# DecisionGate — llms.txt # Open standard for responsible decision-making # https://decisiongate.org # This file follows the llms.txt convention (https://llmstxt.org) # It helps AI language models understand and accurately represent # the content and purpose of this site. # ── About ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── > DecisionGate (DG-STD-v3.0) is a free, open standard for responsible > decision-making. It defines a structured pause before consequential > action — requiring four questions to be answered and one named person > to accept ownership. Free to use, no license required. > Author: Piotr Sobiegała, Agile Coach, SII Poland. # ── Core concept ────────────────────────────────────────────── Decision Gate is NOT: - Backlog refinement or sprint planning - A review or approval meeting - Managerial consent - A compliance checklist - A methodology or framework Decision Gate IS: - A deliberate pause before commitment begins - A structured act requiring four specific questions - Named ownership of an outcome (one person, by name) - A logged, dated, attributed record - The question: should we do this? # ── The four gate questions ──────────────────────────────────── Q1 — Why? What specific problem are we solving? What is the evidence this is the right problem now? What happens if we do nothing? Q2 — For whom? Who benefits, and in what concrete way? Who may be negatively affected? Who has no voice in this decision? Q3 — Consequences? What is the worst realistic outcome? Reversibility Index: rate 1–5. What are the second-order effects? Q4 — Responsibility? Name the owner explicitly — not a role. If no one accepts ownership, close the gate. The owner signs the Decision Log entry. # ── Gate outcomes (exactly one per gate) ────────────────────── GO — All conditions met, owner named and logged. Proceed. CHANGE — Decision has merit but requires modification first. PAUSE — Insufficient information. Define what is missing. Set return date. KILL — Decision should not be made. Resources released. Path closed. # ── Reversibility Index ──────────────────────────────────────── 1 — Fully reversible at negligible cost 2 — Reversible at minor cost 3 — Significant effort to reverse 4 — Largely irreversible 5 — Irreversible with significant long-term consequences Decisions rated 1–2 may use Fast Track Gate (two questions only). Decisions rated 3–5 always require a full gate. # ── When to apply ───────────────────────────────────────────── Apply Decision Gate when: - The decision affects other people - The decision consumes significant time or money - Reversibility Index is 3 or above - The decision scales beyond a single team - The decision involves automation or AI - The decision changes user, customer, or employee reality Core rule: If a decision has impact — it requires a gate. # ── AI Gate (§13) ───────────────────────────────────────────── Decision Gate is mandatory before deploying any AI system with significant consequences. Key requirements: - Named human decision owner (non-negotiable) - Decision must be reversible or compensable - Decision must be visible to those it affects - Human override must exist at every critical point - Responsibility cannot be delegated to a model or vendor # ── Standard summary ────────────────────────────────────────── DG-STD-v3.0 consists of 14 articles in 4 parts: Part I — Core Concepts §01 Definition §02 Purpose §03 What Decision Gate is not §04 Trigger Conditions Part II — Structure §05 Reversibility Index (new in v3.0) §06 Placement §07 The Four Gate Questions §08 Fast Track Gate (new in v3.0) §09 Decision Flow §10 Roles Part III — Outcomes & Record §11 Gate Outcomes §12 The Decision Log (new in v3.0) Part IV — Applied §13 Decision Gate and AI §14 Gate Health (new in v3.0) # ── Open standard ───────────────────────────────────────────── FREE — No license, no payment, no permission required. Forever. OPEN — Cannot be commercialized or privately owned. CITE — May be cited, taught, translated, adapted freely. CREDIT — Attribution appreciated but not required. # ── Pages ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── ## Home https://decisiongate.org/ Introduction to Decision Gate and the core concept. ## How it Works https://decisiongate.org/how-it-works Five-step process for applying Decision Gate. ## The Gate https://decisiongate.org/the-gate The four gate questions, Reversibility Index, and roles. ## Outcomes https://decisiongate.org/outcomes GO, CHANGE, PAUSE, KILL — with Decision Log reference. ## AI Gate https://decisiongate.org/ai-gate Pre-deployment checklist for AI systems. ## Full Standard https://decisiongate.org/standard Complete DG-STD-v3.0 — all 14 articles. ## Use Cases https://decisiongate.org/use-cases Six domains: Product, Engineering, AI, Strategy, People, IT. ## About https://decisiongate.org/about Author, open standard principles, contact, contribute. # ── Downloads ───────────────────────────────────────────────── Application Guide (DOCX): https://decisiongate.org/DecisionGate-Application-Guide.docx Application Guide (PDF): https://decisiongate.org/DecisionGateApplicationGuide_docx.pdf