Stage 4 of 5 · Produces decisions, and the tools that follow
Build only what belongs
For each possible use of AI, you weigh the good it does, what it might cost in trust, whether the charter allows it and whether you are ready. Then you decide, and build only what you decided.
What you’ll have
Riverbend Youth & Family · sample
| Possible use | Mission value | Human and trust cost | Charter fit | Ready? | What it requires | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft grant report narratives | High: frees program staff for families | Low if a person signs every report | Allowed, with review | Context ready · staff in week 3 | A workflow and an agent | Pursue carefullyA named person signs each report |
| Summarize program survey responses | Medium | Low | Allowed | Ready | A feature we already have | Solve simplyNo new tool needed |
| Draft donor thank-you notes | Medium | Donors may feel less known | Not yet covered | Donor data kept out | A configuration | DeferUntil the charter covers donor data |
| Answer parent questions automatically after hours | Some: faster answers | High: families may believe a person answered | Conflicts with our Statement | Not assessed | An agent | RefuseWritten into the charter as a refusal |
| Tool | Draws on | May do | Answers for it | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant report drafting assistant | Program curriculum, the grant reporting map, past reports | Draft narratives for a person to edit and sign. Never sends. | Program director | First review March 2027 |
| Survey summaries | The survey tool you already use | Summarize responses for internal use | Evaluation lead | With each survey |
Only what was decided gets built. Each tool shows what it draws on, what it may do and who answers for it.
How it goes
- 1List the possible uses, from your people, your context and what formation surfaced.
- 2Weigh each one for mission value, human and trust cost, charter fit, context readiness and capability readiness.
- 3Name what it requires, from a feature you already have to a custom application.
- 4Decide: pursue, pursue carefully, solve simply, defer or refuse. Refusals are written into the charter.
- 5Build what you decided to pursue, with its sources, its limits and the person who answers for it written down before it runs.