Entry condition: DR® complete
DR®
must be complete before DQ® begins
0
month annual retainer
0
formal governance touchpoints per year
0
governance instruments maintained continuously
Why DR® alone is insufficient
A single reset produces a decision governance architecture. DQ® keeps it operational.
DR® closes with a complete governance record for one decision. That record is defensible and board-ready. Without DQ®, the logic stays personal to the individuals involved and the next cycle starts without it.
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 decision governance standard built in DR® is no longer dependent on the individuals involved in building it. The institution owns it.
02
Every element of the governed decision class is reviewed, updated, and re-owned at each quarterly cycle. Drift is identified before it produces an outcome.
03
When the outcome of a governed decision is investigated, the sponsor holds a dated, signed governance record for each cycle it was made. Not one record. A continuous register.
04
The governance protocols defined in DR® are confirmed active at each quarterly review. The protocol cannot be bypassed informally without creating a documented record of the bypass.
05
The governance instruments produced in DR® are updated and recalibrated across each annual cycle. The sponsor does not return to the starting position after a triggering event.
06
At the end of each annual retainer cycle, the sponsor holds a documented assessment of whether the volume and complexity of governed decisions has reached the threshold that justifies DE® deployment.
Each outcome is documented, signed, and board-ready at each quarterly cycle. The register demonstrates a continuous governance record, not a single point-in-time assessment.
Governance instruments
Seven governance instruments. Maintained continuously.
DQ® does not produce a new instrument suite. It maintains and operates the seven instruments built in DR®. Each is updated at every quarterly review cycle, re-signed by the sponsor, and version-controlled as part of the continuous governance record. The instrument suite is discussed in detail under NDA.
01
Reviewed at each quarterly cycle. The rationale documented at DR® close-out is tested against what has changed in the operating environment since.
02
Every decision element is re-owned at each cycle. Owners confirm their position remains within the documented tolerance. Elements that have drifted are flagged before the next commitment is made.
03
Governance protocols are confirmed active. Any protocol that was bypassed in the preceding cycle is formally recorded. The standard is not treated as advisory.
04
The decision logic is re-tested against operating conditions that have changed since the previous cycle before the next commitment.
05
The commitment record from the preceding cycle is reviewed. What was known, what proved uncertain, and what was accepted is compared against the actual outcome.
06
Operated by the sponsor group independently between DecIQ® quarterly reviews. Any deviation from the standard during independent operation is recorded and reviewed at the next formal cycle.
07
Updated at each quarterly close-out. The governance standard as it stands at the end of each cycle is formally recorded, signed, and added to the continuous register.
The seven instruments are the same suite produced at DR® close-out. DQ® maintains them. It does not replace them.
Version control and re-signing at each cycle is not optional. It is what makes the record continuous.
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
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
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
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
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.
Sponsor profile
DQ® is for the sponsor who wants the governance to outlast the engagement.
The DQ® sponsor has experienced DR® produce a defensible decision record. They have seen the governance structure work and do not want its logic to remain personal to the individuals involved in building it. The institutional embed is the point.
Sponsor qualification criteria
01
Has completed DR® with DecIQ® and received the full governance instrument suite at close-out.
02
Has operated the governance structure under live conditions and confirmed it produced a defensible record.
03
Holds the same budget authority and personal exposure to the decision class that qualified them for DR®.
04
Has the organisational standing to embed the governance standard across the decision class.
05
Is prepared to sign and version-control the governance record at each quarterly cycle.
DR® vs DQ®
What changes after DQ®.
DR® produced a governance record for one recurring decision. DQ® converts that record into a continuously operating institutional standard. The difference is not one of scale. It is one of permanence.
After DR® only
One defensible decision record for one engagement period
Governance logic personal to the sponsor and the DecIQ® team
No formal review cadence after close-out
Governance drift unmonitored between engagements
Record does not update when conditions change
After DQ®
Continuous governance record across every quarterly cycle
Governance standard institutionalised and independent of individuals
Four formal review touchpoints per year with signed outputs
Governance drift identified and addressed before the next commitment
Record updated and re-signed at each cycle
When DQ® is not the right engagement
01
DQ® is not the right engagement for an operator that has not completed DR® with DecIQ®.
02
DQ® is not the right engagement where the sponsor does not intend to hold the decision class® across more than one full operating cycle.
03
DQ® is not the right engagement where the governance architecture has not been tested under live operating conditions within the current engagement cycle.
04
DQ® is not the right engagement where there is no named internal owner capable of running the governance cycle between quarterly reviews without DecIQ® facilitation.
05
DQ® is not the right engagement where the operating environment is sufficiently unstable that governance templates cannot be applied consistently between review points.
Commercial terms
Annual retainer. Fixed quarterly payments. No time-and-materials.
DQ® is a fixed-fee annual retainer with a 12-month initial term, structured as four quarterly payments. The fee is fixed at the point DR® concludes and does not vary with the number of decisions governed within the class. Commercial terms are discussed directly with the founding team and only with sponsors who have completed DR®. There are no variable scope extensions. The retainer renews annually at the close of the year-end review and covers defined deliverables per year: the institutionalisation phase and three quarterly governance reviews.
DQ® earns the right to be discussed only after DR® has delivered.
If you have not yet run DR®, that is where the conversation starts. The governance architecture DQ® operates is built there.
DQ® is not offered before a sponsor has seen DR® produce governance relief under live conditions. If DR® is complete, the DQ® conversation begins with the sponsor who ran it.
EngageStart with DR® - Stage One →See how DQ® fits the full sequence →Next in the sequence: DE® →Read the insights →