Role Authority & Decision Matrix

GeNext MedEd Foundation — Role Authority & Decision Matrix

Document code: GMEF-AUTH-001
Version: 1.0
Status: Controlled working matrix

Purpose
Defines who may initiate, review, recommend, approve, execute, verify, publish or close institutional actions. Titles alone do not create authority; authority must arise from an approved role, committee mandate, delegation or authorised decision.

Authority roles
- Board / Governing Authority — reserved institutional, legal, strategic and high-risk decisions.
- Academic Council / authorised academic authority — academic standards, programme approval, curriculum, faculty eligibility and academic quality.
- Programme Director / Programme Owner — operational ownership within approved scope.
- Research Authority / Research & Academic Council — research activation and governance coordination, subject to applicable institutional/IEC/IRB/regulatory authority.
- Institution Verification Authority — verifies host-centre evidence and programme-site suitability.
- Library / Academic Resource Review Authority — resource review and release within approved rights/privacy rules.
- Certificate Authority — authorises issue, correction, revocation and verification status.
- Quality / Audit Reviewer — audits, verifies CAPA closure and escalates unresolved risk.
- Ethics / Grievance / Appeals Reviewer — handles complaints, conduct matters and appeals according to mandate and conflict controls.
- Document Controller / Authorised Administrator — maintains controlled registers and publication status; does not create substantive authority merely by editing records.

Decision matrix
| Decision | Initiate | Review / recommend | Final authority | Execute / record | Independent verification where required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Create new programme | Programme/academic lead | Academic review | Academic Council / authorised governance | Programme owner + document control | Quality review |
| Material programme change | Programme owner | Academic/quality review | Original or higher approving authority | Programme owner | Document control |
| Close/pause programme | Programme owner / QA / governance | Academic + operational review | Authorised programme/governance authority | Document control | Annual/institutional review |
| Verify host centre | Institution team | Site reviewer | Institution Verification Authority | Registry admin | Periodic QA/site review |
| Approve centre for a programme | Programme + institution review | Academic/site review | Authorised programme-site authority | Registry admin | QA sampling |
| Appoint faculty/mentor | Programme/community lead | Credential/role review | Academic authority / authorised programme authority | Faculty register admin | Programme review |
| Activate research project | Investigator | Scientific/governance review | Authorised research authority plus external approvals as applicable | Research registry | Milestone/governance review |
| Release academic resource | Contributor | Rights/privacy + academic review | Resource Release Authority | Library admin | Version/review control |
| Issue certificate | Programme owner | Eligibility reconciliation | Certificate Authority | Certificate admin | Verification register |
| Correct/revoke certificate | Authorised reviewer | Evidence review | Certificate Authority | Certificate admin | Audit trail |
| Close CAPA | Process owner | Evidence check | Quality/Audit Reviewer | QA register | Effectiveness check where needed |
| Publish institutional record | Record owner | Accuracy/privacy/status review | Authorised publication role | Web/document admin | Source/register reconciliation |
| Decide serious grievance/conduct matter | Ethics/grievance reviewer | Conflict-free review panel where needed | Mandated authority | Restricted case record | Appeal pathway |
| Decide appeal | Appellant requests | Independent review | Designated appeal authority | Restricted decision record | No reviewer may simply re-approve own disputed decision |

Reserved decisions
The following should not be delegated casually: changes to institutional legal identity, formal governance structure, high-risk suspension/termination decisions, serious ethics/safeguarding findings, revocation of credentials, public correction of material institutional claims, and other matters reserved by law or governing documents.

Conflict rule
A person with a material conflict should disclose it and recuse where required. No individual should be the sole initiator, reviewer, final approver and verifier of the same high-impact decision unless formally justified and documented for an exceptional circumstance.