During the briefing process, clients are required to make a myriad of decisions that will shape the project. At the start of the project, almost anything is possible, but with each decision the project becomes more concrete and delineated.The nature and complexity of decisions change over the course of the project. In the beginning, decisions will concern the projects overall scope and objectives. For example, on what kind of educational concept should the design of a new school be based? A traditional classroom concept, or a more flexible concept in which pupils make use of a variety of learning settings? And what level of ambition is there for the buildings architectural quality? Should it be an expressive masterpiece or will a modest building suffice?As the project progresses, briefing decisions will become of a more practical nature. Staying with the example of a school project: what kind of sports facilities should there be? What kinds of specialty classrooms are needed? How much bicycle storage is required? Decisions of an even more operational nature will concern the fit-out aspects of spaces, such as the number of power sockets or storage cabinets in a room. Some of these decisions may seem to verge on the trivial, but the design team needs decisions on all sorts of small, practical issues so as to know what to design.As explained in the previous section, there are likely to be various stakeholders involved in a project and they will all want to influence the decision-making process. To avoid endless debates, it is advisable to create a clear decision-making structure that sets out who will be consulted, on what matters and in what phase, and who will have the final say on decisions (usually this is a project board or steering committee. See also Organization, page 121). Furthermore, the decision-making process can be improved by underpinning it with data. If a school board must decide about the future capacity of their building, for example, it will be useful to have detailed information about the schools growth rate, demographic developments in the local area and the financial consequences of building a larger school. Gathering such data will help people make better, more objective decisions although internal politics and subjectivity can never be entirely eliminated.Recommendations-Draw up a plan for the formal decision-making process, defining what needs to be decided, at what stage, and how decisions will be taken.-Make sure that decision makers are familiar with all the options and all the pros and cons of the decisions they are required to take.-Consult stakeholders before taking decisions to achieve buy-in and commitment for decisions. -Make sure that decisions are made by the people who have the authority and knowledge to do so.-Take sufficient time for decision-making. Sluggish decision-making slows down the project, but rapid decision-making can prevent an adequate exploration of alternatives.