FG-0704 Decision Records
Description
Document significant decisions with their context, rationale, alternatives considered, and expected consequences. Decisions without documented rationale become mysterious over time: the team knows what was decided but not why, making it impossible to evaluate whether the decision is still appropriate. Decision Records preserve the thinking behind choices so they can be revisited intelligently.
Implementation
Create a decision record template with: Context (the situation that required a decision), Decision (what was decided), Rationale (why this option was chosen), Alternatives (what else was considered and why it was rejected), Consequences (expected outcomes). Record decisions when they're made, not after the fact. Store in the project history system or institutional memory repository.
Success Indicators
- Past decisions can be understood and evaluated with full context
- The team can distinguish between decisions that should be revisited and those that remain sound
- Decision patterns are identifiable across the project history
- New team members understand both the current state and how it came to be
Failure Modes
- Recording decisions after the fact: rationale is reconstructed, not captured
- Recording only the decision without alternatives: can't evaluate the choice
- Decision records not findable when needed
- Treating all decisions equally: trivial decisions documented with same rigor as critical ones