How a commission runs
The stages of a commission in order, and what each one asks of you.
A commission runs in stages. You approve the work as it is built rather than seeing it all at the end, so there is no single moment where everything either lands or fails.
The conversation
A recorded interview, with your permission. Before it, you receive a short guide asking you to bring one object, one photograph, and one story that has never been written down. This is where most of the archive actually comes from — far more than from documents.
What was heard, written back
Before any design work begins, you receive a short written account of what the studio understood, in the honoree's own occupational language. You correct it. Nothing is built on a misunderstanding.
The opening section
The first and most demanding section is built before the rest. You see it and approve it, or you do not. Everything after it follows the direction that section sets.
Section by section
The remaining sections are built and reviewed at defined checkpoints. You are a co-author at this stage, not a recipient waiting for delivery.
Vocabulary check
Before anything is published, every term, rate, acronym and label is verified — by you, or by a peer from the honoree's community. One wrong term undoes the credibility the whole archive exists to build.
Handover
The finished archive is walked through with you, live. The address is spoken aloud for the first time. You are encouraged to have family present.
Watchkeep
After handover the archive is under stewardship — inspected, maintained, and added to as the years give you more to add.
What you are asked for, and when
| Stage | What is asked of you |
|---|---|
| Before the conversation | Set aside two hours. Find the object, the photograph, the story. |
| After the conversation | Correct the written account. Begin gathering materials. |
| Opening section | One decision: this direction, or a different one. |
| Section review | Reactions at defined checkpoints, not continuous availability. |
| Vocabulary check | A careful read, or the name of a peer who will do it. |
| Handover | Two hours, and whoever you want in the room. |
Pauses
Military life interrupts things. Deployment, TDY, mobilisation, a PCS, or a death in the family pauses every clock in the commission for as long as you need.
This is a right you hold, not a favour that gets negotiated. See Orders Hold.