[DSRP Evidence](https://dsrpevidence.org/)

# Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing (SAST)

Barabba V, Mitroff I, 2023, Journal of Systems Thinking 3(1):1-9 — Business & Management

Patterns: [Perspectives](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/perspectives)

## In short

Describes Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing, a method for bringing the assumptions behind important decisions into the open and testing them.

## What they found (results)

SAST works when its conditions for successful use are met; the chapter outlines those conditions and illustrates the method through examples.

## What they set out to do (purpose)

A chapter describing Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing — a method for surfacing and critiquing the assumptions underlying important decisions.

## Abstract

This chapter describes a particular method—Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing or SAST--for surfacing and critiquing the critical assumptions that underlie all important actions and decisions. It not only describes it via several examples, but outlines the conditions necessary for its successful use.

These researchers were not testing DSRP. The finding is theirs; the correspondence to DSRP is drawn by this site.

[Source](https://doi.org/10.54120/jost.0000016)