gh-xj/rd-decide

rd-decide: Decision Finalization

Incorporate challenge feedback and finalize the D-NNN decision file.

When To Use

• Dispatched after rd-challenge completes successfully
• Final worker in the research-decision chain: gather → deliberate → challenge → decide

Input

• Draft decision from rd-deliberate: synthesis/decisions/drafts/D-NNN-draft.md
• Challenge critique from rd-challenge: analysis/critiques/decisions/D-NNN-critique.md

Output

• Finalized decision: synthesis/decisions/D-NNN-slug.md
• Status recommendation emitted for dispatcher (per Amendment 1)

Responsibilities

1. Address BLOCKERs: Every BLOCKER from the critique must be resolved — modify the decision, strengthen evidence, or change the conclusion. If a BLOCKER cannot be resolved, emit status-recommendation: blocked
2. Acknowledge WARNINGs: Add acknowledgment of each WARNING to the Risks & Open Questions section. Explain why the decision proceeds despite the concern
3. Incorporate OBSERVATIONs: Apply improvements where they strengthen the decision, note those skipped
4. Finalize D-NNN: Write the final decision file to synthesis/decisions/D-NNN-slug.md with status proposed
5. Emit status recommendation: Emit status-recommendation: proposed — the dispatcher writes the status to the D-NNN frontmatter (workers never update frontmatter directly per Amendment 1)
6. Human review required: The decision is proposed, not accepted. A human must review and approve the transition to accepted
7. Traceability chain: Ensure the finalized decision file clearly shows the Q-NNN → F-NNN → D-NNN traceability chain so design choices can be traced back to source evidence

Finalized Decision Format

Same as the draft format from rd-deliberate, with these additions:

## Traceability Chain
| Research Question | Finding | Decision |
|-------------------|---------|----------|
| Q-NNN             | F-NNN   | D-NNN    |

## Challenge Response

| Issue | Severity | Resolution |
|-------|----------|------------|
| [issue from critique] | BLOCKER | [how resolved] |
| [issue from critique] | WARNING | [acknowledged in Risks section] |
| [issue from critique] | OBSERVATION | [applied / skipped with reason] |

Self-Check (Level 1 Self-Correction)

Before completing, verify:

• [ ] Every BLOCKER from the critique has a documented resolution
• [ ] Every WARNING is acknowledged in Risks & Open Questions
• [ ] Final decision does not contradict existing accepted decisions
• [ ] Status is proposed (never accepted — that requires human review)
• [ ] Evidence chain is complete (every claim has a source)
• [ ] Traceability chain table is present (Q-NNN → F-NNN → D-NNN)

Max 2 self-correction iterations. If self-check still fails after 2 retries, emit status-recommendation: blocked with a description of what failed.

Failure Path

If BLOCKERs cannot be resolved with available evidence:

• Emit status-recommendation: blocked with description of unresolvable issues
• Dispatcher keeps D-NNN status unchanged
• Case remains open for human intervention, additional research, or re-deliberation