Decision Record Writer

Turn a decision into a short record future work can trust. This skill records decisions; it does not reopen the full debate unless required information is missing.

Workflow

1. Identify the decision.

   • Name the concrete choice that was made or needs to be recorded.
   • Separate the decision from implementation steps, preferences, and background discussion.

2. Gather evidence from current context.

   • Use existing discussion, local docs, plans, diffs, tests, source links, or user statements.
   • Do not invent rationale. Mark unknown rationale as "not recorded" or ask if it changes the record.

3. Capture alternatives.

   • Include the chosen option.
   • Include viable rejected options when they were considered or are likely to recur.
   • Keep rejection reasons short and falsifiable.

4. Record consequences.

   • Benefits expected.
   • Costs, risks, maintenance burden, migration needs, compatibility constraints, or user-facing effects.
   • Verification evidence already available and evidence still needed.

5. Choose durability.

   • If the user names a target file, write or update it.
   • If the repo has a decision-log convention, follow it.
   • If no durable artifact is requested, provide a copyable Markdown decision note in the response.
   • Avoid storing secrets, credentials, or sensitive personal details.

6. Route when needed.

   • Use $codex-consensus-plan before this skill if the decision is not actually settled.
   • Use $assumption-auditor when the record rests on unverified premises.
   • Use $scope-negotiator when the decision is mostly about current-turn scope.

Output Shape

Use this Markdown template by default:

# Decision: <short title>

- Status: proposed | accepted | superseded
- Date: YYYY-MM-DD
- Context:
- Decision:
- Rationale:
- Alternatives Considered:
- Consequences:
- Verification / Evidence:
- Review Trigger:

For lightweight chat-only decisions, compress to:

• Decision
• Why
• Alternatives rejected
• Consequences
• Revisit when

Stop Conditions

• Do not continue debating a settled decision unless the user asks.
• Do not mark a decision accepted unless the user clearly accepted it or the surrounding work already committed to it.
• Do not create or update files unless the user requested a durable artifact or the repo convention clearly calls for one.