Delegator

A delegator is a person or entity that assigns tasks or authority to another person or entity (the delegate). The delegator retains ultimate responsibility for the outcome and defines the scope, objectives, and deadlines of the delegated work.

In management and organization, delegation is a strategic management tool to increase efficiency, develop staff, and ensure continuity. Effective delegation requires selecting appropriate tasks, matching to capabilities, clear instructions, authority, accountability, and feedback loops. Pitfalls include under- or over-delegation, unclear expectations, and lack of trust.

In software engineering, the delegator pattern is a form of delegation where an object forwards requests to a delegate that implements the actual behavior. The delegator maintains a reference to the delegate and routes method calls. This can improve modularity and flexibility but adds indirection and can complicate debugging.

In law and public administration, delegation refers to authorizing another party to act on one's behalf. The delegator (principal) transfers certain powers to a delegate (agent) within defined limits. Legal frameworks typically specify scope, duration, and revocability.

Etymology and usage: from Latin delegare, "to detach, appoint by assignment." The term is common in organizational literature; in programming, the preferred term for the second party is usually "delegate," while "delegator" names the delegating object.