Answering & Clarifications
The official response of record versus the clarification thread — how to answer an RFI, flag impact, and keep the back-and-forth on the record.
An RFI detail has two distinct places to write: the official response and the clarification thread. Keeping them separate is the whole point — one is the binding answer, the other is the conversation around it.
Official Response vs. Clarifications
| Official Response | Clarification Thread | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The single authoritative answer of record | Non-binding back-and-forth |
| The responder (or owner) | Any participant | |
| When | While the RFI is Open | Any time it's not draft, closed, or void |
| Effect | Moves the RFI to Answered | No status change |
Why they're separate
The official response is a contract artifact — it's what people cite months later. Clarifications keep the discussion on the record without diluting that one answer.
Writing the Official Response
While an RFI is Open, the responder sees the answer form:
- Write the answer — the authoritative resolution to the question
- Flag cost impact and schedule impact — Yes, No, or To be determined (add notes when Yes)
- Attach evidence — a marked-up drawing, a photo, a calculation
- Submit response
Once submitted, the RFI moves to Answered and the ball returns to the coordinator (two-step) or the initiator (single-step).
Adding a Clarification
Anyone involved can add a clarification to the thread while the RFI is live — to add context, ask a follow-up, or confirm a detail. Clarifications don't change the status; they just keep the conversation auditable.
Impact Flags
Cost and schedule impact are captured on the answer so downstream commercial and programme teams can see, at a glance, whether an RFI carries a change:
- Yes — there's an impact; add a note explaining it
- No — no impact
- To be determined — impact isn't known yet
Closing the Loop
An Answered RFI is accepted and closed by the coordinator (Accept & close), or sent back with Return answer if the response needs rework. The close is guarded — an RFI can't close without an official response on file.
Related
- Statuses & Ball-in-Court — where responding sits in the workflow
- Policies — the require-answer-before-close gate