Our project depends on an external approval date we cannot control. What should we do?
External decision uncertaintyUnderstand the approval process, required evidence, and realistic timing, then plan around the uncertainty. Keep commitments and fallback options visible rather than assuming the earliest possible decision.
What to do now
- Confirm approval requirements and lead time
- Prepare a complete submission
- Model plausible decision dates
- Agree contingency and escalation within the process
When to escalate
Escalate when
The required date is no longer credible or an obligation is at risk.
Who decides
The accountable integration or dependency owner
Example
A deployment plan includes approval lead time and a later fallback window.
Mistake to avoid
Treating submission as approval.
Prevent a repeat
Verify dependency completion with the consuming team and test the integrated outcome early enough to act.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Tasks
- Documents
- Projects
Keep dependency owners, required evidence and dates with linked work records, confirming supported link behavior in the current build. See the platform
Related cases
- Another team says our dependency is not their priority. What should we do?Unagreed external dependency
- Our dependency dates keep changing. How do we protect the project?Volatile external readiness
- How should we report a finish-date range instead of one date?Uncertainty communication
- The sponsor is unavailable when we need approval. What should we establish?Unavailable decision authority