METHOD & STANDARDS
/Method fails when it is treated as documentation after the fact. Teams collect, report, and brief— but the path to the conclusion is not repeatable, ownership is unclear, and the record cannot withstand scrutiny.
A defensible path from question to decision.
Method exists to govern action. Every meaningful claim carries provenance. Every decision has an owner. Every escalation has a threshold. Documentation is not narrative— it is the record of how judgment was formed.
The standard is simple: if it cannot be defended under review, it is not complete.
Scope of Method
Evidence without governance produces false confidence.
Collection is not the objective. The objective is decision integrity: verified information, disciplined language, and a documented path that makes accountability possible.
When outcomes carry consequence, method must control bias, control escalation, and preserve an evidentiary trail suitable for executive, legal, or regulatory scrutiny.
Provenance Discipline
Every claim carries an evidentiary path.
Sources are handled as inputs, not conclusions. Key judgments are tied to what was observed, where it came from, how it was handled, and what assumptions remain.
Method prevents narrative drift by forcing the record to answer the same questions every time: what changed, what it means, what is unknown, and who owns the next decision.
Confidence & Language
We do not borrow certainty from tone.
Confidence is stated explicitly, and it is earned. Language is controlled so that readers can distinguish between observed fact, analytic judgment, and inference.
When confidence is limited, we state limits. When assumptions are required, we enumerate them. If we cannot do that, we do not claim the conclusion.
Chain of Custody
Handling controls determine whether evidence survives contact with review.
Evidence handling is structured so records can be relied upon later. Capture is time-bound, access is controlled, and material actions are logged. Redaction preserves structure while minimizing exposure.
The goal is auditability without theater: a clean record, minimal interpretation risk, and continuity across contributors.
Review Standard
If it cannot withstand challenge, it is not finished.
Key judgments are reviewed before delivery. Where consequence is high, conclusions are challenged intentionally, and alternative explanations are considered explicitly.
Method exists to prevent institutional self-deception: to reduce bias, reduce narrative drift, and ensure decisions move faster without losing accountability.