Recording the approval process in an agency engagement

Record each approval against the person who made the decision and the exact version they reviewed. A shared approval register, kept with the project files, makes it easier to see what was submitted, what was decided and which asset was authorised to proceed.

Define the approval points

List the items that need approval, such as the brief, concept, final assets, claims, budget, channel setup and launch. Assign an authorised approver to each stage, and agree what information the agency submits and when a response is due. Approval workflows can be managed manually or with an automated system; keep versions in one place rather than scattered across email threads.

For each request, record the deliverable and stage, the version submitted, the approver’s name and role, the decision and its date and time. Add relevant comments or conditions, and link to the approval message or workflow record and the reviewed file. This gives the register a clear trail of who approved what, and when.

Record decisions plainly as approved, rejected or requiring changes. For a partial or conditional decision, note exactly what is approved and what remains outstanding; feedback on a draft is not permission to publish it. Give each submitted version a clear identifier, keep its file with the record and mark earlier versions as superseded when a new one is submitted.

When work changes after approval, record the new version and route it for another review if the change requires fresh approval. At project close, compare the approved asset with what ran and record any authorised deviation, so the record identifies the published version and who authorised the difference.

Approval Process Metrics (Best Practice)

Handle delays and disagreement

Agree a response deadline for each review and record it with the request. State what happens if the deadline is missed, including which dates move, whether reserved media can be paused and who decides on an urgent exception; do not treat silence as approval for costly, public or legally sensitive changes unless the agreement expressly and appropriately provides for it.

If the agency believes feedback conflicts with the brief, record the feedback and a short explanation of the scope and options in the same project record, rather than leaving the discussion in an untracked chat. Update the decision and status when the parties resolve the issue, so the approval history remains connected to the relevant version.