A decision was made verbally and is now disputed. What should we do?
Missing decision evidenceReconstruct the facts from available evidence and seek confirmation from the authorized participants. Record the current agreed decision without fabricating a past approval trail.
What to do now
- Collect contemporaneous notes and messages
- Clarify each participant's understanding
- Obtain an explicit authorized resolution
- Record the decision and its effective date
When to escalate
Escalate when
The dispute affects material commitments or legal responsibilities.
Who decides
The sponsor or formally delegated governance body
Example
A verbal scope direction is confirmed in writing before the supplier receives a formal instruction.
Mistake to avoid
Backdating a decision record to conceal missing confirmation.
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 manage decisions between governance meetings?Missing out-of-cycle decision route
- The sponsor is unavailable when we need approval. What should we establish?Unavailable decision authority
- The customer verbally accepts delivery but will not sign. How should I close?Ambiguous acceptance evidence
- The architecture decision is disputed months later. What record would help?Missing technical decision rationale