Build your decision log.
Keep decisions, assumptions and revisit triggers easy to find later.
How to build your decision log
Describe the job
Keep decisions, assumptions and revisit triggers easy to find later.
Review the first version
Choose how the project coordinator records the decision and how the workstream owner reviews the next step.
Refine the views
Ask First to adjust the fields and views for the people who will use the app.
Test before sharing
Walk through the process with a sample record and check who owns the next action.
A decision log example
A project chooses a weekly manual import instead of immediate integration.
Decision log example
- Record
- Decision log · 01
- Owner
- Project coordinator
Current stage · Project coordinator
Open the decision
A project chooses a weekly manual import instead of immediate integration.
Read the full walkthrough
Open the decision
A project chooses a weekly manual import instead of immediate integration.
- Record:
- Decision log · 01
- Owner:
- Project coordinator
Review the revisit trigger
Preserve the reasoning and a revisit trigger of three missed imports so a later reviewer understands the tradeoff.
- Stage:
- Awaiting workstream owner review
- Owner:
- Workstream owner
Record the reason for the manual import and the event that should reopen the decision
Record the reason for the manual import and the event that should reopen the decision.
- Next action:
- Record the reason for the manual import and the event that should reopen the decision.
- Owner:
- Project manager
What to include in your decision log
Keep the decision in context
Keep decision, options, assumptions, decision owner, date and revisit trigger together so the next person can understand the request or record.
When the next step needs a decision
A project chooses a weekly manual import instead of immediate integration. Preserve the reasoning and a revisit trigger of three missed imports so a later reviewer understands the tradeoff.
Keep revisit trigger visible
Record the reason for the manual import and the event that should reopen the decision.
Choose what each person needs
Give the project coordinator a working view and the workstream owner a review view. Keep decision and options attached to the decision as the work moves between them.
Questions about decision log
Start with decision, options, assumptions, decision owner, date and revisit trigger. Describe who enters the information and who reviews the next step.