Find Out Who Signs Off Before You Build the Course

The moment everything falls apart

You just spent months working on an e-learning project. You tested it. Got feedback. Made adjustments. And now you’re ready to launch. But then the person for whom you’ve been building the project says, “Before we launch, let’s get my manager’s approval.”

And at that point, things to start to unravel.

Why late-stage reviews hurt so much

When a new stakeholder enters at the final stage, the scope of the project can shift overnight. This type of stuff happens all the time. The legal team spots a liability. Marketing wants to adjust the messaging. A senior leader wants the whole thing restructured.

It happens. We’ve all been there. None of this is malicious, but it could have been avoided.

Find the final authority first

Before you write a single learning objective, find out who has final approval over the course. That’s the person whose feedback ends the review cycle. Every other stakeholder feeds into that person’s decision.

Knowing who that is early changes everything about how you run the project.

What to nail down in that first meeting

Once you’ve identified the final authority, get a few key things in writing before development starts.

• Clarify the objectives and expected outcomes
• Identify metrics for measuring success
• Map out the review and approval process
• Confirm the budget

These aren’t formalities. They’re the agreements that protect everyone’s time. A short conversation at the start of a project can prevent weeks of rework near the end.

Work from the agreement, not from memory

Once you have a clear scope and an agreed-upon process, stick to it. I like to create a service level agreement that details all of this.

If the project starts to drift, point back to what was established. A written agreement doesn’t mean the project can’t change. It means changes are deliberate, documented, and approved. Don’t let scope creep happen because no one wrote anything down.

Key takeaways

Finding the right person to approve your project isn’t just good project management. It’s how you protect the learner experience. When the final authority is involved early, the design can reflect their real goals rather than guessing at them. Before your next project kicks off, ask one question: who is the last person who needs to say yes?

Start there.