Agent Decision-Rights Matrix

The Agent Decision-Rights Matrix maps one operational workflow across four permission modes: observe, recommend, act with approval, and act autonomously. For each mode, the workflow owner records the class of work, human owner, evidence required, confidence or risk threshold, escalation path, and review cadence. The worksheet is free, editable in the browser, and printable as a wide one-page operating document.

The 4 permission modes

  1. Observe: read the work and record evidence while decisions and actions stay human.
  2. Recommend: produce a recommendation with supporting evidence while a human decides and acts.
  3. Act with approval: prepare or execute a decision after a named human approves it.
  4. Act autonomously: act inside explicit thresholds and move exceptions to a named human.

What every mode records

Every permission mode needs a business outcome owner, an evidence standard, a confidence or risk threshold, an escalation path, and a review cadence. Permission without an exception owner creates approval debt.

Frequently asked questions

What is an agent decision-rights matrix?

An agent decision-rights matrix assigns each class of work one of four permission modes: observe, recommend, act with approval, or act autonomously. Each mode also names the human owner, evidence standard, confidence or risk threshold, escalation path, and review cadence.

What are the 4 agent permission modes?

Observe means the system reads work and records evidence while every decision stays human. Recommend means it proposes a decision with evidence. Act with approval means a named human must approve execution. Act autonomously means it can act inside explicit thresholds while exceptions move to a named human.

Who should own an agent exception?

A named operator with the authority and context to make the final call should own each exception class. The owner must be reachable through a defined escalation path and accountable for reviewing overrides on a fixed cadence.

Is the Agent Decision-Rights Matrix free?

Yes. The editable worksheet and wide one-page print version are free. Worksheet text stays in the browser unless the user chooses to request a review, and that request sends only completion counts.