- Published
- 8 October 2026
- Last reviewed
- 8 October 2026
How to use these FAQs
Clarify decision authority, consultation and follow-up before a small team commits to work.
Select a question to expand its answer. The first answer is open initially; each answer can be opened or closed independently. These are original RDE practical explanations. Any example described as fictional is a teaching scenario.
Common questions
Who should own a decision?
Identify the person or body with authority for that type of decision under the organisation’s arrangements. The person preparing the options is not automatically the approver. For a fictional supplier change, the project lead may recommend an option while a budget holder approves the spend. Make the boundary explicit before work begins.
Does consulting someone make them accountable?
No. Consultation provides information or advice; accountability concerns responsibility for the relevant outcome or decision. A technical specialist can advise without authorising a purchase. Record who contributes, who decides and who must be informed. Use your organisation’s definitions where they differ, rather than expecting one diagram to resolve every responsibility.
What belongs in a decision record?
Record the question, date, authorised decision maker, selected option and reason. Include the important evidence, assumptions and follow-up actions. A brief record can be enough for a small decision if it is clear and retrievable. Avoid recording only “approved” when a future reader would not know what was approved or under which conditions.
What if nobody has clear authority?
Pause commitments that depend on the unresolved authority and ask the appropriate sponsor or manager to clarify the route. Explain what decision is blocked and its timing implications. Do not treat silence as approval. If urgent work has an established emergency process, follow that process and record the action instead of inventing a new approval rule.
When should a decision be revisited?
Revisit it when material information changes, an assumption fails or an agreed review point arrives. Record why reconsideration is needed and which parts of the earlier decision remain valid. For a fictional service launch, a changed dependency might affect timing without invalidating the whole plan. Avoid reopening settled choices merely because a new participant prefers a different option.
How much governance is enough?
Use controls proportionate to the work and follow mandatory organisational requirements. A small internal task may need a clear owner and a short decision record; a higher-risk commitment may need formal review. Consider impact, authority and reversibility. Extra meetings are not proof of effective governance if nobody can identify the decision or act on it.
Put one answer into practice
Choose the question closest to your current task. Write one action in your own notes, identify the information or permission you need and set a review point. Use the related resources below to develop the task further. No response is submitted or stored by this page.
Sources and scope
The sources below provide relevant context and terminology. The examples, practical suggestions and wording are original RDE teaching material. Apply your organisation’s policies and the guidance relevant to your situation. Reviewed 8 October 2026. Author: Jefferson Otonbara Imgbi.
Cover image: AI-generated illustrative scene created specifically for this resource.