approving

Approving is the act of granting permission or consent for a proposal, action, or document to proceed. It typically involves verification against established criteria, policies, or regulations, and results in a formal record such as a sign-off, endorsement, or authorization.

Approvals occur in many domains. In organizations they are part of governance and operational processes, such as purchase approvals, project approvals, or content publication. An approval usually requires a designated approver or a chain of approvers, and may be subject to workflow rules, budgets, risk assessments, or compliance checks. Methods include manual signatures, digital signatures, vote-based decisions, or automated checks that compare proposed actions to policy.

In legal, regulatory, and professional contexts, approvals are required to authorize activities such as licenses, permits, clinical trials, or ethical reviews. These approvals are often documented and subject to audits; failure to obtain required approvals can result in sanctions or invalidation of actions.

In computing and information systems, approval workflows route requests to appropriate approvers, maintain audit trails, and may support delegation and revocation. Digital signatures and certificate authorities provide a cryptographic basis for asserting approval.

Design and management considerations include preventing bottlenecks, ensuring accountability, enforcing separation of duties, clear criteria, time limits, and traceability. Approvals may be delegated or revoked, and retroactive changes may be restricted or audited.