Keep a decision log during a closure
- Reading time
- 2 minutes
- Last reviewed
A decision log is useful when it can answer a simple question: why are we doing this? It becomes less useful when it is a list of meeting dates with no clear decisions attached.
Give each entry a short reference. Record the decision, the authorised person, the date and the evidence used. Add the next action and any condition that would require the decision to be reviewed.
| Field | Fictional example |
|---|---|
| Decision | Keep the stores area available until the customer-property review is complete |
| Reason | Two customer items remain unconfirmed |
| Evidence | Current stores list and correspondence references |
| Action owner | Named business contact |
| Review trigger | Both ownership questions have documented answers |
| Affected work | Proposed disposal scope and access plan |
The example records a practical hold, not a legal determination of ownership. The actual answers still need the proper evidence and advice.
A note such as "stores delayed" would lose most of that meaning. Someone joining the project later might assume the delay was merely inconvenient and remove it from the plan.
Keep advice attached to its assumptions
If a decision relies on professional advice, identify the relevant record and the facts on which the advice depends. Do not copy a sentence into the log and discard its qualifications. Access to sensitive advice should remain appropriate to the people involved.
The adviser assumptions record deals with this in more detail. A change in ownership, financial position or timing may require the adviser to reconsider an earlier answer.
For ordinary operational decisions, evidence may be a checked completion date or a confirmed contractor scope. The log should point to it, rather than merely say "confirmed".
Do not rewrite history
When a decision changes, create a new entry explaining what it replaces. Keep the earlier entry visible as superseded. This is especially useful when a person remembers the old instruction and asks why the plan now differs.
The weekly closure review should consider decisions awaiting evidence and recent changes. It should not reopen every settled matter without a reason.
Keep minutes and the decision log connected but distinct. Minutes can record a discussion; the log makes the action and authority findable. The meeting guide explains how to leave a discussion with decisions that can be recorded accurately.
If a change affects sale scope or asset availability, give UK Auction Group the current instruction and the relevant change. There is no need to send the entire internal log. Send enough context to prevent an outdated assumption driving the disposal work.
Explore closure planning.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.