Command & Control

Mission Goal

Run a formal Mission Governance Board with a rotating chair. You will review mission readiness, approve (or reject) changes, and record decisions in a way that future teams can understand. This is about judgement, responsibility, and credible decision-making under ambiguity.

Why it matters

At the highest level, Command & Control is not “doing tasks” — it is governance: choosing what to do, what not to do, and what evidence is enough to proceed safely. This is what real mission boards do before launch.

Inputs from other teams

• All teams: readiness evidence (tests, logs, photos), and any requested changes.
• Risk/Safety viewpoint: hazards, mitigations, stop rules, and any open safety concerns.
• Comms & Data: proof the mission can communicate and record/validate data.
• Platform/Integration: proof the full stack works together (not just separately).

What you must produce (deliverables)

• Board Pack (max 2 pages): mission summary, readiness status, open issues, decision options.
• Decision Log: at least 6 decisions with rationale and evidence cited.
• Change Control: one change request form + board decision (approved/declined/deferred).
• Go/No-Go Statement signed by the rotating chair (name + date).

Step-by-step

1. Appoint the rotating chair: the chair runs the meeting and rotates next session.
2. Assemble the board pack: one person compiles evidence; keep it short and scannable.
3. Set the agenda: (1) Safety first, (2) Readiness evidence, (3) Open issues, (4) Change requests, (5) Decision.
4. Define “evidence bar”: what counts as proof for go/no-go today (e.g., successful integrated test + logs).
5. Run the board: each team gets 2 minutes to present their evidence and top risk.
6. Handle change control: consider one change request using: benefit, cost, new risks, test plan.
7. Decide: Go / No-Go / Go-with-constraints (and list constraints).
8. Record decisions: decision log must include rationale + cited evidence.
9. Handover: chair writes a 5-line summary for the next chair.

Success criteria

• The board reaches a decision that is evidence-based, not opinion-based.
• Safety is discussed first and has real power (stop rules respected).
• Change requests are handled with discipline: benefit, risk, and test plan.
• Your decision log is clear enough that another class could understand “why we chose this”.

Evidence checklist

• Board pack (2 pages max).
• Decision log (6+ decisions).
• One completed change request + outcome.
• Go/No-Go statement signed by chair.
• Handover note for next chair.

Safety & ethics

• Board culture: rigorous but respectful. Challenge evidence, not people.
• Never approve a change that increases hazard without new mitigations and a test plan.
• Truthful reporting: if evidence is missing, say so and decide accordingly.
• Protect participants: no pressure to proceed if someone feels unsafe.

Common failure modes

• Board theatre: a meeting that “rubber-stamps” without scrutiny.
• Evidence-free decisions: deciding based on confidence, not proof.
• Safety last: treating safety as a footnote rather than a gate.
• Change chaos: untracked changes that break integration.
• No handover: governance resets each session and lessons are lost.

Stretch goals

• Add a constraints-based Go: “Go, but only if X and Y are true.”
• Add a red team: one person argues “No-Go” and must be answered with evidence.
• Create a “mission constitution”: 6 rules your programme will follow every time.