Appraisal is the third and last stage in using formal attention-focusing and decision methods (and in decision analysis in particular). In the appraisal stage, the decision maker and other decision participants develop insight into the decision and determine a clear course of action. Much of the insight developed results from exploring the implications of the decision basis developed during the formulation stage (ie, from mining the basis). Prominent among these implications are the results of the evaluation stage—the ranking of decision elements in an attention focusing method and the formal recommendation for action in a decision method. Other implications include various forms of sensitivity of the recommendation to selected variables in the basis. Additional insight is obtained by making explicit key aspects of the reasoning that led to the formal decision basis (ie, by justifying the basis). Possible actions following the appraisal stage include revising and reevaluating the decision basis, implementing the recommended course of action, or abandoning the analysis and doing something else.

See also: Decision Analysis Cycle.