Decide where the work belongs
Rank hidden-work risk
Describe what could be missed without observation: interruptions, unofficial tools, policy workarounds, environmental barriers, or handoff delays. Include the outcome affected and the people who inherit the cost. Give higher priority to risks that would change scope.
Compare observation access
Review permission, timing, privacy, travel, and note-taking constraints for each candidate setting. Choose the least intrusive way to see the relevant work. Record what cannot be observed directly and what another method must cover.
Select the next visit
Choose a setting, participant, observer, focus question, and analysis date. Defer lower-risk observations with a trigger such as a contradictory interview finding. Avoid scheduling more visits than the team can analyze while details remain fresh.
What to carry forward
The priority output is an observation queue tied to hidden-work risk, user consequence, access constraints, and analysis capacity. Start where unseen context could change the decision most. Keep deferred settings visible because a new contradiction may raise their priority.
Technical background: GOV.UK user research guidance.
Keep the decision with the work.
Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.
Create an account See the product workflow