A practical architecture for decisions, handoffs, and accountability across a solar project's life.
Four stages. Six decision gates. Clear owners at every step. Use it to shape a portfolio, prepare an investment committee, or run a project review that actually decides something.
Get It. Fund It. Build It. Run It. represent the main stages of a project lifecycle.
Six decision gates
Shape the Opportunity. Secure Project Viability. Commit Capital. Contract and Build. Energize and Hand Over. Operate and Optimize. These gates provide the governance and decision-level definition inside those stages.
02
How to Use the Framework
STEP 1
Locate the project
Use Get It, Fund It, Build It, or Run It to identify the lifecycle stage.
STEP 2
Identify the gate
Select the decision gate that best describes what must move forward.
STEP 3
Frame the decision
Use the decision-gate grid to identify the supporting actions, critical decision, components, desired outcome, and reality check.
STEP 4
Assemble the team
Use the function matrix to see who decides, who feeds the decision, and who challenges it.
STEP 5
Prepare the decision
Use the Decision-Pack Prompt Toolkit to build the decision pack, test the evidence, and record the outcome.
03
The Four Lifecycle Stages
Where are we in the lifecycle? Every project sits in one of four stages.
Select a stage to highlight the decision gates it contains. Selecting again clears the highlight.
04
The Six Decision Gates
What decision allows us to move forward? Six decision gates provide the governance and decision-level definition inside the four stages.
1
SHAPE THE OPPORTUNITY
Get It
2
SECURE PROJECT VIABILITY
Get It
3
COMMIT CAPITAL
Fund It
4
CONTRACT AND BUILD
Build It
5
ENERGIZE AND HAND OVER
Build It
6
OPERATE AND OPTIMIZE
Run It
05
Decision-Gate Detail
For each gate: the supporting actions, the critical decision, what must be true, what good looks like, and what could make it fail.
1
Shape the Opportunity
GET IT
SUPPORTING ACTION(S)
Find It
CRITICAL DECISION
Where should we play, and which opportunities deserve development resources?
CRITICAL COMPONENTS
Market attractiveness, customer need, solar resource, policy support, competitive position, initial site thesis, and commercial potential
DESIRED OUTCOME
A prioritized opportunity thesis with explicit reasons to pursue, test, or reject it
REALITY CHECK
False demand signals, weak market comparisons, outdated policy assumptions, or unsupported customer conclusions could create an attractive story without a viable opportunity
2
Secure Project Viability
GET IT
SUPPORTING ACTION(S)
Secure It
Prove It
CRITICAL DECISION
Do we control a project that can realistically be permitted, interconnected, contracted, and financed?
CRITICAL COMPONENTS
Site control, title and access, interconnection, permitting, environmental constraints, community acceptance, preliminary design, schedule, offtake path, and development economics
DESIRED OUTCOME
A bankable development path with no unresolved fatal flaw and accountable plans for every material dependency
REALITY CHECK
Missed parcel constraints, superseded grid studies, incomplete agency requirements, or understated stakeholder opposition could make a promising opportunity appear investable
3
Commit Capital
FUND IT
SUPPORTING ACTION(S)
Underwrite It
Structure It
Close It
CRITICAL DECISION
Is the risk-adjusted investment financeable on acceptable terms, and should capital be committed?
CRITICAL COMPONENTS
Financial model, downside cases, offtake and material contracts, tax and incentives, insurance, technical and legal diligence, debt and equity structure, risk tolerance, and closing conditions
DESIRED OUTCOME
Investment approval, committed capital, defined conditions, executed financing documents, and authority to proceed
REALITY CHECK
Inconsistent model versions, false precision, omitted obligations, double-counted incentives, or weak downside scenarios could turn a financial model into unsupported confidence
4
Contract and Build
BUILD IT
SUPPORTING ACTION(S)
Buy It
Construct It
CRITICAL DECISION
Can we execute the contracted project safely, on time, on budget, and to specification?
CRITICAL COMPONENTS
EPC strategy, equipment and supply chain, design control, construction plan, HSEQ, critical path, contractor performance, interfaces, cost control, change governance, and builder's-risk protection
DESIRED OUTCOME
An executable delivery plan, controlled baselines, approved changes, recovery actions, and an evidence-based forecast to completion
REALITY CHECK
Inflated progress, outdated drawings, incomparable bids, hidden dependencies, or schedule pressure overriding controls could produce apparent progress without reliable delivery
5
Energize and Hand Over
BUILD IT
SUPPORTING ACTION(S)
Commission It
CRITICAL DECISION
Is the plant ready to energize, accept, and transfer to operations?
A go/no-go decision, commercial operation approval, accepted handover, owned exceptions, and an operating-readiness record
REALITY CHECK
Premature acceptance, incomplete testing, missing turnover records, unresolved cyber defects, or waived contractual leverage could transfer a physical plant that is not yet an operable business asset
6
Operate and Optimize
RUN IT
SUPPORTING ACTION(S)
Operate It
Optimize It
Renew It
CRITICAL DECISION
Are we converting the operating asset into durable cash flow and portfolio value, and what should happen next?
CRITICAL COMPONENTS
Production, availability, maintenance, HSEQ, PPA compliance, market exposure, warranties and claims, operating costs, lifecycle capital, refinancing, recontracting, repowering, sale, and retirement options
DESIRED OUTCOME
An operating action plan, value forecast, risk response, lifecycle investment decision, and next-value-cycle recommendation
REALITY CHECK
Bad telemetry, incorrect baselines, missed contract rights, confused causality, or short-term optimization could damage lifecycle performance and portfolio value
06
Critical Handoffs
Each handoff names the transfer and the minimum evidence that must move with it.
Get It→Fund It
The development team transfers from a promising opportunity to an investable project.
MINIMUM EVIDENCE
site control
permitting path
interconnection position
preliminary design
offtake strategy
financial model
risk register
and accountable milestone plan
Fund It→Build It
The financing and investment teams transfer from a financial model to executable authority.
MINIMUM EVIDENCE
approved capital
executed material contracts
financing conditions
insurance placement
tax and incentive position
notice-to-proceed authority
and controlled baselines
Build It→Run It
The construction team transfers an operable business asset, not merely a completed physical plant.
MINIMUM EVIDENCE
commissioning results
utility approval
performance tests
SCADA and cybersecurity readiness
training
warranties
spares
turnover documents
punch-list ownership
and accepted commercial conditions
07
Function-to-Lifecycle Relationship Matrix
Who decides, who feeds the decision, and who challenges it — function by function, gate by gate.
OOwner— decision owner or principal accountable function.
CContributor— core contributor to the decision.
AAssurance— assurance, advisory, or challenge function.
—Limited— episodic or limited involvement.
Function
Get It — Gate 1Shape
Get It — Gate 2Secure
Fund It — Gate 3Commit
Build It — Gate 4Contract & Build
Build It — Gate 5Energize & Hand Over
Run It — Gate 6Operate & Optimize
Market and Growth
Strategy & Corporate Development
O
C
C
A
A
C
Marketing
C
A
—
—
—
A
Sales
O
C
A
—
—
—
Energy Markets & Power Marketing
O
C
C
A
A
O
Develop and Deliver
Project Development & Permitting
C
O
C
C
A
—
Land & Real Estate
A
O
C
A
A
A
Technical Engineering
A
C
C
C
O
C
Procurement & Supply Chain
—
A
C
O
C
A
Construction & EPC Management
—
A
A
O
O
A
Asset Management & O&M
—
A
A
A
C
O
Capital, Governance, and Protection
Finance
C
C
O
C
C
C
Legal
A
C
C
C
C
C
Risk Management
A
C
C
C
C
C
Insurance
A
C
C
C
C
C
HSEQ
A
C
A
O
O
C
Enterprise Enablement
Data Science
C
A
C
A
A
C
IT & Cybersecurity
A
A
A
C
C
C
People & Human Resources
A
A
A
C
C
C
Communications
C
C
A
A
C
A
Government Affairs & Regulatory Policy
C
C
A
A
A
C
Business Operations
A
A
C
C
C
C
Program Management Office (PMO)
A
C
C
C
C
C
Functions follow a primary operating-role sequence: Market and Growth; Develop and Deliver; Capital, Governance, and Protection; and Enterprise Enablement. The matrix shows concentration of responsibility, not organizational reporting lines or exclusivity: functions may span multiple lifecycle stages, and multiple owners may appear where gates contain different accountable decisions.
08
Lifecycle-Wide Capabilities
Capabilities that must run continuously across every stage.
Govern the decision
Program Management Office, Legal, Finance, delegated authority, stage-gate governance, and decision records
Protect the value
Risk Management, Insurance, HSEQ, compliance, resilience, and cybersecurity
Prove the evidence
Data Science, Technical Engineering, source lineage, version control, assumption management, and uncertainty
Mobilize the organization
Business Operations, People and Human Resources, Communications, stakeholder management, and executive sponsorship
09
Decision-Pack Prompt Toolkit
Copy either block into your working tool. Fill in project details before you run it.
You are preparing a decision pack for a solar developer.
Decision context
- Lifecycle stage: [Get It / Fund It / Build It / Run It]
- Decision gate: [Gate 1 through Gate 6 and gate name]
- Meeting: [meeting name and cadence]
- Audience: [people in the room or readers of the pack]
- Decision authority: [person or committee authorized to decide]
Critical evidence
- Input 1: [source, document, or system]
- Input 2: [source, document, or system]
- Input 3: [source, document, or system]
Decisions required
1. [decision the meeting must make]
2. [decision the meeting must make]
3. [decision the meeting must make]
Desired output
- [executive summary, decision memorandum, risk report, slides, talking points, or action plan]
Decision integrity requirements
- Cite the source, owner, version, and as-of date for every material fact.
- Separate verified facts from assumptions, estimates, and judgment.
- Identify conflicting evidence, missing information, uncertainty, and unresolved dependencies.
- Do not fabricate project facts, stakeholder positions, approvals, or financial conclusions.
- Assign every action and condition to a named owner with a due date and escalation path.
- Record the decision, approver, date, rationale, conditions, and next gate.
Required response
1. Executive summary
2. Critical evidence table
3. Decision table with recommendation and rationale
4. Assumptions, uncertainty, and missing-information register
5. Reality check and downside implications
6. Actions, owners, due dates, and escalations
7. Decision record and next lifecycle gate
COMPLETED EXAMPLE
Decision Gate: Commit Capital
You are preparing the Thursday Project Investment Committee decision pack for a solar developer.
Decision context
- Lifecycle stage: Fund It
- Decision gate: Gate 3 — Commit Capital
- Meeting: Project Investment Committee — Thursday
- Audience: Executive leadership, development, finance, legal, engineering, tax, insurance, and risk management
- Decision authority: Project Investment Committee
Critical evidence
- Latest approved project financial model, including version, owner, and as-of date
- Material contract and financing-term summary, including unresolved deviations
- Integrated technical, legal, insurance, tax, permitting, and project-risk register
Decisions required
1. Whether to commit the next stage of project capital
2. Which conditions must be satisfied before funding or notice to proceed
3. Which downside risks require mitigation, contractual protection, contingency, or explicit acceptance
Desired output
- Investment memorandum, sensitivity summary, decision table, approval conditions, action register, and decision record
Apply every Decision Integrity Checklist requirement. Flag missing or conflicting evidence. Do not infer approval, stakeholder intent, or financial certainty that the sources do not support.
10
Department Scenario Libraries
22 departments across 4 function groups. 138 meeting-pack scenarios. Every scenario is copyable.
REUSABLE EXERCISE FORMAT
The six fields on every scenario
THE MEETING
The meeting name and the day of the week it occurs.
THE AUDIENCE
Who is in the room or reads the pack, and what they decide from it.
TOP THREE INPUTS
Three data sources, documents, or systems used to prepare the meeting.
TOP THREE DECISIONS
Three decisions the meeting makes to drive work forward.
THE OUTPUT
What is taken into the meeting, such as slides, a report, or key talking points.
THE REALITY CHECK
What could go wrong if incorrect data is used or preparation is rushed.
11
Decision Integrity Checklist
Run this before every gate meeting. If any control cannot be answered, the pack is not ready.
Control
Required manifestation in the decision pack
Test before the meeting
Source lineage
Each material fact names its source, link or location, owner, and as-of date
Can a reviewer trace the statement back to evidence?
Version control
The pack identifies the model, contract, design, schedule, policy, and data version used
Are all decision-makers reviewing the same current version?
Assumption register
Verified facts are separated from assumptions, estimates, and judgment; material assumptions have owners
Which conclusion changes if an assumption fails?
Uncertainty
Ranges, confidence, conflicting evidence, missing information, and unresolved dependencies are visible
Does the recommendation communicate what remains unknown?
Named ownership
Every action, condition, and escalation has an owner and due date
Is anyone accountable for closing each open item?
Decision record
The decision, approver, date, rationale, conditions, dissent, and next gate are captured
Could someone reconstruct why the decision was made six months later?