Partnership Tools: SCQA Framework

Rich O'Connell -

At various stages in a Partnership, you will need to make a case to your internal stakeholders about why this alliance is important for the business.

It could be WHY you should start this Partnership in the first place? It may be HOW a certain Partner can help with current challenges? It could also be making a case for a new Partner program, or segment, and how this can help with company goals.

You can often use the SCQA framework to structure these discussions with internal stakeholders.

What is SCQA?

SCQA is an abbreviation that stands for Situation, Complication, Question, and Answer. The SCQA approach is a framework used to structure communications in a way that captures a reader’s attention. Using this framework, you can structure your message in a clear and digestible way.

SCQA approach

Communications using this framework have the below components:

  1. Situation
    What is the current state of the world? This could include status of company targets and BHAGs. What teams are involved? Where are we ahead or behind in our KPIs? In general, readers should agree with the points made in this section.
  2. Complication
    What is changing and what is the impact of this change? This is the usually the reason for needing to communicate with internal teams. This could be a platform shift (AI adoption) a macro environment shift (recession) or something like the entry of a new competitor to your market. This should be the "burning platform" for taking action.
  3. Question
    Begin to ask questions and plant seeds about how we might respond to this complication. How can the threat be reduced or the opportunity be magnified?
  4. Answer
    Make the case for the Partnership or program that can help address the issues you have outlined. How could this solve the identified challenges or amplify the opportunities proposed?

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Value of the SCQA framework

The SCQA framing is a way to organize presentations, communication and thinking in an 'executive friendly' way.

Originally, the SCQA was developed to improve consultancy reports. Barbara Minto introduced the framework in her famous book The Pyramid Principle.
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“Good ideas ought not to be dressed up in bad prose.” ― Barbara Minto

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