Constraint
A condition the current plan must respect, such as a fixed date or a maximum amount of available work time. If a condition changes, name who authorized it and what is now different.
Capacity
The resource actually available for the work. In the practice cases, capacity is expressed in hours. An optimistic tone or an unapproved helper does not increase it.
Scope
The work and outcomes included in an agreement. A scope change should identify both the addition and any removal, deferral or additional authorized resources.
Decision authority
The ability to confirm a particular change. Different people may own dates, budgets, acceptance or document edits. Being involved in a project does not automatically grant all those permissions.
Acceptance criteria
The conditions a receiver will use to decide that a deliverable is usable or complete enough for the agreed purpose. Make the criteria observable, such as a named file, a tested path or an acknowledged handoff.
Handoff
A transfer of work that lets the next person understand what is ready, what remains open, where the current artifact lives and what action they own. Sending a file by itself may leave those questions unanswered.
Counterfactual replay
A fictional comparison in which one stated condition changes while the other facts stay fixed. It helps explain which assumptions support a decision; it does not predict another person’s future response.
Credit repair
Correcting a shared description of contributions using a verifiable record. Repairing the source and confirming that the relevant audience sees it are different from changing only a private copy.
Fieldnote
A short practice record: the original assumption, the new constraint, the changed action and what remains unknown. It can stay private. It is not an employee assessment.