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Decision Memo

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Type
Document
Price
Free
Pages
7 · US Letter
Style
Corporate
Difficulty
Beginner
Updated
November 4, 2026

Every page (7)

Overview

A decision stalls when the reader has to dig for the recommendation, or cannot see what the alternatives were. This memo puts the answer and the deadline on page one, then sets out the context, the options with a scored comparison, the risks and trade-offs, and a decision box with named approvers. It doubles as a record for the decision log, so a reviewer can see why the choice was made.

The sample follows a fictional firm, Bramblewood Partners, deciding whether to replace its ageing billing system. It includes the cost of doing nothing, equal-weight scoring with the method stated, reversibility ratings and a revisit date. Replace the options, figures, names and dates with your own, and keep doing nothing as an option.

Useful for

  • A managing partner is asked to approve a six-figure system replacement within two weeks
  • An architecture or policy team needs a written record of options considered and why one was chosen
  • A finance lead presents three costed alternatives and wants the decision logged with a review date

What's included

  • Page 1: the recommendation, three headline figures and four reasons, with the decision deadline
  • Page 2: the context, the cost of doing nothing and how the options were chosen
  • Page 3: options compared on cost, time and running cost, then scored 1 to 5 with totals
  • Page 4: risks and trade-offs in a table with a risk map and reversibility ratings
  • Pages 5 and 6: the decision sought, a summary, a sign-off box and next steps with owners
  • Page 7: a short guide to replacing the sample content

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Rewrite the first two lines of page 1 as your recommendation and the date you need a decision by.

  3. 3

    Replace the options with your real alternatives, add doing nothing, and update the scores on page 3.

  4. 4

    Edit the risks, consequences, approvers and next steps, then add the decision and a revisit date to your log.

  5. 5

    Delete the guide page, then share the document or present it.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

How do I score options fairly?

Pick three to five criteria, score each option from 1 to 5, and say in a note whether the criteria are weighted. The sample uses equal weights.

Why include a do nothing option?

Because it has a cost too. Showing the yearly cost and risk of standing still lets the reader judge every other option against a real baseline.

Are the organisation and figures real?

No. Bramblewood Partners, the people and every figure are fictional and exist only to show a finished memo. Replace them with your own before sharing.

  • #decision-memo
  • #decision-log
  • #options-paper
  • #architecture-decision-record
  • #decision-matrix
  • #project-management
  • #google-docs

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