ADR-0009: Add expert replacement thresholds

• Date: 2026-01-15
• Status: Accepted
• Decision owner: Project lead
• Related: logbook/meetings/2026-01-15-general-discussion-on-design.md

Context

Expert attrition can reduce panel size and affect the validity and continuity of consensus rounds.

Decision

Adopt explicit expert replacement thresholds:

• At the end of a phase, invite additional experts if the number of experts drops below 10.
• During a phase, invite additional experts if the number of experts drops below 6.

Rationale

Clear thresholds make retention and replenishment decisions transparent and actionable, and help maintain an adequate expert panel throughout the project.

Consequences

Project operations now include active monitoring of panel size during and between phases, with pre-defined triggers for additional invitations.

Alternatives considered

Continue without explicit replacement thresholds and decide case by case.