Strong, moderate, weak: How consensus scoring works

Every Decision Memo includes a consensus level: strong, moderate, or weak. This isn't a quality score — it's a confidence signal that tells you how to interpret the verdict.

Strong consensus: move with confidence

Strong consensus means all four advisors broadly agree on the recommendation. The panel is united. When this happens, you can generally move forward with confidence. The advisors may differ on implementation details, but the strategic direction is clear.

Moderate consensus: read the divergence map

Moderate consensus means most advisors agree, but there are meaningful divergences. This is the most common outcome for genuinely complex decisions. The verdict is still useful, but you should read the divergence map carefully — the disagreements often highlight the decision's key tension.

Weak consensus: the most valuable outcome

Weak consensus means the panel is divided. Significant disagreement exists. This might sound like a failure, but it's actually the most valuable outcome. A weak consensus tells you that this decision is genuinely contentious — reasonable perspectives exist on multiple sides. The divergence map becomes the most important part of the memo, showing you exactly where the fault lines are.

How the score is calculated

The consensus level is determined by the synthesis layer, which analyses all four responses for agreement and divergence patterns. It considers not just whether advisors reached the same conclusion, but whether their reasoning was compatible — two advisors can agree on a recommendation for completely different reasons, which is a weaker form of consensus than shared reasoning.

The key insight: don't optimise for strong consensus. Optimise for understanding. A weak consensus with a clear divergence map is more useful than a strong consensus that glosses over real tension.