Agenda
A timed list of topics and decision points that orients attendees and reduces off-topic discussion during the session.
A formal review session centralizes decision-making, shortens approval cycles, and creates a recorded audit trail of decisions and responsibilities. It helps detect schedule drift, scope creep, and budget variances early, enabling corrective actions and clearer accountability among team members and stakeholders.
Project managers usually run the session; attendees vary by phase and business area.
Keep the attendee list lean: include decision-makers and those with actionable inputs to avoid scope dilution and meeting bloat.
The Project Manager documents the review, compiles evidence, and is responsible for producing the summary report and tracking action items until closure.
The Sponsor has authority to approve scope, budget, and timeline changes and must sign final decisions or delegations noted in the review session record.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Signature Field | Assigned to approver email address |
| Date Field | Auto-populate on signature |
| Attachment Field | Support documents uploaded by reviewers |
| Authentication | Email link or SMS code per signer |
Choose a platform that supports secure storage, audit trails, and common integrations to keep the session record linked to project systems.
Ensure the platform enables download of a tamper-evident signed PDF with an audit certificate and that integration mappings retain version metadata across systems.
A timed list of topics and decision points that orients attendees and reduces off-topic discussion during the session.
Names, titles, and roles of participants including who has decision authority and who is a technical contributor.
Key metrics, variance reports, test results, and change requests attached or referenced with version identifiers.
Clear statements of approved changes, their rationale, and any conditions or contingencies tied to the approval.
Assigned owner, due date, priority, and acceptance criteria for each follow-up item created during the session.
Document version number, author, edit history, and a finalized timestamp for the signed record.
A tamper-evident PDF containing all signatures, visible signature blocks, and an embedded audit certificate for compliance.
A machine-readable CSV or Excel extract of action items, owners, dates, and completion status for project tracking.
Linked logs, test reports, and approvals zipped or attached with clear file naming and version tags.
A concise summary of approved scope or baseline changes including references to originating change requests.
Send draft materials at least 3 business days before the session
Allow 48–72 hours for written reviewer comments
Require signed approvals within 5 business days of session
Begin tracked work within 2 business days of assignment
Store final signed record within 2 business days after sign-off
PM schedules session and assigns preparatory tasks
Collect evidence and circulate drafts for comment
Stakeholders discuss and record decisions
Sign, distribute final record, and archive
| Criteria | Electronic Signature | Digital Signature |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | any electronic process | pki-based cryptographic signature |
| Non-repudiation | audit trail evidence | certificate-based, stronger |
| Typical Use | general approvals | high-assurance regulatory filings |
| Implementation | platform features | ca-issued certificates |
| signNow | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | PandaDoc | HelloSign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $8/user/mo | $15/user/mo | $14/user/mo | $19/user/mo | $15/user/mo |
| Free Trial | Yes, 7-day trial | No | No | Yes, limited | Yes, limited |
| Bulk Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |