Guide · C36
Define marketing decision rights
Who can make, amend or escalate each decision?
Direct answer
Decision rights specify the decision maker, the level of delegated authority, the data required, consultation, the deadline and the escalation condition.
01Reduce implicit trade-offs and late approvals.
02The rule, the evidence and the next review date stay visible.
How to use this
Move from the question to the deliverable.
Who can make, amend or escalate each decision?
Reduce implicit trade-offs and late approvals.
Decision matrix
Decision grid · SQ-12
Define who decides based on the type of variance and its threshold
Decision rights complement the RACI: they specify the threshold, the decision maker, the information required and the response time.
Illustrative grid for a €1.2m annual marketing portfolio.
- 01Name
State each decision with a verb and a precise object.
- 02Set thresholds
Define the level of variance that changes the authority required.
- 03Assign
Name a single decision maker and a deputy.
- 04Set deadlines
Set the minimum information, the response time and the escalation rule.
Decision-rights matrix
The grid prevents a minor change from waiting for a committee, and a material variance from being approved at the wrong level.
| Decision | Threshold | Proposes | Decides | Consulted | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reallocate budget | ≤ €25k without objective change | Portfolio owner | Marketing director | Finance | 3 d |
| Reallocate budget | > €25k or objective affected | Marketing director | Steering committee | Finance + sales | 7 d |
| Move a milestone | ≤ 5 days off critical path | Project manager | Initiative sponsor | Downstream dependencies | 2 d |
| Move a milestone | > 5 days or critical path | Initiative sponsor | Steering committee | PMO + downstream teams | 5 d |
| Stop an initiative | Any funded initiative | Portfolio owner | Marketing director | Finance + owner | 5 d |
| Approve reforecast | Annual variance > 10% | Marketing leadership | Executive management | Finance + sales | 10 d |
01The same item can have a different decision maker depending on its materiality.
02A response time is part of the decision right: without it, governance can block the roadmap.
03The deputy and the escalation must be added before operational use.
Fictitious example. The thresholds must be validated against delegated financial authority and actual governance.
Coherence controls
Minimum conditions before validation.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
Usable deliverable
Decision matrix
Explore the decision further with an interactive control, or start from a structured template to produce your deliverable.