 📄 Week1_Pattern-Analysis_Jan15-19.docx
│   └── 📄 Week2_Pattern-Analysis_Jan22-26.docx
├── 📁 Audio Recordings/ (if consented)
├── 📁 Photos/ (if permitted)
└── 📄 Master-Stakeholder-Database.xlsx

Naming Conventions

Individual Records: Date_Stakeholder-Name_Role.docx
Pattern Analysis: Week#_Pattern-Analysis_Date-Range.docx
Audio Files: Date_Stakeholder-Name_Duration.mp3

Security and Confidentiality

Data Protection:

Password protect sensitive files
Store on secure servers only
Limit access to core team
Create anonymized versions for sharing

Consent Management:

Track what was consented for each conversation
Honor confidentiality requests
Get permission before sharing quotes
Offer to review materials before use

🔄 Integration with Problem Tree

Regular Update Process

After Each Conversation:

Update individual stakeholder profiles
Note new validation evidence
Flag assumptions for revision
Record new insights to explore

Weekly Analysis:

Run pattern analysis across conversations
Update Problem Tree elements
Revise engagement strategy
Plan follow-up conversations

Monthly Review:

Assess overall validation progress
Identify gaps in stakeholder coverage
Evaluate engagement effectiveness
Adjust project direction if needed

Problem Tree Update Tracking

PROBLEM TREE REVISION LOG

Element: ________________________________________________
Original Version: ____________________________________
Stakeholder Input Summary: ___________________________
Revised Version: _____________________________________
Date Updated: _______________________________________
Evidence Base: ______________________________________

📥 Next Steps

After establishing your documentation system:

Evaluate quality using the Quality Assurance Checklist
Apply advanced strategies from Pro Tips
Update your Problem Tree with validated insights
Plan next phase of stakeholder engagement

Remember: Documentation is analysis, not just record-keeping. The discipline of systematic documentation forces you to identify patterns, track validation, and build evidence - turning conversations into actionable intelligence.