Decision
A choice with its context, the options considered and its consequences, kept so nobody has to guess later.
What it is
A decision record (often called an ADR, architecture decision record) captures a choice that shapes later work: the situation, what was decided, what else was considered and what follows from it.
Why it matters
Code shows what was done, never why. Six months later the reasons are what everyone needs — to keep a choice, or to change it safely — and they are exactly what gets lost.
What goes wrong without it
- The same discussion is held again every few months.
- Someone "fixes" a deliberate choice because nobody knew it was deliberate.
- Newcomers cannot tell a principle from an accident.
What it gives an AI agent
Agents are the newcomer who never stops arriving. Without decisions, an agent will reopen settled questions — swap the library, change the pattern — in good faith. Accepted decisions tell it what is settled and why.
Example: Clinic Booking
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| We use the calendar API. | Use the clinics' calendar API directly rather than a nightly sync. Context: double bookings with a copy. Consequence: we must handle API rate limits. |
How it relates to the rest
- Often explains a technical requirement or a constraint.
- Accepting a risk needs an accepted decision.
- A decision can waive a standard for one project. See decision vs standard.
In Corpole
- Type Decision (DEC). Statuses: Proposed, Accepted, Rejected, Superseded; only Accepted binds.
- Agents propose decisions (
propose_decision); people accept them.