The sponsor is unavailable when we need approval. What should we establish?
Unavailable decision authorityAgree delegation, decision deadlines, and an escalation path before the next urgent decision. Do not assume silence transfers authority to the project manager.
What to do now
- Identify decisions reserved for the sponsor
- Agree an authorized deputy or delegation
- Define response expectations
- Escalate missed decision windows appropriately
When to escalate
Escalate when
An essential decision cannot wait without material consequences.
Who decides
The sponsor or formally delegated governance body
Example
An authorized deputy handles routine milestone decisions during the sponsor's absence.
Mistake to avoid
Treating no reply as approval without an agreed rule.
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
- Can a sponsor accept every project risk?Risk authority overreach
- How should delegated approval authority be reviewed?Stale delegation
- The Product Owner is unavailable for questions. What should we establish?Product decision delay
- An AI agent can approve expenses automatically. Should we enable it?Excessive automated decision authority