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gov_id AUTHORITY-ROUTING
gov_name Authority Routing and Decision Threshold Model
version 1.0.1
status Active
authority PMBOK8 Primary
supersedes none
file_path AUTHORITY-ROUTING.md
last_updated 2026-06-03

AUTHORITY-ROUTING.md

Repository: PMO Skill Repository
Version: 1.0.1
Authority: Artifacts-Authorities-V-1.1.md · PMBOK8 Governance Performance Domain §2.1
Purpose: Single reference for decision routing. Use this file in any skill, agent, or MCP tool that needs to route a decision to the correct approval authority.

Core Routing Principles

  1. Authority is assigned by decision type, threshold, risk, and governance layer — not by seniority alone.
  2. Project, portfolio, and PMO governance remain separate unless a documented escalation path joins them.
  3. The project manager owns routine operational decisions within delegated limits.
  4. The sponsor or project governing body approves decisions that change value assumptions, authority boundaries, or major commitments.
  5. PMO authorities govern PMO services, methods, and improvement priorities; they do not automatically override project governance.
  6. Portfolio authorities govern sequencing, priority, and shared-capacity trade-offs across initiatives.
  7. Specialist authorities (procurement, legal, security, privacy, finance, quality, HR) approve decisions in their domains when policy requires it.

Governance Layer Reference

Layer Primary Purpose Typical Authority Owner Typical Decision Scope
Organizational Governance Enterprise direction, policy, compliance Executive leadership, governing body Strategy, policy, enterprise compliance
OPM Governance Strategic alignment across portfolios/programs/projects OPM governing body, portfolio forums Cross-enterprise alignment and investment prioritization
PMO Governance PMO services, methods, enablement, improvement PMO leader, PMO governance forum Methods, templates, coaching, improvement backlog
Portfolio/Program/Project Governance Prioritization, authorization, oversight, value delivery Portfolio board, sponsor, project governing body Intake, baseline changes, risk tolerance, acceptance, closure
Delivery Team Ways of Working Day-to-day execution, cadence, collaboration Project manager, delivery lead, team Operational decisions within approved tolerances

T1–T4 Decision Threshold Model

Band Characteristics Default Decision Authority
T1 Operational Localized effect, low risk, inside approved plan tolerances Project manager or designated lead
T2 Controlled Change Material effect on one baseline or one major commitment, within project authority Sponsor-delegated board, change authority, or functional authority
T3 Governance Change Cross-baseline effect, major financial/schedule/value impact, or authority boundary shift Project governing body or sponsor
T4 Enterprise Portfolio Cross-project, strategic, regulatory, or enterprise-service impact Portfolio authority, PMO governance forum, or executive authority

Use organization-defined numeric thresholds where available. Apply qualitative routing otherwise.

Decision Category Reference Table

Decision Category Default Authority Escalate When
Routine delivery coordination Project manager or delivery lead Crosses delegated tolerance, impacts another project, or changes approved baselines
Team operating model and responsibilities Project manager or delivery lead Changes formal authority boundaries, labor commitments, or organization structure
Resource acquisition and allocation Project manager within delegated limits Exceeds staffing or spend authority, or creates cross-project conflicts
Baseline change Project governing body or delegated change authority The change exceeds thresholds for cost, schedule, scope, or value
Portfolio priority or sequencing Portfolio authority Shared strategic capacity or benefit timing is materially affected
PMO service engagement PMO leader or service owner A service change affects policy, tooling standards, or enterprise operating model
Procurement award Procurement authority and sponsor as required Thresholds, legal exposure, or regulated sourcing rules apply
Supplier claim, dispute, or compliance Procurement/legal/sponsor depending on case Contract exposure, audit risk, or litigation risk increases
AI, privacy, or data-control exception Security/privacy/compliance authority Sensitive data, regulated use, or automated decision risk is involved
Closure and benefits transition Sponsor or business owner Ongoing benefit ownership, residual risk, or operational handover is unclear

Artifact Authority Quick Reference (A01–A41)

Artifact ID Artifact Name Governance Layer Primary Owner Default Approval Authority Escalation Trigger
A01 Business Case Project/Portfolio Governance Sponsor Sponsor or initiating authority T3: investment case, strategic fit, or value materially changes
A02 Benefits and Value Measurement Record Project/Portfolio Governance Business owner Sponsor or business owner T3: benefits, measures, or ownership change materially
A03 Feasibility and Viable Options Record Project Governance BA/Architect/Project Lead Sponsor or initiating authority T3: authority boundaries, major funding, or initiation basis changes
A04 Project Charter Project Governance Sponsor with PM support Sponsor or authorized initiating body T3: authority boundaries, major funding, or initiation basis changes
A05 Context Register Project Governance PM PM; Sponsor if strategic constraints shift T2: constraint materially changes delivery viability
A06 Tailoring Decision Record Project Governance PM Sponsor or PMO only when required by policy T2: tailoring affects mandatory controls or compliance coverage
A07 Stakeholder Register and Engagement Strategy Project Governance PM PM; Sponsor for strategic stakeholder decisions T2: stakeholder strategy requires sponsor intervention
A08 Scope and Requirements Decision Record Project Governance PM/Product/Business Lead PM within limits; Sponsor for major scope decisions T2–T3: scope change exceeds tolerance or alters value case
A09 Delivery Approach and Team Operating Agreement Delivery/Project Governance Delivery Lead PM or Delivery Lead T2: team structure or cadence affects authority, cost, or commitments
A10 Intake and Prioritization Decision Record Portfolio Governance Portfolio Owner Portfolio Board T4: priority, sequencing, or capacity contention changes
A11 PMO Service Engagement Record PMO Governance PMO Service Owner PMO Leader or service authority T3: service model, standard, or PMO commitment changes
A12 Integrated Change Decision Record Project Governance PM/Change Coordinator Delegated change authority or governing body T2–T3: change crosses T2 threshold or above
A13 Development Approach and Lifecycle Record Project Governance PM Sponsor or governing body if major lifecycle shift T2–T3: lifecycle or delivery approach materially changes governance
A14 Integrated Planning Record Project Governance PM PM; Sponsor when plan approvals are required T3: integrated plan changes exceed delegated authority
A15 Schedule Baseline and Forecast Record Project Governance PM/Scheduler Delegated change authority or sponsor T2–T3: forecast variance or baseline change crosses thresholds
A16 Financial Baseline and Funding Record Project Governance PM/Finance Partner Sponsor, finance authority, or governing body T3: funding need, reserve use, or financial variance crosses thresholds
A17 Integrated Performance Reporting Record Project Governance PM No approval for routine reporting; Sponsor receives escalations T2–T3: performance signals require recovery or strategic decision
A18 Issue and Action Record Project Governance PM/Issue Owner PM for routine issues T2: unresolved, cross-functional, or threshold-exceeding
A19 Risk Management Record Project Governance PM/Risk Owner PM for routine responses; Sponsor for major exposure T3: exposure exceeds tolerance or needs policy/financial intervention
A20 Quantitative Risk and Reserve Record Project Governance PM/Analyst Sponsor, finance, or governing body T3: reserve decisions or probabilistic exposure exceed authority
A21 Trade-Off Decision Record Project Governance PM with decision owner Governing body, sponsor, or portfolio authority T3: multi-objective trade-off affects approved value priorities
A22 Portfolio Interdependency Record Portfolio Governance Portfolio Owner/PMO Analyst Portfolio board or designated portfolio authority T4: dependency causes strategic conflict or shared-capacity contention
A23 PMO Improvement Backlog PMO Governance PMO Leader/Improvement Owner PMO governance forum T3: improvement affects PMO service model, methods, or tooling
A24 Closure and Benefits Transition Record Project Governance PM and Business Owner Sponsor or business owner T3: operational ownership, residual risk, or benefit handoff is unresolved
A25 Team Operating and Responsibility Record Delivery/Project Governance PM or Delivery Lead PM T2: formal authority, labor, or role-boundary changes are required
A26 Resource Capacity and Acquisition Record Project Governance PM with functional managers PM within limits; functional/procurement authority as needed T2–T3: capacity conflict, staffing or acquisition threshold is crossed
A27 Team Health and Development Record Delivery/PMO Governance Delivery Lead/PMO Coach Usually none; PMO/HR for interventions T2: organizational intervention or HR-sensitive action is needed
A28 Communications and Reporting Record Project Governance PM/Comms Lead PM; Sponsor for sensitive reporting models T2–T3: sensitive audiences, executive reporting, or confidentiality rules change
A29 Change Readiness and Adoption Record Project Governance Change Lead/PM/Business Owner Sponsor or business owner T3: adoption affects deployment timing, business readiness, or value capture
A30 Knowledge and Lessons Management Record Project/PMO Governance PM/Knowledge Owner None for capture; PMO for enterprise reuse changes T2–T3: lessons require method, policy, or repository changes
A31 Procurement and Supplier Management Record Project Governance PM/Procurement Lead Procurement authority and sponsor as required T3: contract type, sourcing path, or spend threshold changes
A32 Supplier Evaluation and Award Decision Record Project/Portfolio Governance Procurement Lead Procurement board, sponsor, or contract authority T3: award threshold, regulated sourcing, or enterprise supplier exposure
A33 Supplier Change, Claim, and Compliance Record Project Governance Procurement Lead/Contract Admin Procurement, legal, sponsor, or quality authority T3: claim, dispute, compliance breach, or supplier change exceeds limits
A34 Information Retention and Records Control Record Project/PMO Governance Records Owner/PM PMO, compliance, or records authority T3: retention or access rules affect compliance obligations
A35 Governance and Decision Authority Record Project Governance Sponsor and PM jointly Sponsor or project governing body T3: governance forums, thresholds, or authority delegations change
A36 PMO Value, Maturity, and Improvement Record PMO Governance PMO Leader PMO governance forum or executive PMO sponsor T4: PMO maturity actions affect enterprise services or standards
A37 AI, Data, and Privacy Control Record Project/PMO Governance PM with specialist support Security, privacy, compliance, or sponsor authority T3: sensitive data, AI risk, or regulatory exposure requires specialist approval
A38 Quality Management Record Project Governance PM/Quality Owner PM; Quality authority for systemic findings T2–T3: quality failure affects deliverable acceptance or value
A39 PMO Configuration and Authority Record PMO Governance PMO Leader PMO governance forum or executive authority T4: PMO type, authority, or service scope changes
A40 PMBOK Evolution and Principles Traceability Record PMO Governance PMO Leader/Knowledge Owner PMO governance forum T3: principles or methods update requires repository-wide change
A41 Process Inputs, Outputs, and Tools Reference Record PMO Governance PMO Leader/Knowledge Owner None for reference use; PMO for updates T2: process I/O or T&T update required from PMI source change

Escalation Path Rules

  1. Escalate PM → Sponsor or delegated change authority when a decision moves from T1 to T2.
  2. Escalate to the project governing body when a decision alters approved scope, funding, schedule, expected value, or decision-right boundaries at T3.
  3. Escalate to portfolio governance when the decision affects priority, sequencing, or shared capacity across more than one initiative.
  4. Escalate to PMO governance when the decision changes a PMO service, method, template family, enterprise tooling pattern, or PMO maturity target.
  5. Escalate to procurement, legal, security, privacy, finance, quality, or HR authorities when policy or regulation requires specialist approval.
  6. Record the escalation path in the governing artifact — do not maintain a disconnected escalation log unless regulation requires one.

RACI Default Model

Role Default Interpretation
Responsible Prepares or updates the artifact
Accountable Holds the delegated authority to approve or own the decision
Consulted Provides specialist input before approval
Informed Receives the result or status after decision

Keep one accountable role per artifact decision when possible.

Authority: Artifacts-Authorities-V-1.1.md · PMBOK8 Governance Performance Domain §2.1 · Standard §4