DQ® · Stage Two
Decision Quotient®
DQ® institutionalises the decision governance logic proven in DR®. It converts a single engagement deliverable into a continuously operating decision governance standard. It is available only after DR® has concluded and the sponsor has operated the governance structure under live conditions.
Entry condition: DR® must be complete. DQ® is not offered as a standalone engagement.
Why DR® alone is insufficient
A single reset produces a decision governance architecture. DQ® keeps it operational.
DR® produces a complete governance instrument suite for one decision cycle the sponsor has operated under live conditions. That suite is archived as institutional record. It holds permanently.
The question after the first cycle is not whether the architecture worked. It is what happens to the next commitment in the same class. Assumptions shift. Accountability moves. Thresholds drift. Without a maintenance structure, the organisation re-litigates what DR® already resolved. The sponsor re-carries exposure that DR® already structured.
DQ® is the maintenance structure. It keeps the architecture current across every subsequent cycle, embeds the governance logic into standard operating procedure, and produces a formal record for each new commitment in the class.
DR® builds it once. DQ® makes it permanent.
After DR® only
Governance logic exists in the DR® deliverable suite
Next cycle requires manual reapplication
Thresholds drift without formal recalibration
Decision record exists for one cycle only
Sponsor accountability depends on individual memory
After DQ®
Governance logic embedded in signed operating procedure
Each decision cycle runs under the established standard
Thresholds formally recalibrated when conditions change
Decisions accumulates as a continuous institutional record
Accountability is organisational, not dependent on any individual
What DQ® produces
Six outcomes. Continuously operating.
DQ® produces six documented outcomes across each retainer cycle. Each one addresses a specific source of ongoing exposure in the governed decision class. The detail behind each outcome is discussed under NDA.
01
The sponsor holds a formal, maintained governance record for the decision class throughout the retainer.
02
The sponsor holds a governance record that strengthens as the retainer progresses.
03
The sponsor holds a signed record at each stage a formal governance action is required.
04
The sponsor holds a complete record of governance conduct across the retainer.
05
The sponsor holds a documented record of every governance event and its formal resolution.
06
The sponsor holds a board-ready governance record produced at each formal stage of the retainer.
Governance instruments
Seven institutional governance instruments. Produced. Maintained.
DQ® produces a decision governance infrastructure, not a set of documents. Each instrument is maintained across the retainer period and board-ready at each formal stage. The instrument suite is discussed in detail under NDA.
01
Maintains the governance standard
02
Records decision quality and conduct
03
Documents the assumption basis
04
Records escalation events
05
Governs decision trigger conditions
06
Produces the board-level record
07
Assesses decision governance architecture performance
The sponsor gains a quarterly defensibility instrument.
The organisation gains a recurring decision governance signal in a format ready for board submission.
Institutional shift
What changes when DQ® is embedded.
Before DQ®
The governance instruments from DR® are complete and archived as institutional record for that decision cycle.
Governance logic requires manual reapplication at each new decision cycle.
Trigger point drift occurs between cycles without formal detection.
The decision standard depends on individual memory for consistent application.
No continuous decision record exists beyond the first governed cycle.
Board reporting is produced without a standing governance standard.
After DQ®
Trigger points and authority levels are maintained as standing institutional standards, not reset at each cycle.
Each decision cycle runs under the embedded governance standard without manual reapplication.
A continuous empirical decision record accumulates across every cycle.
Every escalation event is formally documented with its trigger condition and resolution.
A board-ready governance review is produced at each cycle to a consistent standard.
The year closes with a formal governance performance assessment across all governed decision classes.
DQ® · Annual cycle structure
One annual retainer. Four formal touchpoints. Continuous governance between them.
The sponsor's obligation is defined and bounded. Between formal sessions, the governance standard operates without DecIQ® involvement. The retainer renews annually.
Year One
01
Weeks 1–8
Embed
The governance standard established in DR® is embedded into the organisation's operating cycle. The sponsor participates in a defined handover programme. DecIQ® involvement concludes at week 8.
Sponsor present throughout
Annual cycle
02
Month 4
Review One
First formal governance review. The sponsor attends. The embedded standard is assessed against the decision cycles that have run since embedding. Adjustments are made where required.
One formal session
Annual cycle
03
Month 8
Review Two
Second formal governance review. The sponsor attends. The governance record to date is reviewed. The standard is confirmed or updated for the second half of the cycle.
One formal session
Annual cycle
04
Month 12
Review Three
Year-end formal governance review. The sponsor attends. The full-year governance record is reviewed. The retainer is confirmed for the following year. The cycle restarts.
One formal session
Sponsor obligation
Three formal review sessions per year. Each session has a defined agenda, a defined output, and a defined duration. The sponsor does not manage the governance standard between sessions. DecIQ® does.
Entry condition
DQ® is available only after DR® has been completed. The embed phase in Year One uses the governance architecture produced in that engagement. It cannot begin from a standing start.
DQ® earns the right to be discussed only after DR® has delivered.
DQ® is not offered before a sponsor has seen DR® produce governance relief under live conditions. If DR® has concluded and the first decision cycle has been operated under the governance architecture, the DQ® conversation is appropriate.
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