decision-gate

A decision gate in workflow governance is an explicit approval checkpoint for resolving multi-option blockers before consequential work proceeds. It is needed when tasks involve architecture choices, change scopes, or policy settings requiring a durable record with rationale and timestamps.

You create a structured decision record by providing task context to surface blocker decisions, proposing concrete options with downstream impacts, and capturing selection criteria. The resulting artifact includes rationale, sources, timestamp, and remaining blockers to guide future work.

Yes, you can use decision records to manage policy settings and scope changes. The gate applies to any task where several viable options exist and an explicit approval is required, capturing the full decision context to govern consequential project mutations.

The best way to capture rationale and trade-offs is through a structured decision artifact that proposes concrete options, evaluates downstream impacts, records selection criteria, and persists timestamps with remaining blockers to ensure durable workflow governance.

You should not use a formal decision gate for blockers that lack multiple viable options or do not involve consequential mutations. It is designed for complex scope, architecture, or policy decisions requiring explicit approval and a persistent record, not routine task resolution.