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+ Methodological note: what PACFT is, and what it is not
PACFT is a teaching aid prepared by the author that gathers purpose, audience, context,
format, and tone. It helps you recall questions that recur in everyday prompting. It is not
an international standard, and it is not a substitute for source material, constraints, and

success criteria when a task demands higher precision.
P stands for purpose: why do we need the output? To inform, to explain, to support a
decision, or to prepare for a meeting. The purpose differs from the task. The task may be
“summarize”, while the purpose is “enable the manager to choose a course of action within

five minutes.”

A stands for audience: who will use the output, what is their level of knowledge, and what
do they need to do? Defining the audience prevents a specialist explanation being handed

to a general reader, or an introductory text being handed to a committee that needs
evidence.

C stands for context: what background, circumstances, and constraints make the request
specific to our case? Context is the information that has an effect, not the whole history of

the subject.

F stands for format: how will the output be delivered and used? The number of sections, the
order, the fields, the table, the length. A good format reduces reformatting and makes
review faster.

T stands for tone: how should the writing sound? Direct, objective, friendly, firm without

aggression, or instructional. The tone must serve the purpose and the audience rather than
becoming decoration detached from the task.

FIGURE 2-5: THE PACFT FRAMEWORK

What to notice: Use PACFT as a fast start, then add the task, the source material, the
constraints, and the criteria when they are needed.

Source: Prepared by the author.

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