AI interview guide and 4D cycle worksheet

Combines a Discovery paired interview guide and records for the full 4D cycle on one sheet. Distribute before the workshop.

When to use this worksheet and what completion involves Fictional completed example

EvalCompass Worksheet

AI interview guide and 4D cycle worksheet

Method: Appreciative Inquiry

Combines a Discovery paired interview guide and records for the full 4D cycle on one sheet. Distribute before the workshop.

Basic information

Record basic workshop information.

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Program or organization name: Consultation desk team (fictional)
AI theme: strengths to explore: Experience of safe handovers
Date and location: September 13, 2026, meeting room
Participant characteristics and count: 6 consultation staff

Reason for this entry: Focus strengths inquiry on specific situations.

Program or organization name

AI theme: strengths to explore

Date and location

Participant characteristics and count

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Record basic workshop information.

Focus strengths inquiry on specific situations.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Follow each field’s heading to record the program name, focus, period, and other details. Leave undecided matters clearly marked as unresolved.

Read the full fictional example

Discovery interview guide

Questions for paired interviews, used by the interviewer. Record the other person's answers in the notes.

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Question number	Interview question	Response notes: keywords and quotations
1	When recently did a service user feel safe moving to the next desk?	With the person's agreement, could telephone the next staff member in advance.
2	What conditions made that possible?	Knew the contact person and times when they could respond.

Reason for this entry: Explore conditions, not merely praise.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Question number	Interview question	Response notes: keywords and quotations

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Questions for paired interviews, used by the interviewer. Record the other person's answers in the notes.

Explore conditions, not merely praise.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Dream: desired future vision, individual entry

Use strengths shared in Discovery to freely imagine the best conditions being realized in 3–5 years.

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Create a desk where people can speak calmly with the next staff member without repeatedly telling the same story.

Reason for this entry: Connect strengths with service users' experiences.

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Use strengths shared in Discovery to freely imagine the best conditions being realized in 3–5 years.

Connect strengths with service users' experiences.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Use the example as a reference and record what you have established about your own program. Distinguish assumptions and unchecked matters from confirmed facts.

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Design: group-agreed propositions

Record group propositions as declarations: “X is...” or “X should be...”

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Each desk shares contact people and opening hours, passing only necessary information in line with the person's consent.

Reason for this entry: Describe the vision as a feasible state.

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Record group propositions as declarations: “X is...” or “X should be...”

Describe the vision as a feasible state.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Use the example as a reference and record what you have established about your own program. Distinguish assumptions and unchecked matters from confirmed facts.

Read the full fictional example

Destiny: action commitments

State specifically what you will do.

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Commitment	Timing	Support needed
Coordinator A checks the contact list between desks.	October 2026	Cooperation from each desk's update lead
Consultation staff member B pilots consent explanations.	October 2026	Review whether explanations are understandable to the person.

Reason for this entry: Specify responsible staff and support conditions in the action field.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Commitment	Timing	Support needed

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

State specifically what you will do.

Specify responsible staff and support conditions in the action field.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

4D cycle reflection checklist

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

☑ Checked: Described peak moments specifically in Discovery
☑ Checked: Participants built on shared strengths to describe desired future possibilities concretely
☑ Checked: Design consists of specific, actionable declarations
☑ Checked: Destiny commitments have responsible people and timing

Reason for this entry: An example identifying enabling conditions as strengths and extending them to a future with safe handovers for users.

Described peak moments specifically in Discovery
Participants built on shared strengths to describe desired future possibilities concretely
Design consists of specific, actionable declarations
Destiny commitments have responsible people and timing

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

An example identifying enabling conditions as strengths and extending them to a future with safe handovers for users.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Read each item and check those you have confirmed. Do not use the fictional example’s checkbox states as findings about your own program.

Read the full fictional example

Before writing, check when to use the worksheet and what completion involves

AI interview guide and 4D cycle worksheet is a worksheet for applying Appreciative Inquiry in meetings or individual work. For the overall duration of the method, use “Illustrative estimate, adjusted to scale and staffing: 1–3 days for an AI summit to several weeks across multiple sessions” as a reference, adjusting for scale and resources. Fill in what you know provisionally and leave unresolved matters as questions to check next.

When this worksheet is useful

When stakeholders are exhausted by problem-finding and strengths-based dialogue can encourage evaluation participation
When systematically collecting and sharing what worked in an end-of-program retrospective
When community development or organizational change requires participants to co-create future directions

Participants and preparation

All program stakeholders, including staff, beneficiaries and partners. Large AI summits involve 50 to several hundred people; small ones involve 10–30. Consider 1–2 experienced facilitators.

Bring the materials used for decisions, existing data, and differing stakeholder views to help complete the worksheet.

Suggested order

1. Basic informationRecord basic workshop information.
2. Discovery interview guideQuestions for paired interviews, used by the interviewer. Record the other person's answers in the notes.
3. Dream: desired future vision, individual entryUse strengths shared in Discovery to freely imagine the best conditions being realized in 3–5 years.
4. Design: group-agreed propositionsRecord group propositions as declarations: “X is...” or “X should be...”
5. Destiny: action commitmentsState specifically what you will do.
6. 4D cycle reflection checklist

Signs the worksheet is ready for review

Success stories and best practices
Dream vision records: diagrams, stories and declarations
Action commitments

Cautions for review

A fixed positive-only atmosphere prevents discussion of problems and failures. Facilitators should appropriately include dialogue on improvements.
Stopping at Discovery without Design or Destiny produces only a feel-good workshop.
Discussing strengths without changing organizational decisions or resource allocation makes the process hollow.

Read a completed fictional example (your entries will not change)

Fictional example; not actual results

A fictional illustrative example where desk staff explore shared conditions enabling successful handovers.

Basic information

Program or organization name: Consultation desk team (fictional)
AI theme: strengths to explore: Experience of safe handovers
Date and location: September 13, 2026, meeting room
Participant characteristics and count: 6 consultation staff

Reason for this entry: Focus strengths inquiry on specific situations.

Discovery interview guide

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Question number	Interview question	Response notes: keywords and quotations
1	When recently did a service user feel safe moving to the next desk?	With the person's agreement, could telephone the next staff member in advance.
2	What conditions made that possible?	Knew the contact person and times when they could respond.

Reason for this entry: Explore conditions, not merely praise.

Dream: desired future vision, individual entry

Create a desk where people can speak calmly with the next staff member without repeatedly telling the same story.

Reason for this entry: Connect strengths with service users' experiences.

Design: group-agreed propositions

Each desk shares contact people and opening hours, passing only necessary information in line with the person's consent.

Reason for this entry: Describe the vision as a feasible state.

Destiny: action commitments

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Commitment	Timing	Support needed
Coordinator A checks the contact list between desks.	October 2026	Cooperation from each desk's update lead
Consultation staff member B pilots consent explanations.	October 2026	Review whether explanations are understandable to the person.

Reason for this entry: Specify responsible staff and support conditions in the action field.

4D cycle reflection checklist

☑ Checked: Described peak moments specifically in Discovery
☑ Checked: Participants built on shared strengths to describe desired future possibilities concretely
☑ Checked: Design consists of specific, actionable declarations
☑ Checked: Destiny commitments have responsible people and timing

Reason for this entry: An example identifying enabling conditions as strengths and extending them to a future with safe handovers for users.

Common errors in judgment

Seeking only positive stories and stopping people who discuss burdens

How to revise: Explore enabling conditions while recording remaining disadvantages.

Reason: Strengths inquiry must not conceal problems.

Ending after discussing dreams

How to revise: Specify trial actions, responsibilities and reflection.

Reason: The process includes action and learning.

Editorial and checking information

Content updated: 2026-10-07Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)No documented human reviewIncludes fictional examplesEditorial policy and scope of checking Cite this page Report a correction

References and checked sections

Appreciative inquiry
BetterEvaluation
Section consulted
DISCOVER; DREAM; DESIGN; DESTINY
How it relates to the text
Connect discovered strengths to future visions, joint design, action and adjustment.
Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)

How to cite this page

EvalCompass Editorial Team. “AI interview guide and 4D cycle worksheet”. EvalCompass, updated 2026-10-07. https://evalcompass.jun-nakatani.com/en/worksheets/appreciative-inquiry/

Add the date you accessed the page. Text created by this site is available under CC BY 4.0. Quotations, external materials, and bundled fonts have their own terms of use. When reusing content, credit the source, link to the license, and indicate any changes.

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Change history

2026-09-13 — Updated explanations to correspond with sources, and added method-specific fictional worksheet examples, judgment examples and revision history.
2026-10-07 — Made minimal corrections to assertions, fixed conditions or inconsistencies between worksheets and examples based on content check FW-07. Preserved field counts, order, labels and section structure. Did not change verification status of unchecked material.