Act
Actionable Recourse
What can I do to change this outcome?
Turns the factors behind an adverse decision into specific, realistic steps a person can actually take.
- Evidence: research-based (Ustun et al. 2019, Wachter et al. 2017)
- Tested: concept only, mock data
Overview
Why it matters
An explanation without a way forward is just a verdict.
People who understand why they were declined, but can do nothing about it, are no better off than people who were simply told no. This pattern turns the factors behind an adverse decision into realistic steps, and separates what a person can change from what they can’t.
The technically correct answer isn’t always a useful one. “Reduce your monthly debt by €400” only helps if that’s actually possible for this person.
What does it look like?
Loan applicant seeking a path forward
Loan applicant seeking a path forward
- Applicant receives a declined loan decision.
- Attribution panel shows top factors.
- Below attribution: “What you can do” section.
- “High impact: Provide income verification: your income could not be verified from the documents submitted. [Upload documents]”
- “Medium impact: Reduce monthly debt obligations below €550. Your current level is €680. This may take 3–6 months.”
- “Cannot change: The credit default recorded in 2021 is fixed and cannot be removed.”
- Applicant uploads income documents. Case re-evaluated in 3 days.
Employment screening challenge
Employment screening challenge
- Applicant is flagged in a pre-screening process.
- Recourse section: “The following items were flagged and can be addressed: an employment date that could not be verified, and a certification that has expired. Upload a current employment confirmation and the renewed certificate to resolve them.”
- Applicant submits updated materials.
- Case moves to human review with updated information.
No actionable recourse available
No actionable recourse available
- Applicant receives a declined decision.
- System determines that all contributing factors are fixed (credit history, existing defaults).
- Recourse section shows honestly: “At this time, the factors that affected this decision cannot be changed. The earliest you could reapply with a meaningfully different profile is [date range].”
- Applicant is not given false hope, but is given a timeline and contact for further questions.
When does it fit?
Use it when
- The decision was adverse and the person wants a different outcome
- Some factors are within the person’s control
- The process allows re-application or re-evaluation
Skip it when
- Nothing behind the decision can be changed: then recourse can’t exist
- Showing the path would enable gaming without real improvement
- The suggested path is so unlikely that it creates false hope
Design
How do I apply it?
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Separate what can change from what can’t.
A mixed list of factors is not recourse. It’s confusion.
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Be specific.
“Improve your credit score” is not a step. “Keep monthly debt below €600 for three months” is.
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Be honest about impact.
If one step alone won’t change the outcome, say so.
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End every step with an action.
A link to upload, resubmit or re-apply, not “go somewhere else”.
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Don’t invite gaming.
Point to factors that genuinely matter, not features that can be tricked.
For your technical team
The counterfactual a model produces (the smallest change that crosses the decision boundary) is not automatically actionable recourse. Filter suggestions for features the person can realistically change, and test that the suggested combination is feasible, not just mathematically sufficient.
How can I show it?
Recourse action list
What you can change, what you can’t, what we can do.
A structured list of specific actions, organized by: - What you can change (controllable factors) - What you cannot change (fixed factors: shown honestly) - What the organization can do (additional review, data correction, verification) Each item includes: what the action is, why it would help, and what evidence or documentation is needed.
Cannot change section
Fixed factors, shown honestly.
An honest display of factors that are fixed and cannot be changed by the user: age, historical records, certain credit events. Showing what cannot be changed is as important as showing what can: it prevents users from wasting effort on dead ends.
Impact indicator
How much each step would really help.
A signal showing the relative impact of each recourse action: - High impact: would substantially change the outcome - Medium impact: would improve the score but may not be sufficient alone - Low impact: contributes marginally Prevents users from investing effort in low-impact changes while missing high-impact ones.
Time estimate
How long each step realistically takes.
For each recourse action: a realistic estimate of how long it would take to implement. “Reducing debt ratio typically takes 3–6 months” is more useful than just “reduce debt.”
Document request flow
Upload and submit right where the step is shown.
When recourse involves providing documentation (income verification, corrected records), an integrated upload or submission flow, not a dead-end instruction to “contact us.”
Recourse timeline
The path from now to the next decision.
A visual showing the sequence of steps and timeline: “Submit documents now → Re-evaluation in 5 days → Decision.” Reduces anxiety by making the path visible.
Start with the action list and the honest “cannot change” section. Add impact, time and flow as the decision allows.
What does it cost?
Transparency vs. gaming
Precise steps reveal thresholds. Where gaming is a risk, show the direction rather than the exact number.
Helpfulness vs. false promise
“Likely to improve your assessment”, not “will be approved”. Policies and models change.
Specificity vs. disclosure
Precise recourse means sharing scoring logic. Decide how much is right for your context.
Connections
Which patterns work with it?
Counterfactual Explanation
What would have changed the outcome?
Counterfactuals describe the decision boundary. Recourse translates it into action. Use counterfactuals as the explanation; recourse as the action plan.
Contestability & Appeal
How can I challenge this decision?
Contestability challenges the past decision. Recourse addresses the future decision. Both are forms of agency: they address different time horizons.
Attribution
Why did the system make this decision?
Recourse is built on attribution: the factors that drove the decision are the factors that recourse can address. Attribution is the input; recourse is the output.
Human-in-the-Loop
Who can review or override this decision?
Uploading documents or correcting data as part of recourse should trigger re-evaluation: either automated or via human review. Recourse and HITL should be connected.
Sources (3)
Sources (3)
Ustun et al. (2019) — Actionable Recourse in Linear Classification
proposes recourse as a measurable, designable property of classification systems. Introduces the distinction between counterfactual changes and actionable recourse: changes that are actually controllable and realistic
Wachter et al. (2017) — Counterfactual Explanations without Opening the Black Box
the foundational paper connecting counterfactual explanation to legal rights under GDPR. Establishes that counterfactuals/recourse are a legal as well as a design requirement for consequential automated decisions
Karimi et al. (2021) — Algorithmic Recourse: from Counterfactual Explanations to Interventions
makes the critical argument that counterfactual explanations are necessary but not sufficient for genuine recourse. Recourse must also account for causal feasibility and user agency. The theoretical basis for the controllable/non-controllable distinction in this pattern
You explain your decisions, but people still don’t know what to do next.
Moving from “we explained it” to “we showed a way forward” is where this pattern starts. Let’s look at your interface together.
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