The Decisions tab is the project's design authority log: every architecture, configuration and process decision, with the reasons behind it and who approved it. Open it from the project menu: RAID, then Decisions. The page is called Design authority decisions.
What it's for
A written decision stops the same debate happening twice. Months later, anyone can see what was decided, why, what else was considered and what it affects. Four cards sit at the top: Total decisions, Approved, Pending (proposed or under review) and Rejected.
Before you start
Before you record a decision
- Your role can create decisions
- You have a title and a description of what was decided
- You know its category, such as Architecture, Configuration or Integration
- If it needs approval: the approver is a project member with an account
How to record a decision
- Start a new decision
On the Decisions tab select Add decision.
- Describe it
Enter a Title, Description and Category. These three are required. Add the Workstream if it helps.
- Record the outcome
Set the Status, the Decision date and Decided by (a person or a committee). You can pick the Source meeting.
- Explain it
Fill in Rationale, Alternatives considered and Impact assessment. You can also link Affected WRICEF objects and Linked risks.
- Save
Select Save decision. The app gives it an ID such as ABC-DA-007.
The statuses are Proposed, Under review, Approved, Rejected, Deferred and Superseded. If you choose Superseded, you must pick the newer decision that replaces it in Superseded by.
How to ask for approval
Once a decision is saved, its drawer shows an Approval panel. It reads No approval requested until someone asks.
- Choose the approver
Under Ask someone to approve it, pick a project member from the list. Only members who have accepted their invitation are listed.
- Send the request
Select Ask for approval. The decision moves to Under review and the panel shows Waiting for the approver's name.
- The approver decides
The approver sees the request in their approvals on Home and in the decision itself. They can add a comment, then choose Approve, Reject or Request changes.
- See the outcome
Approve sets the decision to Approved and Reject sets it to Rejected. Request changes leaves it Under review so it can be revised and sent again with Ask again, or ask someone else.
When nobody is named, a person whose role can approve decisions (see below) can approve, reject or request changes directly in the panel. Every outcome, with its comment and date, is written to the audit log and shown in the panel.
Good to know
- Approvals waiting for you are listed on Home. See Approvals inbox.
- Decisions added while writing up a meeting are linked to it and saved as Approved. See Meetings and minutes.
- Change requests use the same approval panel. See Change requests.
- Decisions made in the last two weeks appear in status reports under Key decisions.
- Decisions and approvals are part of every plan, including Team.
Who can do this
Admins, project managers, functional leads, technical leads and the module roles (test manager, data migration lead, cutover manager, training lead, change manager) can create and edit decisions, and so can name an approver. Admins, project managers and executive sponsors can approve when nobody is named. Anyone named as the approver can decide. Only admins and project managers can delete a decision. See Roles and permissions.