Quality Checklist

Using This Checklist

Review these quality indicators after completing your synthesis. Rather than aiming for perfection, use this as a diagnostic tool to identify strengths and areas for refinement.

Signs of Effective Synthesis

Quality synthesis demonstrates these characteristics across three dimensions:

graph TB
    %% ========================================
    %% START NODE
    %% ========================================

    START(["📊 <strong>YOUR SYNTHESIS</strong><br/><br/>Assess Quality Across<br/>Three Dimensions"])

    %% ========================================
    %% THREE QUALITY PILLARS
    %% ========================================

    subgraph PATTERN ["🔍 PATTERN RECOGNITION"]
        direction TB
        P1["Genuine patterns across<br/>multiple stakeholders"]
        P2["Themes that surprised<br/>or challenged assumptions"]
        P3["Actionable intervention<br/>opportunities identified"]
        P4["Both confirmatory &<br/>contradictory evidence"]
        P1 --> P2 --> P3 --> P4
    end

    subgraph VOICE ["🗣️ COMMUNITY VOICE"]
        direction TB
        V1["Stakeholder language<br/>& priorities reflected"]
        V2["Different perspectives<br/>preserved (not homogenized)"]
        V3["Cultural context &<br/>values evident"]
        V4["Power dynamics &<br/>marginalized voices acknowledged"]
        V1 --> V2 --> V3 --> V4
    end

    subgraph INTEGRATION ["🔗 INTEGRATION QUALITY"]
        direction TB
        I1["Problem Tree significantly<br/>strengthened"]
        I2["Clear traceability from<br/>insights → themes → analysis"]
        I3["Evidence base robust<br/>& community-grounded"]
        I4["Strong foundation for<br/>Theory of Change"]
        I1 --> I2 --> I3 --> I4
    end

    %% ========================================
    %% END NODE
    %% ========================================

    READY(["✅ <strong>READY</strong><br/><br/>Quality synthesis achieved<br/>Proceed to Theory of Change"])

    %% ========================================
    %% CONNECTIONS
    %% ========================================

    START --> PATTERN
    START --> VOICE
    START --> INTEGRATION
    PATTERN --> READY
    VOICE --> READY
    INTEGRATION --> READY

    %% ========================================
    %% FESTA COLORS
    %% ========================================

    style START fill:#6B7280,stroke:#4B5563,stroke-width:3px,color:#fff

    style PATTERN fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style P1 fill:#FEF9C3,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style P2 fill:#FEF9C3,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style P3 fill:#FEF9C3,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style P4 fill:#FEF9C3,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A

    style VOICE fill:#D9F99D,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style V1 fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style V2 fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style V3 fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style V4 fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A

    style INTEGRATION fill:#BBF7D0,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style I1 fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style I2 fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style I3 fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style I4 fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A

    style READY fill:#007F4E,stroke:#00b369,stroke-width:4px,color:#fff

Three-Pillar Assessment

Strong synthesis demonstrates quality across all three dimensions. Use the checkboxes below to assess your specific synthesis work.

1. Strong Pattern Recognition

Themes represent genuine patterns across multiple stakeholders (not isolated comments) Some themes surprised you or challenged original assumptions Themes suggest specific, actionable intervention opportunities Both confirmatory and contradictory evidence is acknowledged

2. Community Voice Preservation

Themes reflect stakeholder language and priorities (not imposed frameworks) Different perspectives are captured rather than homogenized into single view Cultural context and community values are evident in themes Power dynamics and marginalized voices are acknowledged

3. Integration Quality

Problem Tree is significantly strengthened by stakeholder insights Clear traceability from insights through themes to final analysis Evidence base is robust and community-grounded Analysis provides strong foundation for credible Theory of Change

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Watch for these warning signs that indicate your synthesis may need refinement:

graph TB
    %% ========================================
    %% START NODE
    %% ========================================

    DETECT(["🚩 <strong>PITFALL DETECTION</strong><br/><br/>Watch for These<br/>Warning Signs"])

    %% ========================================
    %% FOUR PITFALLS
    %% ========================================

    subgraph PIT1 ["❌ CONFIRMATION BIAS"]
        direction TB
        CB_WARN["⚠️ Warning Signs:<br/>• Clustering to confirm<br/>• Dismissing contradictions<br/>• Selecting preferred quotes"]
        CB_FIX["🔧 Fix:<br/>Seek contradictory evidence<br/>Have others review clustering"]
        CB_WARN --> CB_FIX
    end

    subgraph PIT2 ["❌ OVER-SIMPLIFICATION"]
        direction TB
        OS_WARN["⚠️ Warning Signs:<br/>• Themes too broad<br/>• Combining distinct issues<br/>• Smoothing contradictions"]
        OS_FIX["🔧 Fix:<br/>Split broad themes<br/>Embrace complexity"]
        OS_WARN --> OS_FIX
    end

    subgraph PIT3 ["❌ ANALYSIS PARALYSIS"]
        direction TB
        AP_WARN["⚠️ Warning Signs:<br/>• Too many micro-themes<br/>• Excessive time on clustering<br/>• Stuck on outliers"]
        AP_FIX["🔧 Fix:<br/>Set time limits<br/>Focus on 5-8 themes"]
        AP_WARN --> AP_FIX
    end

    subgraph PIT4 ["❌ VOICE ERASURE"]
        direction TB
        VE_WARN["⚠️ Warning Signs:<br/>• Technical language only<br/>• External frameworks imposed<br/>• Funder-focused themes"]
        VE_FIX["🔧 Fix:<br/>Preserve stakeholder quotes<br/>Use community language"]
        VE_WARN --> VE_FIX
    end

    %% ========================================
    %% END NODE
    %% ========================================

    CLEAR(["✅ <strong>PITFALLS AVOIDED</strong><br/><br/>Synthesis maintains rigor<br/>& community grounding"])

    %% ========================================
    %% CONNECTIONS
    %% ========================================

    DETECT --> PIT1
    DETECT --> PIT2
    DETECT --> PIT3
    DETECT --> PIT4
    PIT1 --> CLEAR
    PIT2 --> CLEAR
    PIT3 --> CLEAR
    PIT4 --> CLEAR

    %% ========================================
    %% FESTA COLORS
    %% ========================================

    style DETECT fill:#6B7280,stroke:#4B5563,stroke-width:3px,color:#fff

    style PIT1 fill:#FEE2E2,stroke:#EF4444,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style CB_WARN fill:#FEF2F2,stroke:#EF4444,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style CB_FIX fill:#FED7AA,stroke:#F97316,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A

    style PIT2 fill:#FEE2E2,stroke:#EF4444,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style OS_WARN fill:#FEF2F2,stroke:#EF4444,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style OS_FIX fill:#FED7AA,stroke:#F97316,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A

    style PIT3 fill:#FEE2E2,stroke:#EF4444,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style AP_WARN fill:#FEF2F2,stroke:#EF4444,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style AP_FIX fill:#FED7AA,stroke:#F97316,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A

    style PIT4 fill:#FEE2E2,stroke:#EF4444,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style VE_WARN fill:#FEF2F2,stroke:#EF4444,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A
    style VE_FIX fill:#FED7AA,stroke:#F97316,stroke-width:1px,color:#2A2A2A

    style CLEAR fill:#007F4E,stroke:#00b369,stroke-width:4px,color:#fff

Early Detection

If you notice any of these warning signs, apply the corresponding fix before proceeding to Theory of Change development.

❌ Pitfall 1: Confirmation Bias

Warning Signs:

▪ Clustering insights to confirm predetermined themes
▪ Dismissing or minimizing contradictory evidence
▪ Selecting quotes that support preferred conclusions
▪ Missing patterns that challenge original assumptions

How to Fix:

Actively seek insights that contradict your assumptions. Have someone else review your clustering to check for bias. Ask: "What themes emerge if I ignore my original Problem Tree?"

❌ Pitfall 2: Over-Simplification

Warning Signs:

▪ Creating themes so broad they lose actionable specificity
▪ Combining distinct issues into single themes for tidiness
▪ Smoothing over contradictions instead of exploring them
▪ Losing important nuance in pursuit of clean patterns

How to Fix:

Split overly broad themes. Embrace complexity - some themes may have sub-themes. Document contradictions rather than resolving them prematurely. Ask: "Does this theme suggest specific actions?"

❌ Pitfall 3: Analysis Paralysis

Warning Signs:

▪ Creating too many micro-themes that don't provide strategic insight
▪ Spending excessive time on perfect clustering instead of pattern recognition
▪ Getting stuck on outliers instead of focusing on strong patterns
▪ Failing to synthesize themes into actionable implications

How to Fix:

Set time limits for each phase. Focus on 5-8 major themes rather than 15+ micro-themes. Move forward with "good enough" clustering - perfect is the enemy of done. Ask: "What strategic insights emerge?"

❌ Pitfall 4: Community Voice Erasure

Warning Signs:

▪ Translating all insights into technical or academic language
▪ Imposing external frameworks that don't reflect community priorities
▪ Failing to acknowledge different perspectives within the community
▪ Creating themes that sound good to funders but miss community emphasis

How to Fix:

Preserve stakeholder quotes in themes. Use community language in theme descriptions. Acknowledge diverse perspectives. Share synthesis findings with stakeholders for validation. Ask: "Would stakeholders recognize their voices here?"

Self-Assessment Questions

Use these reflection questions to assess your synthesis quality:

Surprise Test: Did I learn anything that genuinely surprised me or challenged my assumptions?
Diversity Test: Do my themes reflect input from different stakeholder groups, or am I amplifying only certain voices?
Actionability Test: Can I design specific interventions based on these themes, or are they too vague?
Traceability Test: Can I trace each theme back to specific stakeholder quotes and forward to Problem Tree elements?
Credibility Test: Would stakeholders recognize their perspectives in my synthesis, or would they feel misrepresented?
Complexity Test: Have I preserved important nuances, or have I oversimplified for convenience?

Good Synthesis Feels Uncomfortable

If your synthesis only confirms what you already believed, you probably haven't pushed deep enough. Quality synthesis challenges some assumptions while validating others—this tension is a sign of rigorous analysis.

What's Next

Now that you understand quality indicators and common pitfalls, you're ready to see complete synthesis examples showing how themes emerge from stakeholder data and integrate into Problem Trees.

Next: Real-World Examples

See complete synthesis example using the Nigeria Youth Livelihood project, showing how affinity themes refine the preliminary Problem Tree from Lesson 1.1.

View Examples →

Using This Checklist

Signs of Effective Synthesis

Three-Pillar Assessment

1. Strong Pattern Recognition

2. Community Voice Preservation

3. Integration Quality

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Early Detection

❌ Pitfall 1: Confirmation Bias

❌ Pitfall 2: Over-Simplification

❌ Pitfall 3: Analysis Paralysis

❌ Pitfall 4: Community Voice Erasure

Self-Assessment Questions

Good Synthesis Feels Uncomfortable

What's Next

Next: Real-World Examples

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