Ask for a Service Recommendation, Starting With the Work
An energy specialist needs a description of the task and operating conditions before a technology shortlist. This tutorial turns a program team's partial knowledge into a usable inquiry. It builds on needs, devices and service; it does not size an installation or approve a fuel.
Establish the Fictional Situation
The fictional Hillside Kitchen prepares lunch for 120 people on weekdays. Cooks report that all meals must be ready by noon, two large pots are used simultaneously, and the road becomes unreliable during heavy rain. Electricity is connected, but the team has no verified record of available power, interruptions or wiring condition. A device supplier has offered a discounted package. No technical assessment or purchase decision has occurred.
The team first describes actual tasks: which dishes need long cooking, when preparation begins, pot sizes, peak simultaneous demand, cleaning and the cooks' present difficulties. The number of meals is context, not enough information to select equipment or calculate electrical demand.
Separate Known Facts, Estimates and Unknowns
| Topic | Information for the Specialist | Still to Establish |
|---|---|---|
| Task | 120 lunches, weekday noon deadline, two pots currently used | Actual volumes, timing and acceptable alternatives, confirmed with cooks |
| Site and supply | Connected electricity; seasonal road interruption reported | Available supply, outage pattern, fuel delivery/storage feasibility, site conditions |
| Money | One supplier's package offer | Installation, recurring charges, repair, replacement, financing and contractual terms |
| Capacity | Cooks know existing equipment | Training needs, locally available qualified service and spare parts |
| Responsibility | Program manager prepares the inquiry | Who authorizes technical work, signs supply terms and pays future costs |
Do not convert reported facts into verified measurements. Date the cook discussion and label the road statement as a report. Bring existing utility records and equipment documentation where available through permitted channels. Avoid sending identifiable household information when a task description is sufficient.
Send Questions That Permit a Useful Answer
The resulting fictional brief asks: "Which feasible configurations could meet our actual meal schedule? What site and supply information must you verify? Which safety, ventilation, storage, electrical or fire requirements and local approvals apply? What conditions would rule out each option? Who can maintain it locally, and what happens during a supply interruption?"
It also asks for the scope and limits of the specialist's work: what will be inspected, which assumptions remain, what documents will be supplied and which other qualified roles must be involved. A vendor's willingness to sell is not independent confirmation of suitability.
Treat an Unresolved Critical Condition as a Decision Point
Suppose the offered package depends on an electrical condition the team cannot verify. The useful outcome is a scoped site-assessment request and a paused equipment selection. It is not a guessed capacity figure. If road interruption could remove every fuel supplier at once, adding a second supplier on the same route may not provide continuity. Ask about a genuinely feasible fallback rather than promising uninterrupted meals.
Use the continuing-cost comparison after the technical service assumptions are explicit. Real installation, operation and emergency procedures require responsible local owners and qualified advice. This fictional handoff is not engineering approval.
Sources and Scope
WFP's May 2022 report, printed pages 15, 17 and 20, supports considering the wider service environment. UNHCR's January 2024 Rwanda case, pages 1-2, describes a local needs/market assessment. Consulted October 29, 2026; neither supplies Hillside's technical answers.