Responsibility assignment checklist for digital projects

One of the most common sources of friction in digital assignments is unclear responsibility. Who can make which decisions? Who approves a deliverable? Who is contacted when something goes wrong? This checklist supports early clarification of responsibilities in an assignment. Adapt it to the assignment's scale and form.

Client organisation roles

• Assignment owner / sponsor – named and communicated. The person with ultimate accountability who approves formal deliverables.
• Product or requirements owner – named and communicated. The person who owns the requirements and ongoing prioritisation.
• Acceptance responsible – defined: who approves deliverables and how.
• Information security responsible – defined: if and how information security is owned on the client side.
• Contract responsible – who is responsible for interpreting and following up contract terms.

Supplier roles

• Delivery responsible – named and communicated. Primary contact accountable for the delivery proceeding to plan.
• Technical responsible – named and communicated. Responsible for technical decisions and technical documentation.
• Deviation contact – defined: who is contacted for deviations or incidents.

Decision authority

• Which decisions can the supplier make without client approval?
• Which decisions require client approval?
• Who at the client can approve changes affecting scope, cost, or timeline?
• How are decisions escalated when the primary decision-maker is unavailable?

Communication and reporting

• Primary communication channel for ongoing dialogue is defined.
• Channel for formal decisions and documented agreements is defined.
• Reporting format and frequency are agreed.
• Channel for deviation reporting is defined.
• How is escalation handled if the normal communication system fails?

Documentation responsibility

• Who is responsible for technical documentation?
• Who is responsible for requirements and decision documentation?
• Where is documentation stored and who has access?
• In what format and language should documentation be delivered?
• Who is responsible for keeping documentation current during the assignment?

Acceptance and delivery approval

• Acceptance criteria per deliverable are defined and agreed in writing.
• Acceptance period and process are defined.
• Who carries out acceptance testing?
• How is an approved deliverable documented?
• What happens if a deliverable is not approved – what does the process look like?

Information and security responsibility

• Is it clear what data the supplier has access to, and under what conditions?
• Is personal data handling governed by a data processing agreement?
• What security requirements apply to the supplier's access to client systems?
• Who is responsible for ensuring the supplier meets information security requirements?

Handover and maintenance

• Who is responsible for handover documentation?
• Who receives the handover and confirms it is complete?
• Who maintains the delivery after the project phase ends?
• How is the warranty period and any warranty actions handled?