Approvals and decision workflow

Why some steps require a formal decision

Certain forward moves — such as approving an opportunity for publication, qualifying an Expression of Interest, or approving a proposal — are significant enough that they go through a formal approval step rather than being completed by a single person unilaterally. When a record reaches one of these points, it enters a pending-approval state and an approval request is automatically opened for the appropriate decision-makers.

Making a decision

A decision-maker reviewing an approval request can approve it, reject it, return it for more information, or request clarification, always with a comment explaining the decision. Approving completes the pending step and the underlying record automatically advances; rejecting or returning sends it back for rework.

Where to find your approvals

The Approvals area lists every request currently awaiting a decision from you, alongside anything you've already decided on for reference. This is one of the places "what needs your attention now" draws from — see "Tasks, notifications, and what needs your attention" for how that works.

Delegation

If a decision-maker will be unavailable, their approval authority can be delegated to another user for a defined period, with a reason recorded. A delegation can be ended early if circumstances change. Delegation is managed by Country Administrators and does not change who is accountable for the decision, only who is authorized to make it while the delegation is active.