PSSPerpetual Stewardship Systems

Operating toolkit · Version 1

Build the system behind the business.

Ten practical systems with workflows, responsibilities, records, and acceptance tests.

System 01

Purpose & decision rights

Keep purpose and authority clear when leaders change.

Accountable role
Governance steward
Review rhythm
Quarterly; before any protected decision
Starts when
A new business, material decision, or proposed change to its commitments.

Workflow

  1. Write the purpose, customer promise, worker commitments, and activities the business will refuse.
  2. List routine decisions, who may make them, spending limits, and required evidence. Leave unassigned decisions with a named human reviewer.
  3. Reserve mission changes, ownership changes, major debt, senior appointments, and changes to worker commitments for the agreed human governance process.
  4. Record the options, conflicts of interest, reasoning, decision, reviewer, and review date.
  5. Circulate the decision and update the controlled version of the charter. Document dissent and the appeal route.

Records to maintain

  • Operating charter
  • Decision-rights register
  • Decision log and conflict disclosures

Review measures

  • Routine decisions requiring founder intervention
  • Decisions missing a reason or authorized reviewer

Escalation rule

Pause decisions outside assigned authority. A conflicted decision-maker refers the decision to the named independent reviewer.

Acceptance test

Give a backup steward three realistic decisions. They can identify who decides, what evidence is needed, and how to challenge the result.

Starter template
Purpose:
Customer promise:
Worker and community commitments:
Protected decisions:
Routine authority and limits:
Human reviewers:
Conflict and appeal route:
Change procedure:
Version / approval date:

Assign & test this system

Use names and evidence from your business. Download an editable backup before leaving this page. Restore it under Business setup to continue later; entries stay in this session until exported.