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Trevin Nimaladasa

TEMPLATESJIRA · DEC

Decision

A decision record with context, options considered, criteria, final decision and impacts.

Paste the blank into the ticket description and overwrite the [brackets].

  1. 01Summary

    Title it with what was decided, not what was discussed. Someone searching the log should find it.

    [Decision topic]: [chosen option]

    Example

    Preferred vendor for CRM implementation: Northwind Partners

  2. 02Context / Background

    Why a decision is needed now, what happens if it waits, and who asked. Keep it short enough for a latecomer to read.

    [What forced the decision.] If we wait, [consequence]. Raised by [name].

    Example

    The current CRM contract ends in June and the programme needs a delivery partner by January. Without a decision, the migration slips a quarter. Raised by the Head of Sales.

  3. 03Options Considered

    Include at least two real options, and "do nothing" if it was one. Describe each fairly, in a line or two.

    1. [Option A]: [one-line description]
2. [Option B]: [one-line description]
3. [Option C]: [one-line description]

    Example

    1. Northwind Partners: specialist CRM partner, fixed price
    2. Brightline: large integrator, time and materials
    3. In-house build team: no external partner

  4. 04Criteria Used

    List what mattered and how much. Agree the criteria before you score the options.

    - [Criterion], weight [%]

    Example

    • Fit to requirements, 35%
    • Total cost over three years, 25%
    • Delivery risk and references, 25%
    • Time to start, 15%

  5. 05Final Decision

    State the decision plainly, with who decided and when. Include the main reason in a line.

    **Decision:** [chosen option]. **Decided by:** [name / forum], [date]. **Because:** [main reason].

    Example

    Decision: appoint Northwind Partners. Decided by: steering group, 14 Nov. Because: best fit score (82 vs 71) at the lowest three-year cost.

  6. 06Impacts

    Say what this changes for budget, schedule, people and risk. Raise follow-up work as separate tickets.

    - Budget: [change]
- Schedule: [change]
- People / teams: [change]
- Risks: [change, link]

    Example

    • Budget: £420k fixed fee, within the approved envelope
    • Schedule: start 6 Jan, go-live 30 Jun
    • People / teams: two sales operations staff seconded part-time
    • Risks: single-supplier dependency (RSK-61)

  7. 07Acceptance Criteria

    Check the record is complete and agreed. It isn't about whether the decision was right.

    - [ ] Decision is documented with rationale.
- [ ] Decision is validated and agreed by relevant stakeholders.
- [ ] Decision is communicated to impacted parties.

    Example

    • Rationale and scoring attached.
    • Agreed by the steering group on 14 Nov.
    • Announced to Sales, IT and Procurement.

  8. 08Definition of Done (DoD)

    Done means logged, linked, with follow-ups created and people told.

    - [ ] Decision is logged in the agreed register or repository.
- [ ] Linked to related Jira tickets or documentation.
- [ ] Actions resulting from the decision are created as separate Jira items.
- [ ] Communication to stakeholders is completed.

    Example

    • Logged as DEC-14.
    • Linked to EPIC-41 and RSK-61.
    • Contract and kick-off tasks created.
    • Email sent to impacted teams on 15 Nov.