Project governance: example principles
Confirm Northstar's actual decision rights and escalation route before publishing as policy
Governance makes clear who can decide, who needs to be consulted, and how a project responds when scope, timing, cost, or risk changes. The roles and examples below are illustrative only. They do not establish Northstar approval thresholds, mandatory forums, or an escalation policy.
For each project, confirm the accountable sponsor, decision authority, review cadence, and route for unresolved risks. Record project-specific decisions and actions in Workspace once the appropriate setup is confirmed.
Illustrative decision and handoff guide
Sample roles and cadence for template demonstration only; replace with approved company facts before use.
| Situation | Example accountable role | Example next step |
|---|---|---|
| A proposal needs an initial fit and priority discussion | Project sponsor | Clarify the intended outcome, affected teams, and who can decide whether assessment continues. |
| A delivery plan needs coordination across teams | Project lead | Agree owners, milestones, dependencies, and a review cadence with contributors; coordinate the plan in Workspace. |
| A risk or dependency could change the agreed outcome | Project lead and accountable sponsor | Record the issue and options in Workspace, then use the organization's confirmed decision route. |
| Work is ready to move to an operating team | Project lead and receiving role | Confirm acceptance, assign open actions, and record the handoff in Workspace. |
Keep project decisions with the project
Workspace is the app for project plans, collaboration, and delivery records.
Use the confirmed Workspace destination to document project-specific decisions and actions.
This template does not configure Workspace access, approval steps, or an escalation contact. Confirm those details with the accountable project owner.