An authorized administrator can help when an active request needs a decision outside the ordinary review arrangement. Deciding on behalf completes one assigned step; an override decides the whole active request. Read the proposed change and the action’s explanation before choosing either.

Before you begin

On-behalf decisions and coordination require Coordinate approval requests. An override requires Override approval requests. You also need View positions, with each required permission covering every affected department on every submitted date, including both sides of a transfer. The action also depends on the current request, required files, and submitted information. See Roles and permissions.

Decide on behalf of an approver

An approval administrator can decide on behalf of a currently assigned approver when the page offers that action. Current access must cover every affected department on every submitted date, including both departments of a transfer. Covering only the department shown in the request heading or the department supplying reviewers is insufficient. This rule applies to both approval and rejection, and also to administrative cancellation and overrides.

Administrative actions are unavailable when the complete affected department and date coverage cannot be established. Review the visible explanation and prepare a new request when the proposal needs correction. Do not infer full authority from the department supplying inherited reviewers.

The record identifies both:

  • the approver whose assigned decision was completed; and
  • the administrator who acted on their behalf.

This is not a reassignment and should follow documented permission from the assigned approver or your organization’s exceptional process.

Review the same evidence and record the same quality of explanation required for a normal decision.

Override an active request

Override bypasses the remaining usual approval steps and immediately approves or rejects the whole active request.

Use it only under your organization’s exceptional authority. The override requires a reason and records the administrator as the decision-maker.

Before overriding:

  1. Confirm why the usual approval steps cannot or should not complete.
  2. Review every proposed change, its start date, and the submitted files.
  3. Review earlier decisions and Conversations.
  4. Review any changed-current-information warning.
  5. Choose the final outcome.
  6. Enter a complete override reason.

An administrator must still wait for the required file safety checks to pass before approving through an override. A rejection override can stop a request that should not proceed.

Example: on behalf versus override

The assigned department approver is unavailable but documented approval has been provided. An administrator completes that person’s decision on behalf.

The organization instead authorizes bypassing all remaining steps because the usual approval steps cannot operate. The administrator uses Override entire request and records why the remaining approval steps were skipped.

Check the outcome

Open the request after the decision and confirm its status and recorded reason. An on-behalf decision identifies the assigned approver and the administrator who acted. An override records the administrator and the reason for bypassing the remaining steps.

Review what final approval changes before arranging dependent staffing or financial work.

Redact an official explanation

With approval administration access, choose Redact approval content and select the exact explanation. Removing it hides it everywhere that same explanation appears and keeps a notice that it was removed, together with the recorded reason. Separate explanations remain separate even when their wording matches.

Optional practice: help when the assigned reviewer cannot act

For exercises that change records, use a separate practice organization and complete the preparation below.

Practice steps and checks

Use a separate request with an unavailable reviewer.

  1. Open the request and read the proposal and ready step.
  2. Check that your administrative permission includes every department and date involved.
  3. In Approval progress, select Record decision on behalf beside the assigned reviewer. Review the named reviewer and step before submitting the decision.
  4. Enter a reason that explains why you are acting.
  5. Review the request and its history afterward.

Someone reading the history should be able to tell who acted and why. An override is a different administrative action; use it only when that is the decision you are authorized to make.

Also update reviewer arrangements for future requests. Repeated overrides should not replace keeping approvers up to date. See request setup.