A decision provenance dossier connects one choice to dated alternatives, constraints, source evidence, implementation, later outcomes, superseding decisions, contradictions, and open questions. Every interpretive statement should remain distinguishable from the record that supports it.
Use a ledger before writing a narrative
Create one row for each source with its date, author or speaker, system, stable link, relevant excerpt, and relationship to the decision. Tag the row as proposal, constraint, evidence, approval, implementation, outcome, contradiction, or supersession. This prevents a polished memo from hiding that several claims came from one retrospective interview while the contemporary record says something narrower.
The chronology should distinguish decision time from record time. A design may be discussed in March, partially implemented in April, made mandatory in June, and documented in August. Keep those dates separate. Add version identifiers for code, documents, prices, and outside market evidence so a later reader can tell which facts were available at each point.
Make unresolved questions part of the deliverable
A supersession graph shows which later choice replaced, narrowed, or depended on the original decision. A contradiction ledger shows claims that cannot both be true, the sources behind them, and whether the conflict affects the current review. Neither artifact should settle a disagreement by tone; both should make the buyer's next verification step obvious.
End with options and safe-change questions rather than a disguised directive. State the dependencies that would be touched, assumptions that must be retested, evidence still missing, and a bounded experiment if one is available. The buyer can then bring the dossier into architecture review without treating the preparer as the owner of the decision.
Where the service stops
Reality Contact, LLC reconstructs and organizes the available record, but does not determine legal liability, perform M&A diligence, value a company, resolve personnel disputes, or make the buyer's architecture or management decision. The buyer verifies sensitive facts and source access, chooses which unresolved questions require stakeholder review, and owns any decision to preserve, reverse, or retest the prior choice. This is technical research and document preparation; it does not replace legal, financial, investment, employment, M&A, compliance, or management advice. The dossier reflects the supplied record, labels inference and missing evidence, and does not establish motive, fault, approval, or the correct decision.
Sources: AWS guidance on ADR contents and lifecycle; Martin Fowler on architecture decision records.