professional-toolkit/skills/stakeholder-authority-map/SKILL.md

name

description

stakeholder-authority-map

Map decision-makers, approval thresholds, and authority delegation chains for transactions, projects, and organizations. Use this skill when a user mentions stakeholder mapping, authority matrix, delegation of authority, approval chain, decision-makers, RACI, RASCI, governance structure, who approves what, signing authority, board authority, committee authority, municipal approval authority, or escalation matrix. Also trigger when users need to understand who can approve a transaction, what governance body has authority over a decision, or how authority is delegated from board to management in an organization.

Stakeholder Authority Map

Map decision-makers, approval authorities, delegation chains, and governance structures. Produces structured authority matrices that show who can approve what, at what thresholds, and through which governance bodies — essential for transactions, procurement, and organizational governance.

When to Use

• You need to understand who has authority to approve a transaction or expenditure
• You are mapping governance structures for due diligence
• You need to identify all stakeholders affected by a decision or project
• You are building a RASCI matrix for a project or initiative
• You need to understand municipal/public sector approval processes
• You are designing a delegation of authority framework

Input Requirements

Ask the user for:

1. Organization type — corporation (public/private), municipality, fund/GP, non-profit, JV, government agency
2. Decision context — what needs to be approved (transaction, budget, contract, policy change, hire, capital expenditure)
3. Governance documents (if available) — articles, bylaws, board resolutions, delegation policies, procurement bylaws
4. Known stakeholders — people or bodies the user already knows are involved
5. Value/threshold — the dollar amount or significance of the decision

Authority Mapping Framework

Step 1: Identify Governance Layers

For each organization type, map the governance hierarchy:

Corporate (Public):

Shareholders (AGM/EGM)
  └─ Board of Directors
       ├─ Audit Committee
       ├─ Compensation Committee
       ├─ Nomination & Governance Committee
       └─ Executive Committee (if exists)
            └─ CEO / Management
                 ├─ CFO (financial authority)
                 ├─ CLO/GC (legal authority)
                 ├─ COO (operational authority)
                 └─ Business Unit Heads

Municipality:

Council (elected)
  └─ Mayor / Warden
       └─ CAO / City Manager
            ├─ CFO / Treasurer
            ├─ Director of Engineering / Works
            ├─ Director of Procurement
            ├─ City Solicitor
            └─ Department Heads
                 └─ Project Managers / Contract Administrators

Fund / GP:

LPs (LPAC for advisory)
  └─ GP Entity
       └─ Investment Committee
            ├─ Managing Partner(s)
            ├─ Investment Professionals
            └─ Operating Partners
                 └─ Portfolio Company Boards

Step 2: Map Authority Thresholds

Create a threshold matrix showing who can approve what:

Decision Type	Threshold	Approving Authority	Conditions
Capital expenditure	<$25K	Department head	Within budget
Capital expenditure	$25K-$100K	CFO/Treasurer	Within budget; countersigned
Capital expenditure	$100K-$500K	CEO/CAO	Board report required
Capital expenditure	>$500K	Board / Council	Resolution required
Contracts	<$50K	Procurement officer	Competitive process
Contracts	$50K-$250K	Director + Procurement	RFP/tender required
Contracts	>$250K	CEO/CAO or Council	Full tender; council approval
Change orders	<$10K	Project manager	Within contingency
Change orders	$10K-$50K	Contract administrator	Documented justification
Change orders	>$50K	Director / CFO	Board/council report
Hiring	Staff-level	Department head + HR	Within headcount budget
Hiring	Director+	CEO + Board (if officer)	Compensation committee

Step 3: Map Stakeholder Interests

For each key stakeholder, document:

Stakeholder	Role	Interest	Influence	Position	Engagement Strategy
[Name/Role]	[Decision-maker/Influencer/Affected/Informed]	[What they care about]	[High/Medium/Low]	[Supportive/Neutral/Resistant]	[How to engage them]

Step 4: RASCI Matrix

For project or initiative governance:

Activity	[Stakeholder A]	[Stakeholder B]	[Stakeholder C]	[Stakeholder D]
[Activity 1]	R	A	S	I
[Activity 2]	C	R	A	I

Legend:

• R — Responsible (does the work)
• A — Accountable (has authority to approve; only one per activity)
• S — Supportive (provides resources or support)
• C — Consulted (provides input before decision)
• I — Informed (notified after decision)

Step 5: Identify Gaps and Risks

Flag governance issues:

• Authority gaps: No one has clear authority for a specific decision type
• Threshold gaps: Dollar ranges not covered by any approval level
• Concentration risk: Single person has authority over too wide a range
• Conflict of interest: Approver has a personal interest in the decision
• Delegation without documentation: Authority exercised without formal delegation
• Outdated delegations: Thresholds that haven't been updated for inflation or growth

Output Format

# Stakeholder Authority Map: [Organization/Project]

## Governance Structure
[Hierarchy diagram or description of governance layers]

## Authority Matrix

| Decision Type | <$[x] | $[x]-$[y] | $[y]-$[z] | >$[z] |
|--------------|-------|-----------|-----------|-------|
| Capital expenditure | [role] | [role] | [role] | [body] |
| Contracts | [role] | [role] | [role] | [body] |
| Change orders | [role] | [role] | [role] | [body] |
| Hiring | [role] | [role] | [role] | [body] |

## Key Stakeholders

| Name/Role | Authority | Threshold | Delegation From | Conditions |
|----------|-----------|-----------|----------------|-----------|
| [name] | [what they can approve] | [up to $amount] | [who delegated] | [limits] |

## RASCI Matrix
[Activity-level responsibility assignment]

## Governance Gaps and Risks
[Identified issues with recommendations]

Important Notes

• Authority thresholds and delegation structures are organization-specific. Always verify against the actual governance documents.
• Municipal approval authorities are governed by statute (e.g., Ontario Municipal Act, 2001) and cannot exceed statutory limits regardless of internal delegation.
• For adversarial verification of governance representations — confirming that stated approval authorities match actual governance documents and that decisions were made within proper authority — see DiligenceWorks.