Decision record template
Fields for the decision, the decider, the options ruled out, the dissent, the review date, and the review owner.
Decision log with dissent
Record each consequential decision with its decider, the dissent, the options ruled out, and a review date, so the people it affects and later reviewers can see why it was made.
- 1 Evidence
- 2 Authority
- 3 Decision acts here
- 4 Consequence
- 5 Challenge
- 6 Reconsideration
- 7 Correction
Where it acts
At Decision, one of the seven stages every consequential decision passes through. It records what was decided, who decided, and who dissented, at the moment of deciding.
Steps
Put the mechanism in motion
3 steps, in order. Check each one off as it is done; the records below show the work was done.
0 of 3 steps complete
Records this mechanism keeps
What a team running this mechanism keeps, and what each record is for.
Plain-language summary
One paragraph saying what was decided and why, written for the person the decision affects.
Review calendar entry
The review date, its owner, and the evidence the review will check.
Reuse-ready snippets
Copy policy, audit, and incident language
Use these snippets in requirements, audits, and postmortems with the mechanism permalink.
Policy requirement
Policy requirement (MEC-01 Decision log with dissent) - Log every high-stakes change with its decider, the options ruled out, any dissent, and a review date with a named owner. - Keep the log in the system of record, and link each entry from the audit and incident records that rely on it. Reference: https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/decision-log
Product requirement
Product requirement (MEC-01) - The receipt for each high-stakes automated decision carries the ID of the log entry for the rule it applied. - The person decided about can reach a plain-language summary of that entry within two clicks of the outcome.
Audit evidence checklist
Audit evidence checklist (MEC-01) [ ] Each entry names the decider, the dissent or its recorded absence, and a review date. [ ] Each entry has a plain-language summary that can be shared outside the team. [ ] Reviews were held on their dates, and each one recorded an outcome.
Postmortem trigger
Postmortem trigger (MEC-01) Trigger review when a high-stakes change ships without a log entry or a dissent record, or when a review date passes with no review held.
How it plays out
A benefits agency logs its decision to delay an automated renewal tool. The entry records two options ruled out and a dissent from the call-center lead: error rates on Spanish-language forms were never tested. The deputy director owns a review in six weeks, and the tool's appeal page links to the entry.
Anti-patterns
Common failure cases and counterfactuals
Each case passes on paper and fails in operation. The counterfactual shows what would have worked.
Logs without dissent
The log records what was decided but not the options ruled out or who objected, so a later reviewer cannot tell what was weighed.
Counterfactual: Each entry records the options ruled out, the dissent, and a dated review with an owner.
Exception: An entry with no dissent is complete when it shows dissent was asked for and none was given.
Reasons kept in private documents
The reasoning sits in a private document or chat thread, so the people affected and later reviewers cannot find it.
Counterfactual: The entry lives in the system of record, and each receipt links to it.
Exception: Personal or security-sensitive details can be redacted, as long as the entry ID and the decision itself stay referenceable.
Diagnostics for this mechanism
Tools that size the risk this mechanism addresses.
Diagnostic
Delegation audit
Walks a team through one workflow against six questions and returns an exposure score, the permissions nobody can justify, and whether its decisions can be undone. Start here when the system keeps no decision records yet; use the record conformance checker once it does.
Cite this page · v1.2.1 · updated Oct 6, 2026 · CC BY-SA 4.0
APA
Ethotechnics Institute. (2026). Decision log with dissent (MEC-01). Ethotechnics Institute. https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/decision-log
MLA
Ethotechnics Institute. "Decision log with dissent (MEC-01)." Ethotechnics Institute, 2026, https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/decision-log.
Chicago
Ethotechnics Institute. "Decision log with dissent (MEC-01)." Ethotechnics Institute. Oct 6, 2026. https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/decision-log.
BibTeX
@misc{mechanism_decision-log,
title={Decision log with dissent (MEC-01)},
author={Ethotechnics Institute},
year={2026},
howpublished={Ethotechnics Institute},
url={https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/decision-log},
version={v1.2.1}
}
RIS
TY - WEB TI - Decision log with dissent (MEC-01) AU - Ethotechnics Institute PY - 2026 UR - https://ethotechnics.org/mechanisms/patterns/decision-log ER -