How to document an approval process your team can follow

Document the decision, not just the approver

A policy that names a manager but not the evidence or decision criteria leaves the difficult part inside one person's head. Requests then return for clarification or receive inconsistent outcomes.

Write what the approval confirms and what remains outside its scope.

The minimum useful approval definition

Keep the first version brief enough for the team to use during ordinary work.

• Trigger and requester.
• Required information and evidence.
• Approver, delegate and authority limit.
• Expected response point and escalation.
• Approved, rejected and returned-for-information outcomes.
• The next owner after each outcome.

Test the definition against recent cases

Use ordinary and unusual examples. If the written rule cannot explain how they should proceed, clarify the rule before configuring reminders or permissions.

Review the definition when the business changes rather than allowing informal exceptions to become the real process.