Delegation

The practice of assigning responsibility and authority to others to carry out specific activities or tasks.

Also Known As

Authority Delegation
Decentralize Decision-Making (in Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe))
Empowerment
Hierarchy
Responsibility Allocation
Task Assignment

Addresses / Mitigates

Schedule Risk: Distributes workload effectively, helping to meet deadlines.

Attendant Risks

Security Risk: Delegating responsibility can introduce new security risks.
Coordination Risk: Increases the number of entities involved in project coordination.
Agency Risk: Can lead to a loss of control over task execution and quality.
Communication Risk: Requires clear communication to ensure tasks are understood and executed properly.

Used By

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe): SAFe emphasizes decentralized decision-making to empower teams.

Description

"Delegation is the assignment of any responsibility or authority to another person to carry out specific activities. It is one of the core concepts of management leadership." - Delegation, Wikipedia

Delegation involves assigning responsibility and authority to others to carry out specific activities or tasks. Effective delegation requires clear communication and proper accountability to ensure tasks are executed correctly and objectives are met.

Variations

Delegation Type	Description	Reference
Task Delegation	Assigning specific tasks while retaining overall responsibility.	Delegation, Wikipedia
Authority Delegation	Granting decision-making power along with responsibility.	Empowerment, Wikipedia
Self-Organising Teams	Teams that collectively decide how to distribute work among themselves.	Self-Management, Wikipedia