8 The DACS First Look: start with one day
The proposed starting point is deliberately limited to: one material business decision, the people responsible for it, available supporting information, and the single Day One exercise. The goal is an actionable management finding before any deeper commitment is agreed to.
DAY ONE DELIVERABLE
Identify the decision and its boundaries; inspect available records; document what is supported, missing, or uncertain; record applicable initial results and any accountability control (Gate) outcome actually supported; and recommend whether to stop, correct issues independently, or continue.
Every additional day requires a useful prior-day result and a fresh stop, remediate, or continue decision. The standard First Look ends after no more than five business days. Stopping early can still mean a successful outcome.
|
If continued |
Business question and potential activity |
|---|---|
|
Day 2 |
Are the measures and entities defined correctly for this decision? Evaluate relevant definitions, identity, source, and authority requirements. |
|
Day 3 |
Are assumptions, business conditions, relationships, approvals, and AI use appropriate? Evaluate only the applicable requirements. |
|
Day 4 |
Can important issues be corrected and reassessed within the agreed scope? Preserve unresolved conditions explicitly. |
|
Day 5 |
What has been established, what remains restricted or unresolved, and what should management do next? Complete applicable records and recommendation. |
These are possible activities, not automatically authorized work or mandatory stages. Technical methods, assessment forms, and task assignments belong in the First Look Pilot Kit.