Ask these questions and you will both sound like a consultant, and really serve as one. It's the question children ask most, for a reason. They ask it in a chain back to the root; It puts everything in context. It will help the person you ask this question
The answer should be narrow enough to help you start working.
Example: Problem: Police are using 10-codes and that's confusing. "Officer down" code in one jurisdiction is "Loud party" in another. "We need a guide for the actual practitioners to use plain language so that they have a new protocol to follow that's interoperable"
-Explain how to implement plain language -easy-to-read -universal approach, -easy to distribute
Lot's of projects get hung up on some pet important issue (e.g., security, bandwidth... ) "so that..." will show they don't trace to the scope.
Outlines, drafts Can you send someone to the store for "food" or would you be more comfortable asking for bread and milk. Do you need to ask for whole or skim?
Asking this question is a powerful tool to shut down detours
Case study: ROPP states weren't sharing data ROW-B RSIT demo: never interviewed officers smoke generator interview at the TSOC?.