> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://convivio.gitbook.io/the-convivio-cookbook/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://convivio.gitbook.io/the-convivio-cookbook/client-projects/discovery/discovery-briefing.md). # Discovery Briefing This can be a fairly simple document. It's likely to be an output from the Strategy phase, but sometimes it can be our first interaction with a client who has already developed their broader digital strategy themselves. One organisation may decide to set multiple streams of work flowing in parallel, focusing on different missions. Each should have its own team, and own discovery period — but there should be very close and open collaboration between teams. The brief for a discovery should include any outputs from strategy work, but then it should also include: ## The Mission This is a simple clear statement about the problem that this discovery should focus on. It should be about the *outcomes* an organisation wants to achieve, rather than the *outputs*. Good missions to set for a discovery would be along the lines of: * Enable us to continue delivering our services even after a 25% reduction in staffing * Increase our sales to the 25-35 age bracket by 20% * Find a way to share knowledge between our offices and team members to speed up our training and improve quality * Reduce the calls to our support desk by 15% Bad examples are: * Build us a new website * We need a system to store all our customer data * We need to move to the cloud * We need a mobile app These aren't suitable missions because they state an output rather than an outcome. The output could be delivered perfectly but the organisation still might not see any benefit from its investment of time and money. Also, it closes off potentially better solutions to the underlying problem. So — keep the mission focused on the problem to be solved, not potential solutions. ## The Timebox There is no 'right' duration for a discovery period but most are between 2 and 6 weeks. Much shorter than this means it's unlikely you're digging into the mission, opportunities and any obstacles properly. Much longer than this and you effectively slip into a waterfall approach of trying to plan everything precisely upfront, and by the time you come to deliver it, lots will have changed. It's worth setting a timebox. It's okay if not everything gets done in that time, what's important is to set some momentum for the stream of work. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://convivio.gitbook.io/the-convivio-cookbook/client-projects/discovery/discovery-briefing.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.