The EPD Escalation Pathway — How to Prevent Issues From Dying in Email Threads
By Ben Webb – Project Manager | Creator of Enabling Project Delivery
“If escalation feels like failure, your culture is broken.”
Every project hits friction.
Delays. Decisions that don’t land. Risks that suddenly get real.
And when that happens, the worst thing a team can do is… nothing.
But that’s exactly what most teams do:
Send one email.
Wait for a reply.
Mention it in a meeting.
Send a follow-up.
Move on and hope someone else picks it up.
That’s not escalation. That’s avoidance.
And it’s how small problems quietly evolve into delivery failure.
Enabling Project Delivery (EPD) treats escalation as a strategic behaviour — not a last resort.
It’s expected, structured, and enabled from day one.
Why Escalation Fails in Most Projects
It’s seen as political
It’s personal (“I don’t want to throw them under the bus”)
It’s ambiguous (“Do we even know who owns this?”)
It’s unsafe (“No one’s ever done that before”)
It’s delayed (“Let’s give it another week…”)
And in the meantime:
Progress stalls
Teams disengage
Stakeholders lose confidence
Risk grows silently
What Escalation Looks Like in EPD
In EPD, escalation is not drama.
It’s not shouting, finger-pointing, or throwing people under the bus.
It’s this:
“We’ve hit a blocker. Here’s the context, the risk, and our recommendation. We need a decision or intervention by Thursday.”
Clear. Timed. Neutral. Documented.
The EPD Escalation Pathway: Step-by-Step
🔹 1. Define Escalation Thresholds Early
What needs to be escalated?
What’s within the team’s control — and what isn’t?
What’s a blocker vs. a bump?
🟢 Result: Teams escalate the right things at the right time.
🔹 2. Assign Escalation Owners
Every domain has a named decision-maker or escalation target
Not a committee — a person
Their role is visible, not buried in a RACI chart
🟢 Result: No more “Who do we send this to?”
🔹 3. Use the EPD Escalation Brief Format
When raising an escalation under EPD, teams should follow a structured briefing format. The issue should be stated clearly, with specific and time-bound details. Next, outline the impact — what is at risk in terms of time, cost, quality, or stakeholder trust.
Summarise the action already taken by the team to address the problem, followed by a recommended course of action. Include a deadline for when a decision is needed, along with the consequences of any further delay. Finally, identify the escalation owner — the individual to whom the issue is being formally raised.
🟢 Result: Leaders don’t get problems — they get options.
🔹 4. Build Escalation Into the Rhythm
Weekly check-ins include “What needs escalation?”
Registers flag stalled items with built-in escalation triggers
Escalation isn’t something extra — it’s part of the flow
🟢 Result: Problems don’t disappear. They surface early and cleanly.
🔹 5. Protect the Culture
Escalation is seen as a leadership act
People are rewarded for early signalling
No blame for raising the flag — blame comes from hiding it
🟢 Result: Safer teams, stronger leadership, fewer surprises.
What This Prevents
Long delays masked by passive waiting
Silent risk accumulation
Passive-aggressive meetings
“I didn’t know that was happening” moments
Disputes about who was supposed to act
What This Enables
Early intervention
Fast decisions
Stronger stakeholder trust
More confident teams
Higher delivery velocity
A Quick Litmus Test
Ask your team:
“If you hit a blocker, who do you escalate to — and how quickly?”
If the answer is vague or cautious, your project is vulnerable.
Escalation shouldn’t be scary.
It should be structural.
Coming Up Next
Toolkit Post: The EPD Trade-Off Matrix — A Practical Tool for Fast, Aligned, and Defensible Decisions
We’ll show how to use this tool to pre-negotiate your project’s priorities — so future conflicts don’t derail progress.
About the Author
Ben Webb is an award-winning project manager and project leadership strategist, known for delivering clarity, structure, and results in high-stakes environments. He’s the creator of Enabling Project Delivery (EPD) — a values-led, behaviour-driven approach to modern project delivery.
📝 More insights at: www.benwebb.au
🎙️ Podcast & videos: YouTube @TheProjectPod
📱 Follow on X (Twitter): @BenWebbpm