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ADR Template

Version: 1.0.0

Status: Active

Owner: Rafael da Silva Guerra

Purpose

This is the template every Architecture Decision Record (ADR) in W7 follows. Copy this file, rename it NNNN-short-decision-title.md using the next sequential number, and fill in every section before merging.

Context

ADRs exist to answer one question for a future reader: why was this decided, given what was known at the time? A good ADR is honest about the alternatives that were rejected and why, not just the conclusion reached. It is written when the decision is made, never backfilled to justify a decision after the fact.

What Qualifies for an ADR

Per the Decision Framework: anything that changes a Foundation, Identity, Governance or Framework layer document, creates or retires an initiative, introduces a convention other initiatives will inherit, or is otherwise expensive to reverse.

Template

# ADR-NNNN: <Short, specific title>

Status: Proposed | Accepted | Superseded by ADR-XXXX | Deprecated

Date: YYYY-MM-DD

Owner: <name>

---

## Context

What situation made this decision necessary? What constraints applied?

## Decision

What was decided, stated as a plain sentence, not a question.

## Alternatives Considered

- Alternative A — why it was not chosen
- Alternative B — why it was not chosen
- Doing nothing — why that was not sufficient

## Consequences

What becomes easier because of this decision? What becomes harder or
is given up? What does this commit future initiatives to?

## Related

Links to the documents or ADRs this decision affects or depends on.

Lifecycle

An ADR is never edited to change its conclusion after it is Accepted. If circumstances change, a new ADR is written, marked Superseded by ADR-XXXX, and the old one is updated only to add that status line — its original reasoning stays intact as a historical record, per Knowledge Architecture.