Unclear decision rights rarely appear on a risk register. They appear as approvals that sit for a week, decisions that get reopened, and items that escalate because nobody below the top is sure they have authority. This map makes those rights explicit for the decisions that recur and matter.
How to use it
- List the recurring decisions that most often hold up work. Trace a few recently delayed items and find the moment each one stopped moving.
- Name one role in the Decides column. If two roles appear, the decision has not been assigned.
- Keep Consulted short. Consultation is where decisions slow down. Include only the roles whose input changes the decision.
- Write thresholds as numbers, such as a dollar amount, a number of days, or a risk rating, so escalation is automatic rather than negotiated.
- Record where the decision is logged, so it is not reopened without a reason.
- Review the map after ninety days and adjust thresholds that send too much upward.
The rows below are illustrative examples. Replace them with your own decisions, or use the blank rows to start.
| Decision | Decides | Consulted before | Informed after | Threshold to escalate | Recorded where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change to project scope | Program manager | Sponsor; affected workstream leads | PMO; finance | Changes beyond agreed budget or schedule tolerance go to the sponsor | Decision log |
| Schedule change | Program manager | Delivery leads | Sponsor; stakeholders | More than two weeks goes to the sponsor | Change register |
| Spend approval | Budget owner | Finance | Requester | Above the delegated limit goes to the finance lead | Purchasing system |
| Accept a risk | Risk owner | Program lead; compliance | Steering group | Above the agreed risk rating goes to the steering group | Risk register |
| Release a client deliverable | Delivery lead | Quality reviewer | Account lead | Contractual deliverables require quality sign-off | Deliverable tracker |
Example rows are illustrative. Entries you type are not saved or sent anywhere, so print or save as PDF to keep a copy.
Four tests for a finished map
- One name in Decides. Shared decisions are unassigned decisions.
- Consulted is short. Every name added there adds time to every decision.
- Thresholds are numbers. Escalation should follow a rule, not a negotiation.
- The record is visible. People affected by a decision can find it without asking.