Decision and issue logs

Two numbered lists. The decision log records what was decided, by whom, what else was considered, and where the decision is written down, so that six weeks later nobody argues about it. The issue log records what you saw that did not look right, whom you raised it with, and what happened, with a clear column for whether it needs a professional's eyes. The discipline behind them is taught in Module 9 (decisions and changes) and Module 10 (observing, documenting, and asking good questions).

Decision log

A decision belongs here if someone could later ask "who said we were doing that?" Selections, substitutions, sequencing choices, accepted delays, anything that costs money or time. The "options considered" column is the one people skip and the one that matters most in hindsight: it shows the decision was made, not drifted into. "Recorded where" points to the document that makes it binding (a change order number, a signed selection sheet, an email with a date); a decision that is only in this log is not yet recorded.

Issue log

An issue is something you observed that did not match the drawings, the contract, or your expectation, or that you simply did not understand. Raising it is not accusing anyone; it is asking. The "needs professional review" column is the boundary built into the sheet: when what you saw is a question of structure, code, drainage, or anything in the designer's or engineer's scope, the answer comes from them (often as a written request for information, an RFI), not from you and not from the trade on site. The "photo ref" column should point to a file name in your photo folders (tool 10) with a tape in the frame if dimensions matter.

How to use the logs

• Number everything (D-01, I-01) and never reuse a number. Refer to the numbers in emails and meeting notes.
• Raise issues the same day, in writing, with the photo. "I noticed the drain at the north wall is about a foot from where the plan shows it; can you tell me what I am looking at?" is a complete, respectful issue.
• Separate observing from deciding. If the response to an issue proposes a change ("we will just move the vanity"), that is a decision for the decision log and probably a change order, and if it touches the designer's or engineer's scope, it waits for their answer.
• Close issues with a resolved date and what resolved them: an RFI answer, a corrected installation you saw, an inspection that passed, a signed change. "They said it is fine" is not a resolution; "engineer's email of 10/24 confirms the notch is within their detail, copied to the contractor" is.
• Escalate deliberately. "Escalated" means you took the issue above the person you first raised it with: to the contractor's principal, the designer, or the building department. Note whom, and when.
• Both sheets download as CSV; export the whole binder from the binder page regularly, since this page is saved only in this browser.