Decision authority verification and engagement boundary setting
A focused skill for verifying decision authority, setting engagement boundaries, and defining exit conditions.
MEMOLA-Governance answers:
Can this engagement be governed properly? Should we enter it?
Good strategy with bad governance produces nothing. This skill prevents governance failures.
MEMOLA requires all four to proceed:
Missing any one = do not proceed.
Who can approve strategic decisions, and can they actually do it?
Strong Authority (Proceed):
Weak Authority (Caution):
No Authority (Decline):
Ask directly:
What exactly are we doing, and what are we explicitly NOT doing?
Included (explicit list):
Excluded (explicit list):
Boundaries:
SCOPE: [Engagement Name]
INCLUDED:
- [Deliverable 1]: [Specification]
- [Deliverable 2]: [Specification]
EXCLUDED:
- [Item 1]: [Why excluded]
- [Item 2]: [Why excluded]
BOUNDARIES:
- Timeline: [Start] to [End]
- Budget: [Amount]
- Geography: [Limits]
- Authority: [What we can/cannot decide]
DEPENDENCIES (outside our control):
- [Dependency 1]: [Owner]
- [Dependency 2]: [Owner]
At engagement start:
During engagement:
Who is responsible for what, and do they accept that responsibility?
For each major deliverable/decision:
| Role | Responsible | Accountable | Consulted | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Name] | What they do | What they own | What they advise on | What they're told |
Client side:
MEMOLA side:
Confirm with each owner:
Document acceptances in writing.
Under what circumstances do we leave, and how do we leave cleanly?
Performance exits (we leave because of results):
Governance exits (we leave because of process):
Ethical exits (we leave because of values):
Strategic exits (we leave because of fit):
Graceful exit:
Immediate exit (ethical triggers only):
EXIT CONDITIONS: [Engagement Name]
PERFORMANCE TRIGGERS:
- If [metric] < [threshold] for [duration], exit
- If [objective] not achieved by [date], exit
GOVERNANCE TRIGGERS:
- If decision authority becomes unclear, exit
- If scope changes without agreement, exit
- If payment delayed > [days], pause then exit
ETHICAL TRIGGERS:
- If asked to [specific action], exit immediately
- If [misrepresentation] discovered, exit immediately
PROCESS:
- Notice period: [X days/weeks]
- Transition requirements: [List]
- Final deliverables: [List]
Issue one of:
GOVERNANCE CHECK: [Engagement/Entity Name]
Date: [Date]
DECISION AUTHORITY:
- Decision-maker: [Name/Role]
- Authority type: [Strong/Weak/None]
- Verification: [How confirmed]
- Concerns: [Any red flags]
SCOPE:
- Defined: [Yes/No/Partial]
- Documented: [Yes/No]
- Signed off: [Yes/No]
- Exclusions clear: [Yes/No]
OWNERSHIP:
- RACI completed: [Yes/No]
- Acceptances documented: [Yes/No]
- Gaps identified: [List]
EXIT CONDITIONS:
- Performance triggers: [Defined/Not defined]
- Governance triggers: [Defined/Not defined]
- Ethical triggers: [Defined/Not defined]
- Process documented: [Yes/No]
RULING: [CLEARED / CONDITIONAL / NOT CLEARED]
Conditions (if CONDITIONAL):
- [Condition 1]
- [Condition 2]
Reasons (if NOT CLEARED):
- [Reason 1]
- [Reason 2]
Project has nominal sponsor who never engages. Real decisions made by committee or not at all.
Detection: Sponsor doesn't attend key meetings, decisions get reversed, "checking with sponsor" never resolves.
Response: Require sponsor presence or decline.
Scope creeps through small additions until original engagement is unrecognizable.
Detection: "While you're at it..." requests, deliverables grow without budget growth.
Response: Rigorous scope documentation, change request process enforcement.
Everyone assumes someone else is responsible. Nothing gets owned.
Detection: Finger-pointing when things fail, unclear RACI, "I thought you were handling that."
Response: Written ownership acceptance before proceeding.
No exit conditions defined. Leaving damages relationship. Staying wastes resources.
Detection: Discomfort discussing exit scenarios, "we'll figure it out," relationship-based instead of contract-based.
Response: Exit conditions are non-negotiable entry requirement.
This skill supports Workflow 4: Governance Check in MEMOLA v2.0.0.
Prerequisites:
Outputs:
Governance check is required before any paid engagement.
MEMOLA governance requires refusing:
These are non-negotiable. No governance structure fixes these.
End of MEMOLA-Governance SKILL.md Version 1.0.0 — January 2026