The client asks to pause for a few weeks. Work stops, but tasks remain open, access remains unchanged and the team assumes the old dates still apply when the client returns. A planned pause should record the current position, protect the work and define the conditions for a controlled restart.
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Confirm the commercial consequences through the actual agreement and appropriate owner. This operational checklist does not decide payment, cancellation or contractual rights. Its purpose is to stop a temporary pause becoming an unclear permanent state.
Capture a pause snapshot
Agree what stops and whether any work must continue, such as an essential handover or an already authorised obligation. Avoid leaving individual colleagues to interpret the pause differently.
Record what is complete, what is unfinished and which decisions or inputs are outstanding. Preserve current versions and supporting context so the team does not have to reconstruct the engagement later.
A pause and restart checklist
Reason, effective date and authorised contacts.
Current deliverables, versions and approval status.
Remaining work and unresolved issues.
Work that continues, with explicit ownership.
Supplier, access and information-handling actions reviewed by appropriate owners.
Capacity released and commitments requiring revalidation.
Client communication and next review point.
Restart trigger, required inputs and decision-maker.
Fresh scope, capacity and schedule check before resuming.
Use a review date even when the client cannot confirm a restart date. An open-ended pause still needs someone to monitor its status.
An illustrative restart
A client returns after a postponed product launch. The old work is available, but the campaign message, approver and launch date have changed. The account owner reviews the remaining work and confirms a revised plan before assigning production.
The agency does not assume the previous delivery slot remains reserved. Equally, it does not treat all historical work as obsolete without checking what can still be used.
Close the pause explicitly
Mark the engagement as restarted, extended on pause or closed through the agreed route. Communicate the decision to the people who manage capacity, client updates and supplier commitments. Update the operating record so old tasks do not quietly reappear as overdue work.
Related guidance: guide to working with an external operations partner.
