1. Decision context
Initiative: What project is being reviewed?
Sponsor: Who has decision authority?
Decision: Fund, pilot, scale, repair or redesign?
Date: When was the decision made?
Governance memory
Decision Journal Template
2. Evidence used
Readiness score, top risks, top priorities, stakeholder input, workflow evidence, data readiness, adoption risks and business case assumptions.
3. Assumptions
What must be true for this decision to be right? Include operational, clinical, financial, adoption and technical assumptions.
4. Risks and mitigations
What could make this decision fail? Who owns each mitigation? When will risk be reviewed again?
5. Success criteria
What evidence will prove the next stage worked? Define baseline, target, owner and review cadence.
6. Review date
When will leadership revisit the decision? What would trigger stop, continue, scale, repair or redesign?
Stage gates
Use the journal at every governance gate
Before funding: Document the problem, sponsor, readiness gaps and assumptions.
Before pilot: Confirm workflow, owners, adoption plan, KPIs and risk mitigations.
Before scale: Review pilot evidence, user adoption, benefits, risks and operating model readiness.
Before repair or redesign: Record what failed, why it failed, what must change and who owns recovery.
Operating system link
Where this fits
The Decision Journal sits after the readiness assessment and before implementation. It converts a score into a leadership record that can be reviewed later.