Decision vs standard
A decision settles one question with its reasons. A standard is a rule for all work of a kind.
In short
A decision records a specific choice, its context and consequences. A standard is a general rule for how work is done, often across every project.
Side by side
| Decision | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | One question, one project | All work of a kind, often account-wide |
| Written as | Context, choice, consequences | A rule, with rationale and examples |
| Who writes | Proposed by anyone, including agents; accepted by people | People |
| Exception | — | An accepted decision can waive it for one project |
How to tell them apart
- If it answers "which option did we pick here, and why?", it is a decision.
- If it answers "how do we always do this?", it is a standard.
- If a project needs to break a standard, write a decision that waives it.
Example: Clinic Booking
Decision: "Use the calendar API directly, not a nightly sync."
Standard: "Every request that reads patient data writes an access log entry."
Why the difference matters to an agent
Standards reach every agent session in every project; decisions reach the work they govern. Keeping them apart stops a one-off project choice from leaking into every project, and stops an account-wide rule from being quietly overridden in one.