Keep It CLEAR: A Hands-On Framework for Data-Driven Survey Design

Session Description: Survey data is one of the most common ways L&D functions collect information — but the connection between the questions asked and the decisions made is often weaker than it appears. There's an opportunity to strengthen that connection, and it starts with how survey questions are designed.

This Discovery session introduces the CLEAR framework (Contextual, Limited, Explicit, Actionable, Relevant) as a practical lens for evaluating and improving survey instruments. Participants will move through a guided application process: first examining what makes a survey question produce data that can actually drive a decision, then applying the framework to real examples and their own instruments (optional).

The session opens with an experience before an explanation — participants take a poorly designed survey, then discuss what each question actually produces and why. This introduces CLEAR as a diagnostic tool grounded in something they just felt firsthand. From there, participants work individually and with peers to apply the framework, identify common problems (vague scales, double-barreled questions, missing context), and revise questions in real time.

Participants will leave with:

• The ability to identify survey questions that produce interesting data versus decision-driving data — and understand why the difference matters
• Skill in applying the CLEAR framework to diagnose and strengthen survey questions for specificity and actionability
• Practice distinguishing satisfaction data from data that informs strategic L&D decisions
• A reusable CLEAR reference tool to apply back at work immediately