Delegated approvals keep marketing work moving when the primary reviewer is unavailable. The process needs clear limits so routine decisions continue while claims, privacy, financial commitments, or high-risk changes retain appropriate oversight.
Classify decisions by risk
Define which decisions can be delegated, such as routine creative edits or a previously approved format, and which require a named specialist or senior approver. Use the consequence of error to set the boundary.
Document what evidence the reviewer must inspect. Delegation should preserve the quality standard rather than reduce review to a quick click.
Name the substitute and duration
Assign an authorized backup for each critical approval role and define when the delegation begins and ends. Avoid open-ended substitutions with unclear scope.
Give the substitute access to current guidance and a route to escalate unusual cases. If no qualified reviewer is available, specify whether the work waits or uses another approved path.
Preserve accountability and traceability
Record the request, original approver, delegate, decision, date, and any conditions. The business owner remains accountable for the decision even when the review is delegated.
Avoid approving one’s own high-risk work through a chain of automatic delegates. Keep separation of duties where the decision warrants it.
Test continuity before it is needed
Run a tabletop scenario during a planned absence to confirm the substitute can find the request, review it, and record the decision.
Our guide to high-risk marketing review gates helps determine where additional oversight is appropriate.
Related reading: high-risk review gate.
Practical checklist
- Name an owner, an expected result, and the evidence that confirms success.
- Test ordinary, failure, and exception paths before changing live operations.
- Record what changed and review the process when its dependencies change.
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