What it means
Incident decision logging records significant choices, authority, time, evidence, assumptions, alternatives, and expected consequences.
Why it matters
Decision records improve coordination during the incident and make later review fairer than relying on memory after the outcome is known.
Practical focus
- Record decisions close to the time they are made
- Identify who had authority
- Capture material assumptions and constraints
- Link decisions to actions and later outcomes
Common mistakes
- Logging every minor action but not major choices
- Editing old decisions without preserving history
- Using the log to assign blame
- Failing to protect sensitive legal or personnel information
Certification relevance
This subject appears in or supports the following certification bodies of knowledge: