Create a decision record when a choice changes company policy, product boundaries, public commitments, architecture, data ownership, security posture, compatibility, licensing, or long-term operational cost.
Routine implementation within an accepted direction belongs in version history and reports. Do not create a decision record for every edit.
Required fields
- Identifier and concise title.
- Status: proposed, accepted, superseded, rejected, or retired.
- Date, accountable owner, and named decider.
- Scope and context.
- The decision stated as a testable boundary.
- Rationale and evidence.
- Material alternatives considered.
- Positive and negative consequences.
- Review trigger and supersession links where applicable.
Provenance
Rei is the public author and current final decision authority. When another person becomes an owner or decider, record that person accurately. Never infer historical authorship or approval from an undated file. A legacy choice may be labelled legacy and reaffirmed on a known date; its original provenance must remain unknown if evidence is absent.
Use the public decision template and keep the decision index current in the same change.