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   3.1. Identifying the hypotheses to test - Service Handbook - Digital Transformation Office
  </title><style>@import url("/service-handbook/stylesheets/service-handbook.css");</style><body><header class=global><h1><a href=https://www.dto.gov.au/> Digital Transformation Office </a></h1><h2><a href=/service-handbook/> Service Handbook </a></h2></header><main class="discovery 3-finishing-discovery"><header class=section><h1><a href=/service-handbook/discovery> Discovery </a></h1></header><section class=column-container><article><h1>3.1. Identifying the hypotheses to test</h1><p>At the end of the Discovery phase, you’ll have a good understanding of the user’s needs, and the service landscape. You should use this understanding to formulate your hypothesis. Your hypothesis should define the target state for your service.<p>By defining your hypothesis in the Discovery phase, you give yourself the opportunity to test what you think the solution to your problem is before developing the actual solution. During the Alpha phase, the hypothesis will be tested with a number of possible solutions.<p>It is important to note that a hypothesis is not the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The scope of the MVP is defined at the end of the Alpha phase, and not before then.<aside class=previous-next><a class=previous-page href=/service-handbook/discovery/3-finishing-discovery/index.html> Previous page: <span> 3. Finishing Discovery </span> </a><a class=next-page href=/service-handbook/discovery/3-finishing-discovery/3-2-reporting-findings.html> Next page: <span> 3.2. Reporting back findings </span> </a></aside></article><nav class=global><ul class=top-level><ul class=guide-content><li><a href=/service-handbook> Guide Index </a><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/1-introduction/index.html> 1. An introduction to Discovery </a><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/2-starting-discovery/index.html> 2. Starting discovery </a> <ul><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/2-starting-discovery/2-1-before-you-start.html> 2.1. Before you start </a><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/2-starting-discovery/2-2-kick-off.html> 2.2. The kick off </a><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/2-starting-discovery/2-3-ways-of-working.html> 2.3. Ways of working </a><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/2-starting-discovery/2-4-activities.html> 2.4. Activities to do </a><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/2-starting-discovery/2-5-artefacts.html> 2.5. Artefacts to produce </a></ul><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/3-finishing-discovery/index.html> 3. Finishing Discovery </a> <ul><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/3-finishing-discovery/3-1-identifying-hypotheses.html> 3.1. Identifying the hypotheses to test </a><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/3-finishing-discovery/3-2-reporting-findings.html> 3.2. Reporting back findings </a><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/3-finishing-discovery/3-3-digital-service-standard.html> 3.3. Meeting the Digital Service Standard </a><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/3-finishing-discovery/3-4-moving-into-alpha.html> 3.4. Moving into Alpha </a></ul><li><a href=/service-handbook/discovery/4-further-reading/index.html> 4. Further reading and acknowledgements </a></ul></ul></nav></section></main>