Group

Chain of Responsibility

Every Roadmap item has a Chain of Responsibility, a set of roles that defines who's involved and what they're responsible for. This makes it clear, for every item, who's leading the work, who has the final say, who's contributing, and who's being kept informed.

The four roles are:

• Pointman - Leads this item forward.
• Authority - Has final authority to approve or reject.
• Contributors - Provide input, expertise, and hands-on help.
• In the Loop - Kept updated on progress and decisions.

There's also the Originator, the person who originally submitted the item. The Originator isn't a responsibility role as such, but they're always visible on the item and can post updates and respond to questions throughout the process.

How roles get assigned

Roles are assigned as the item progresses. Typically, when an item is first picked up from Received, a Pointman is assigned. The Authority is usually determined by the area the item falls under. Contributors and In the Loop members are added as the conversation develops and it becomes clear who should be involved.

Roles can be assigned to individual people or to entire teams. When a team is assigned, all members of that team take on that role for the item.

Some item types have default roles pre-configured by J11, so the Chain of Responsibility may be partially filled in from the moment of submission.

Why it matters

Having clear roles means there's never any confusion about who's doing what. If you want to know who's driving a particular item, check the Pointman. If you want to know who needs to approve it, check the Authority. If you want to get involved, the Chain of Responsibility tells you who to talk to.

Above: The Chain of Responsibility as shown on a typical Roadmap item.

The Pointman is the person who leads a Roadmap item forward. They're the one coordinating the effort, keeping things on track, and making sure the item moves through its stages in a timely way.

What the Pointman does

• Picks up the item and gets things started.
• Makes sure the right people are brought in, assigning Contributors and keeping the Chain of Responsibility up to date.
• Keeps the conversation productive during Review and Consultation.
• Posts updates so the unit knows what's happening.
• Coordinates the actual work during Execution.
• Moves the item between stages when it's ready.

Who becomes the Pointman?

The Pointman is typically someone with knowledge of the area the item relates to, or someone who has the capacity and willingness to drive it forward. For some item types, a default Pointman is assigned automatically based on the type of submission. In other cases, a Pointman is assigned when the item is picked up from the Received stage.

The Pointman doesn't have to do all the work themselves. That's what Contributors are for. Their job is to coordinate and keep things moving.

The Authority is the person with final sign-off on a Roadmap item. Their approval is required before the item can move into Execution.

What the Authority does

• Reviews the item once it reaches the Decision stage.
• Considers the proposal, the discussion, and any consultation input.
• Approves or rejects the item, with a reason if rejecting.
• Can send the item back for more input if there are unresolved questions.

Who becomes the Authority?

The Authority is usually determined by the nature of the item, specifically which area of UNITAF it falls under and who has responsibility for decisions in that area. For some item types, a default Authority is pre-configured by J11. The Pointman or an admin can also assign or update the Authority as needed.

How approval works

When the item reaches Decision, the Authority will see approval options on the item's page. They can choose to approve or reject, and optionally add a comment explaining their reasoning. The decision is recorded permanently on the item with a timestamp, so there's always a clear record of what was decided and by whom.

If approved, the item moves to Execution. If rejected, it moves to Concluded with the rejection reason recorded. The Authority can also send it back for more Consultation before making a final call.

Not everyone involved in a Roadmap item needs to be leading it or approving it. The Contributor and In the Loop roles cover the wider circle of people involved.

Contributors

Contributors are the people who provide input, expertise, and hands-on help. They might be specialists with knowledge relevant to the item, team members who'd be involved in the execution, or anyone who can assist with research, testing, or implementation.

As a Contributor, you're expected to actively engage with the item, whether that's joining the discussion, answering questions, reviewing proposals, or doing practical work during Execution. Contributors can also post official updates on the item.

An item can have multiple Contributors, and they can be added at any stage. If you think you can help with an item, reach out to the Pointman. They're the ones managing who's involved.

In the Loop

People marked as In the Loop are kept updated on progress and decisions. They don't need to be actively working on the item, but they should know what's happening, perhaps because their team will be affected, or because they have a general interest in the outcome.

Being In the Loop means you'll see updates and can contribute to discussion if you want to, but there's no expectation that you'll be hands-on. It's about awareness, not obligation.

Like Contributors, In the Loop members can be individuals or entire teams.