Who Owns the Decision When the Owner Is Away?

A continuity plan can name who keeps the work moving and still leave a harder gap: who may change the priority when the usual decision owner is unavailable?

Imagine an operational disruption forces a choice between preserving a key service and redirecting people to recovery work. A backup owner could act quickly, but without agreed boundaries they might make a trade-off others expected to decide together. Waiting for consultation could protect shared judgment while allowing the disruption to grow.

What would you agree in advance: a named backup with defined limits, a short list of decisions that must wait, or another arrangement? What should trigger review of the backup’s choice—and who needs to be consulted before the team commits?