Know which role holds the decision
A practical distinction for everyday work
In this Northstar Services example, doing means preparing or carrying out a change; owning means being accountable for a page’s purpose, audience, and accuracy; approving means authorizing a decision within a defined boundary; and administering means operating the platform, structure, and access controls.
One person may hold more than one role, but the responsibility should still be clear for each decision.
Worked responsibility matrix
R = performs the work; A = accountable decision owner; C = consulted before the decision; I = informed after the decision. Assignments are fictional examples.
| Decision or activity | Intranet administrator | Content owner | Author | Moderator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set platform access rules and administer permissions | A / R | C | I | I |
| Create or change shared site structure | A / R | C | I | I |
| Maintain accuracy and audience of an owned page | C | A | R | I |
| Draft and submit a routine content change | I | A | R | I |
| Approve specialist-sensitive claims | C | A; obtains specialist review | R; routes for review | I |
| Moderate comments under agreed participation rules | C | C | I | A / R |
| Retire a page and coordinate platform changes | R for platform changes | A for content disposition | C | I |
Decision boundary at a glance
If a change crosses a boundary, pause and make the handoff explicit.
| Details | Routine, within one owned page | Broader impact or specialist review |
|---|---|---|
| Example | Correct an outdated team-page link | Change shared navigation or publish a cross-team claim |
| Content owner | Confirms the page remains accurate | Coordinates affected owners or reviewer input |
| Administrator | Supports only if a platform permission is needed | Reviews platform-wide structure or access impact |
| Release decision | Authorized publisher releases under local permissions | Release follows the required owner and specialist approvals |
Ownership questions
Resolve the decision, not just the edit.
Who resolves conflicting edits to an owned page?
The content owner decides which wording serves the page’s audience and purpose. If the disagreement concerns specialist accuracy or affects another team, the owner seeks that reviewer’s input before the authorized publisher releases the change.
Who decides when a page should be retired?
The content owner decides whether the content is still needed and accurate. The administrator coordinates any platform-level removal, access, or navigation change.
Can an author publish their own draft?
Only when the organization’s permissions and the content owner’s process authorize it. Otherwise, the author submits the draft to the owner or authorized publisher.