Who remains ultimately responsible for the outcome of a delegated task?

• A. The person who delegates authority
• B. The person who carries out the task
• C. The supervisor
• D. The organization

Answer: (A)

When you delegate a task, you still own the outcome. The person who assigns the task is the one who sets the expectations, defines the scope, provides the necessary resources, and monitors progress. If something goes wrong or the result isn’t up to standard, the responsibility for addressing it and answering for it rests with the person who delegated, not the person who carried out the task. The executor is responsible for performing the work correctly within the given parameters, but ultimate accountability lies with the delegator who chose to delegate in the first place. Supervisors or the organization provide guidance and oversight, but they don’t bear the day-to-day accountability for a single delegated task.