A decision defines what the sponsor is prepared to authorize. Execution puts that decision into practice. Treating them as separate stages creates a point at which evidence, limits, and ownership can be made explicit.
The assessment produces comparable routes and a recommendation. Before action starts, the sponsor accepts the scope, the stop-loss, and the minimum criteria for proceeding. The Execution Mandate records that authority.
Rules of Engagement then govern the work: a single channel, concession rules, reporting, and a defined cadence. If the underlying assumptions change, the route returns for a decision rather than continuing by default.