document-a-decision-owner

name	document-a-decision-owner
category	start
description	Document a decision owner with scope, authority, inputs, consulted parties, deadline, escalation, conflicts, record, and review. Use when accountability is unclear across several stakeholders.

document-a-decision-owner

When to use

• Use for a named consequential decision, not general project responsibility.
• Do not assign authority someone does not legally or operationally hold.

Procedure

1. State the exact decision, nondecision, deadline, and consequence.
2. Identify accountable authority, delegate, alternate, and conflict or recusal.
3. Define required evidence, consultation, approval, and affected people.
4. Record options, constraints, escalation, and stop conditions.
5. Define how decision, rationale, dissent, actions, and review will be recorded.
6. Confirm understanding with owner and key participants.

Failure plan

• Escalate when authority conflicts or no legitimate owner can accept the consequence.

Worked example

A product-safety recall has one executive owner, a conflicted alternate removed, and named regulatory inputs.

Done

• A decision-owner record lists decision, scope, authority, alternate, evidence, consultation, deadline, escalation, and review
• Authority, conflict, delegate, stakeholder, evidence, deadline, confirmation, and record checks verify accountability