How do we preserve an audit trail when decisions change?
Destructive decision updatesAppend the new decision with its reason and authority while retaining the earlier record. Readers should be able to understand what was known and authorized at each point in time.
What to do now
- Identify the superseded decision
- Record new evidence and rationale
- Link the authorized replacement decision
- Preserve dates, actors, and affected commitments
When to escalate
Escalate when
History is being altered to conceal unauthorized activity.
Who decides
The sponsor or formally delegated governance body
Example
A changed milestone date links to the original approval and the later authorized revision.
Mistake to avoid
Editing the old record so it appears the new decision was always intended.
Prevent a repeat
Review overdue decisions and confirm that decision makers have the authority and evidence they need.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Approvals
- Documents
- Projects
Attach the decision brief and evidence to a configured approval route only after confirming the actual authority and delegation rules. See the platform
Related cases
- How do we prevent conflicts of interest in project decisions?Unmanaged decision conflict
- How do we manage decisions between governance meetings?Missing out-of-cycle decision route
- Our team updates status only before review meetings. What should change?Reporting-driven record maintenance
- How can we preserve documentation without slowing iterative work?Documentation proportionality