The project manager is asked to approve their own work. Is that sensible?
Unclear independent assuranceDetermine whether the decision requires independent review or separation of duties under organizational policy. Self-checking can help quality, but it may not provide the assurance needed for consequential acceptance.
What to do now
- Identify the required assurance purpose
- Check applicable internal controls
- Assign an appropriate independent reviewer
- Retain evidence of review and acceptance
When to escalate
Escalate when
The arrangement violates policy or creates a material conflict of interest.
Who decides
The sponsor or formally delegated governance body
Example
A project manager prepares a payment recommendation while an authorized independent role approves it.
Mistake to avoid
Assuming seniority makes independent review unnecessary.
Prevent a repeat
Review overdue decisions and confirm that decision makers have the authority and evidence they need.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Approvals
- Documents
- Projects
Attach the decision brief and evidence to a configured approval route only after confirming the actual authority and delegation rules. See the platform
Related cases
- Who should be accountable when several people approve the same deliverable?Diffuse approval accountability
- The sponsor is unavailable when we need approval. What should we establish?Unavailable decision authority
- Our project manager is asked to sign legal compliance. Should they?Authority and competence mismatch
- An AI agent can approve expenses automatically. Should we enable it?Excessive automated decision authority