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Review Scenario

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Definition

A scenario is a described situation, worked out in enough detail that people can reason about it — used for practice, planning or evaluation rather than as a record of something that happened. In the Learning Lab a scenario is always fictional, sanitized, or used with consent, so that no real client, colleague or customer is exposed by the exercise.
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Plain-Language Explanation

A scenario gives learners a made-up or safely adapted situation where they can practice noticing problems, asking questions, and making decisions without exposing real client information.
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Why It Matters

Scenarios let learners practice discovery and mapping without exposing sensitive client details. Good scenarios include enough ambiguity that learners must identify follow-up questions.
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Example

A fictional HVAC company receives customer requests through phone, email, and a website form, then schedules technicians using a mix of CRM, calendar, and spreadsheet tracking.
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Common Misconception

A scenario is not a prediction, a complete case record, or a lightly disguised client story. It is a bounded learning situation built for a specific kind of practice.
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Remember It This Way

A safe story for practicing real judgment.
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Related Terms

* [[current-state|Current State]] * [[observation|Observation]] * [[client-safe-language|Client-Safe Language]] * [[sanitized-information|Sanitized Information]] * [[use-case|Use Case]]
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Sources

* [NIST SP 800-50 Rev. 1, "Building a Cybersecurity and Privacy Learning Program"](https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-50r1) — scenario-based exercises as situation-driven learning activities. * [NIST AI 700-2, "Assessing Risks and Impacts of AI: Pilot Evaluation Report"](https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.AI.700-2) — scenarios as the context for structured AI evaluation activities.
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Learn More

* [[current-state|Current State]] * [[observation|Observation]] * [RS AI Learning Lab, "Friction Mapping: Understanding Work Before Recommending Solutions"](../../../../modules/friction-mapping-understanding-work-before-recommending-solutions/module.md)
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