ECSH33005 - How to ask questions

You must consider how you ask questions throughout your compliance check whether that be in person, over the telephone or by written correspondence.

You should use a range of questions to obtain the information you need:

  • Open questions will provide you with the most information and avoid yes or no answers. These usually use the TED acronym “Tell, Explain, Describe”. For example, “Can you explain the software you use?”
  • Closed questions encourage yes or no answers and are effective to gather additional details or for clarifying a response. For example “Did you say you use a spreadsheet?”
  • Leading questions encourage a desired response, for example “How useful was the guidance on GOV.UK?” rather than “Did you find the guidance useful?”
  • Probing questions are questions which build on what has been previously discussed
  • Funnel questions ask for more and more detail, drilling down on a particular point

You should consider 5WH (who, what, when, where, why, how) to make sure you have gathered sufficient detail of key points.

(This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)