Decision Log
There are many times over the course of a project that the project team or the sponsor will need to make decisions relating to the project. Often these decisions can change the course of the project. The decision log is a way for the project manager and the project team to document the decisions made to reduce the chances of a dispute arising from unknown decisions. Click Here for an example of a Decision Log. |
| Decision Log | Header Information |
| Number Column | Decision Being Made |
| Decision Status | Date of Decision |
| Comments |
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Over the course of a project lifecycle, there always seems to be one decision that is brought up and discussed at every meeting. Team members will often believe that the decision has been made, only to find the decision to resurface at the next meeting. The purpose of the decision log is to put a stake in the ground and document the decision so that the project team can move on to the business at hand. A decision log is handy to have in place, especially if new members join the team. Often new members bring new perspectives. With a decision log, the new team member can become familiar with the decisions that have been made, or see if recommendations would contradict previous team decisions. The decision log does not mean that a decision will never resurface over the course of a project. There are times that new risks or opportunities are introduced to a project and it causes the team to rethink previous decisions. The usefulness of the decision log allows the team to make sure that decisions are documented so that if they need to be revaluated, they are easy to identify. |
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At the top of the log you will see some basic information that you will need to provide about the project. This includes the project name, project manager and revision date. The revision date should be updated every time that there is a change to the log. There is no need to save previous copies of the log, as all information will be retained in the log. Once an decision is closed it is simply moved to the closed page for historical reference. |
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While the number column may seem unimportant, it is actually very important in remaining on track. The number column should increment by one each time an new item is added to the log. If there are gaps in the numbers, this will serve as a reminder that the log item has been resolved and moved to the closed item list on the second page. |
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This column is used to identify the decision that needs to be made. This needs to include detailed information about the decision so that a wise choice can be made. If possible, include the group that needs the decision and the time frame that a decision is needed if known. |
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There are times when a decision is needed, but the decision can not be made on the spot. The decision could need further study or comments from stakeholders not present during the discussion. It is for this reason that the decision may need to be placed in a status for the project team. The status options in the log are:
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The decision date should be the date that the team finally makes a decision and the status is changed to closed. While the decision is in a "To Be Made" or "Pending" status, the date can be included in the comments section. If the decision is needed so as not to impact the project, then the decision needed by date should be included in the Decision Being Made field. |
The comment section of the log should be used to document the decision outcome and any comments related to the decision or issue. This column can be used to log who made the decision and what impact the decision will have on the project. If there are any impacts that the decision causes, then the issues raised or risk identified should be referenced and the appropriate documents filled out as part of the project documentation. |