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PMP Practice: Determine and bestow level(s) of decision-making authority

Question 4 of 4 in Empower Team Members and Stakeholders

Kai Hernandez-Osei is managing a spacecraft instrumentation project for Tariq Mansour-Haddad Technologies. The critical sensor calibration phase requires highly specialized technical decisions about tolerance thresholds that will affect mission success. Thiago Santos, the senior instrumentation lead with 12 years of aerospace experience, has successfully delivered similar calibrations on three previous missions. However, two months ago, Thiago made a minor documentation error that required rework, costing the project two days. The sponsor has expressed high confidence in Thiago's technical judgment. The project is currently on schedule, and Thiago has requested full decision-making authority for all calibration parameters within the approved design specifications. Which approach would be MOST effective for Kai?
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Correct answer: Grant Thiago full authority to make calibration decisions within the approved design specifications, establish clear reporting milestones, and require escalation only for decisions that exceed those specifications

Explanation

Effective empowerment means delegating authority to team members who have demonstrated competence and positioning them for success. Thiago has the expertise, track record, and sponsor confidence to make these technical decisions. The PM should establish clear boundaries for the delegation, define what decisions fall within Thiago's authority and what requires escalation, and set reporting milestones to maintain visibility without micro-managing. The minor documentation error from two months ago does not justify withholding authority for specialized technical decisions that fall squarely within his expertise. Empowerment with clear guardrails and reporting checkpoints balances accountability with efficiency.

**Why not A:** Requiring Thiago to present all calibration decisions for approval creates an unnecessary bottleneck. His 12 years of experience, track record of three successful missions, and sponsor confidence in his judgment all indicate he is qualified to make these decisions independently within approved specifications.

**Why not B:** Granting authority but requiring 24-hour documentation review creates a passive oversight mechanism that still introduces delays. If Thiago is qualified to make the decisions (which his track record confirms), adding a mandatory review window slows the process without meaningfully reducing risk for decisions within approved specifications.

**Why not C:** Assigning a second engineer to co-approve all decisions adds overhead and implies distrust of Thiago's competence. The scenario establishes that Thiago is the senior specialist with proven capability, and requiring co-approval for routine decisions within his expertise wastes resources and may undermine his confidence and motivation.

Key Concept

This question covers Determine and bestow level(s) of decision-making authority under Empower Team Members and Stakeholders (People).

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