A project manager is assigned to a project where the executive is often unavailable. Which role can act as a substitute for the executive when making business case decisions?
Correct: decisions requiring executive input must be escalated.
Why this answer
In PRINCE2, the Executive is the single point of accountability for the business case and must approve any changes to it. If the Executive is unavailable, no other role can substitute for this authority; the project manager must escalate the decision to the full Project Board. This ensures that business justification decisions are never made without the accountable party or the collective board.
Exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often assume the Senior User or Senior Supplier can step in for the Executive because they are also board members, but PRINCE2 explicitly reserves business case authority for the Executive alone, and no substitute is permitted.
How to eliminate wrong answers
Option B is wrong because the Senior User represents the users' interests and is responsible for specifying requirements and benefits, but they do not have authority over the business case or its financial justification. Option C is wrong because the Senior Supplier represents the supplier's interests and is responsible for the technical integrity of deliverables, not for business case decisions. Option D is wrong because Project Assurance is an independent monitoring role that checks compliance and provides guidance, but it has no decision-making authority over the business case.