Decisions

The validation workflow freezes the submitted application revision and routes it to an independent reviewer. The review record names that revision, its reviewer, a Pending, Approved, Returned or Rejected decision, the decision date and the reason. The reviewer must be independent of the person preparing the case. The pending decision names the exact source revision and reviewer. They read requirement outcomes and evidence before choosing Approved, Returned or Rejected. A reason on a returned or rejected decision tells the operator what to address.

• Prepare the case. An operator validates a submitted application after its requirements and evidence are checked. The reviewer receives a pending decision for that source revision. If something needs correction, the reviewer records Returned with a reason; after the operator changes the application, the successor revision goes through review again.
• Keep a named owner. The reviewer compares the pending decision’s source revision with the application revision and records a reason when sending work back.
• Preserve the trace. The earlier decision remains readable when a successor revision goes for review.

Agree who can review each organization’s applications and how independence is checked. Decide what a useful reason must contain for Returned or Rejected decisions. A change to the application after review should start a new revision rather than silently changing the record on which the approval was based. Agree which reviewers can act for each organization and how staff check independence from preparation. A Returned or Rejected reason should identify the specific requirement or document needing work. Test a changed application whose old review record still points to an earlier revision.

Open a verified application and its pending review record. Compare the source revision with the case revision and confirm that the reviewer is a different person from the preparer. Record the decision and inspect the state history. A later correction should leave the original decision readable. Give the reviewer a Verified application and its Pending decision. Ask them to compare source revision, requirement outcomes and verified evidence before deciding. On a Returned result, ask the operator to explain the next action using only the recorded reason.

• Pending Review Decisions — Find decisions waiting for the assigned reviewer.
• Verified Applications — Check the application revision and owner beside the review record.

See application review for the first decision and decision to delivery for approved work.