Organisational Structure, Responsibilities & Management Authority Procedure
Part of Food Industry Hub’s FSQMS Policies and Procedures Suite.
The Organisational Structure, Responsibilities & Management Authority Procedure forms part of the Food Industry Hub FSQMS Policies and Procedures Suite.
It defines how a clear organisational structure, lines of responsibility and management authority are established, maintained and communicated for activities that can influence food safety, quality, legality and authenticity.
The procedure brings management hierarchy, reporting lines, allocated responsibilities, deputisation, escalation and access to controlled instructions into one framework. It also sets expectations for training and for the use of external expertise where appropriate in-house knowledge or competence is not available.
Make responsibility visible through the organisation structure
A documented organisational structure is required as the basis for managing food safety, quality, legality and authenticity. The organisation chart provides the primary documented representation of that structure, showing the management hierarchy and reporting lines, identifying the managers responsible for relevant activities and clearly allocating responsibility for those activities.
The chart is reviewed at planned intervals and updated when organisational or personnel changes occur. This keeps the documented structure aligned with the people and reporting relationships on which management responsibility depends.
Maintain continuity when designated role holders are absent
The procedure requires appropriate authority and deputisation arrangements to be defined so responsibility can continue in the absence of key personnel. Those arrangements form part of the organisation chart and are intended to maintain continuity of responsibility when designated role holders are unavailable.
This is supported by the wider requirement for clear management authority, so decisions affecting product safety, quality, legality or authenticity are made by competent personnel with defined authority.
Communicate authority, responsibilities and escalation routes
Senior management is required to ensure that staff are aware of their responsibilities and that work is carried out in accordance with documented site policies, procedures, work instructions and established practices. Managers must communicate the responsibilities and authority relevant to each role, explain how personnel contribute to food safety, quality, legality and authenticity, and provide access to the documentation needed to perform assigned duties.
Escalation routes are defined and communicated so actual or potential risks can be reported without delay, appropriate managers can be informed and authorised to take corrective or preventive action, and relevant decisions are made by competent personnel with defined authority.
Allocate responsibilities from senior management to employees
Senior management owns the organisational structure, the allocation of management responsibilities, the organisation chart, deputisation arrangements and access to relevant controlled documentation. Technical and quality management supports the definition and documentation of responsibilities, keeps the organisation chart aligned with management responsibilities, maintains controlled access to relevant policies, procedures and work instructions, and provides guidance and oversight.
Departmental managers are responsible for fulfilling their assigned responsibilities, communicating authority and escalation routes within their teams and escalating food safety, quality, legality or authenticity risks, incidents or concerns to technical and senior management as required. Employees are expected to follow applicable documented requirements and report actual or potential risks, concerns or non-conforming conditions promptly through established reporting mechanisms.
Keep external expertise under internal accountability
Where appropriate in-house knowledge or competence relating to food safety, quality, legality or authenticity is not available, the procedure allows external expertise to be used. Its use must be controlled and documented.
External expertise is explicitly positioned as support rather than a replacement for internal management responsibility. Accountability for the management of food safety, quality, legality and authenticity remains with the company.
Support assigned authority with training and documented evidence
Personnel with responsibilities under the procedure are required to receive appropriate training covering their role within the organisational structure, their responsibilities and authority, and reporting and escalation requirements. Training is recorded and reviewed for effectiveness.
Records generated by the procedure may include organisation charts, role descriptions, deputisation records and training records. Together, these provide documented evidence of how the organisation has defined and supported responsibility, authority and continuity arrangements.
A responsibility and authority framework within the wider FSQMS
The procedure provides a defined organisational foundation for the wider Food Safety and Quality Management System by making management structure, responsibilities, authority and escalation explicit. It also references the controls for internal auditing, corrective action, non-conforming product and incident management, withdrawal and recall that sit elsewhere within the Suite.
For technical, quality and departmental managers, the document provides a structured way to keep responsibility visible, ensure authority is understood and maintain clear escalation where food safety, quality, legality or authenticity may be affected.