Definition
Note: Standalone "Decision" is used loosely throughout AAOE documentation. The canonical, formally defined concept is the Architectural Decision (see the Architectural Decision Lifecycle), which is distinct from its record, the Architecture Decision Record. This entry is a candidate for future refinement to clarify when "Decision" is used generically versus as shorthand for Architectural Decision.
Provisionally: a Decision is the act of evaluating evidence and approving a direction — as opposed to the record of that act, which is an ADR.
Why It Matters
Distinguishing the decision (an act of governance) from its record (a persistent artifact) matters because it clarifies where authority actually originates: acceptance creates architectural authority, and publishing an ADR only records that authority afterward.
Related Concepts
- Architectural Decision Lifecycle
- Architecture Decision Record
- Governance
References
- GV-0001 — Architectural Decision Lifecycle
- ARCH-0004 — Governance Reference Architecture