Purpose
This policy defines how projects at Memorres are governed so that decisions are timely, accountability is unambiguous, and delivery remains aligned to approved scope, schedule, and budget. In a mid-scale environment with lean teams, governance must be simple, visible, and enforceable without enterprise bloat. This document sets the minimum rules for decision rights, approvals, reporting cadence, variance thresholds, and escalation. It ensures that every project has a single accountable owner, clear authorities for change, and predictable forums where risks and exceptions are resolved. By codifying these rules, Memorres reduces decision latency, prevents scope creep by negotiation, and creates an auditable trail of what was decided, by whom, and on what evidence. The outcome is faster progress with fewer surprises, stronger stakeholder confidence, and projects that finish with clean acceptance and complete records.
Scope
This policy applies to all client and internal projects managed under the Memorres PM lifecycle, regardless of contract type or technology stack. It governs initiation through closure, covering approvals at phase gates, baseline creation and change, issue and risk ownership, stakeholder communication cadence, and documentation standards for decision making. The policy binds project managers, sponsors, delivery leads, and contributors who participate in governance forums. Discipline-specific execution (engineering, design, QA) is out of scope except where approvals or baselines intersect with PM control. Small projects may compress ceremonies, but no project may bypass the required authorities, artifacts, or escalation rules stated here. Where a client’s governance is stricter, the stricter rule applies. Any exception to this policy requires written approval from the sponsor and PM lead and must be recorded in the project’s decision log.
Definitions
Sponsor – Executive owner of business outcomes; final approver for scope/schedule/budget changes.
Project Manager (PM) – Single point of accountability for plan integrity, reporting, and governance execution.
Change Control Board (CCB) – Decision group convened by the PM for material changes; includes Sponsor and relevant leads.
Baseline – Approved scope, schedule, and budget that form the reference for control.
RAG – Status signal: Green (within thresholds), Amber (approaching breach), Red (breached).
Main Section – Governance Rules, Decision Rights, and Controls
Decision & Approval Rights
| Governance Area | Decision Type | Recommender | Approver | Informed |
| Scope | Any addition/removal affecting critical path or >8 person-hours | PM with Delivery Lead | Sponsor via CCB | Finance, Affected Leads |
| Schedule | Rebaseline >10% of remaining duration or milestone date change | PM | Sponsor | All Stakeholders |
| Budget | Increase >5% or reallocation across line items | PM with Finance | Sponsor | Delivery Leads |
| Quality Acceptance | Phase/release acceptance against criteria | Delivery Lead | Client/Sponsor | PM |
| Risk Response | Elevate risk with score ≥15 (1–5 scale for Probability × Impact) | PM | Sponsor | All Stakeholders |
| Vendor/Tooling | Introduce/replace tool with cost or security impact | PM with IT/Sec | Sponsor | Delivery Leads |
| Exception to Policy | Any deviation from this policy | PM | Sponsor + PM Lead | QA/Compliance |
Governance Cadence & Reporting
| Forum | Audience | Frequency | Led By | Inputs | Outputs & SLA |
| Daily Stand-up | Project Team | Daily (15 min) | PM | Task board, impediments | Updated board; impediment log (same day) |
| Weekly Project Review | Sponsor, Leads | Weekly | PM | Status data, risks, CRs, forecast | One-page Status Report with RAG; Decision Log update (≤24h) |
| Steering/CCB | Sponsor, PM, Leads | As needed (on exceptions) | PM | CR pack, impact analysis | Approved/Rejected CR; baseline update (≤24h) |
| Gate Review | Sponsor, PM, Leads | At phase exits | PM | Gate checklist, artifacts | Go/No-Go decision; actions and owners (≤24h) |
Variance Thresholds & Mandatory Actions
| Control Category | Threshold | Mandatory Action | Owner | Evidence |
| Schedule Variance (SV) | Amber at 5–10%; Red >10% against baseline | Amber: recovery plan in weekly review. Red: CR to rebaseline or descoped scope option to CCB. | PM | Status Report; CR form |
| Effort/Budget Variance | Amber at 3–5%; Red >5% forecast overrun | Amber: freeze non-critical change. Red: CCB decision within 3 working days. | PM & Finance | Forecast sheet; decision record |
| Scope Creep | Any request >8 person-hours or on critical path | Log CR, perform impact analysis within 2 working days; no work starts before approval. | PM | CR log; impact worksheet |
| Risk Exposure | Top risk score ≥15 or 2 risks trend upward for 2 weeks | Escalate to Sponsor in weekly review; adjust plan or buffer. | PM | Risk Register; updated schedule |
| Quality Gate | Exit criteria not fully met | No Go; action plan with dates; re-review within 5 working days. | PM & Delivery Lead | Gate checklist; acceptance notes |
| Communication | Minutes/decisions missing | Publish decision summary within 24 hours or flag policy breach. | PM | Decision Log URL in Status Report |
Accountability & RACI (PM-Owned Artifacts)
| Artifact | Create | Approve | Maintain | Gate Dependency |
| Project Charter | PM | Sponsor | PM | Initiation |
| Stakeholder Register | PM | PM | PM | Initiation/Planning |
| Requirements Spec (PM format) | PM facilitates | Sponsor | PM | Scope Baseline |
| WBS & Estimates | PM facilitates | Sponsor | PM | Plan Baseline |
| Schedule Baseline | PM | Sponsor | PM | Plan Baseline |
| Risk Register | PM | PM | PM | Ongoing |
| Communication Plan | PM | Sponsor | PM | Planning |
| Change Log (CRs) | PM | CCB | PM | Execution |
| Decision Log | PM | — | PM | All Phases |
| Closure Report | PM | Sponsor | PM | Closure |
Gate Controls & Required Evidence
| Gate | Required Evidence | Approval Criteria |
| Initiation → Requirements | Signed Charter; initial stakeholder register; RAID shell | Purpose, success criteria, authority confirmed |
| Requirements → Planning | Approved Requirements Spec; scope statement; out-of-scope list | Clarity on what will and will not be delivered |
| Planning → Execution | WBS; estimates; schedule baseline; risk register; comms plan | Plan is feasible; thresholds and owners set |
| Execution → Release/Phase Exit | Completed deliverables; test/acceptance evidence; updated logs | Exit criteria met; variances within thresholds or approved CRs |
| Closure | Acceptance record; closure report; archive index; handover checklist | All obligations complete; documentation archived in MIC |
Documentation & Evidence Rules
| Rule | Description | Minimal Evidence |
| Single Source of Truth | MIC is the authoritative location for artifacts and logs. | Artifact links inside the weekly Status Report |
| Timeliness | Decisions and minutes must be published within 24 hours. | Timestamped Decision Log entry |
| Traceability | Every CR must reference affected baseline IDs and decisions. | CR form with baseline fields |
| Proportionality | Small projects may compress forums but must retain approvals and logs. | Combined weekly review with documented decisions |
| Auditability | Random quarterly checks by PM lead. | Sampled projects show complete artifacts and logs |
Escalation Ladder
| Condition | Who Escalates | Path | Response SLA |
| Red variance (>10%) or missed milestone | PM | Sponsor via Steering/CCB | 3 working days |
| Unresolved blocker >2 working days | PM | Delivery Lead → Sponsor | 1 working day |
| Policy breach (missing decisions/minutes) | PM | PM Lead → Sponsor | 2 working days |
Closing Note & Cross-References
This policy ensures Memorres projects are governed with clarity, speed, and consistent evidence. It defines who decides, what must be approved, when to escalate, and how to record decisions so that small teams can move quickly without losing control. The policy is enforced through the lifecycle gates and weekly reporting, with MIC as the single source of truth. Apply this policy alongside the following PM documents for full coverage: SOP – Project Charter Creation & Approval, Template – Project Charter, Template – Stakeholder Register, SOP – Schedule Development & Baseline, Policy – Change Request & Scope Control, Template – Weekly Status Report (RAG + Forecast), Guide – Critical Path & Buffer Management, and SOP – Project Closure & Archive. For effort attribution and forecasting, reference the company-wide Time Tracking & Work Logging Policy. When followed, this policy reduces decision friction, protects baselines, and drives predictable, auditable delivery.