Responsibility Matrix

A Responsibility Matrix is a table that assigns responsibility for procurement activities among the parties involved. In Canadian federal procurement, it sets out an assigned division of responsibility between the procuring organization and its client. It shows which party holds the primary role and which party provides support.

The primary role is designated Lead and the supporting role is designated Participatory. The same idea appears in federal material under other names, including matrix of responsibilities, division of responsibilities and roles and responsibilities matrix. The principal federal example divides work between Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the common-service procurement organization, and the client departments that define operational requirements and support procurement activities.

The generic matrix between PSPC and clients

CanadaBuys publishes a generic matrix of responsibilities between PSPC and clients for the procurement of goods and services. It describes the division of anticipated responsibilities for each party. The activities covered include defining the client's operational requirements, establishing procurement outcomes and carrying out the responsibilities of the procurement process.

CanadaBuys states that this matrix establishes the basis for an effective partnership between PSPC and its clients. The division of responsibilities page explains how the matrix is used in practice.

The DND and PSPC responsibility matrix

CanadaBuys also publishes an agreements with the Department of National Defence matrix. It applies to all DND goods and services procured by PSPC. For each procurement activity, it names DND or PSPC as Lead or Participatory.

The activities it covers include:

• defining essential characteristics;
• preparing a statement of capability deficiency or a statement of requirement;
• supporting procurement and technical activities; and
• dividing responsibility between DND and PSPC during the acquisition process.

The matrix does not delegate procurement authority from the Minister of PSPC. It also does not change the responsibilities of buyers under the Treasury Board Directive on the Management of Procurement. An earlier version, the DND/PWGSC Responsibility Matrix, was published in the PWGSC Supply Manual and used the same Lead and Participatory designations.

How written agreements and policy affect the matrix

The generic matrix is a starting point. CanadaBuys states that it can be adapted through written agreements for a particular procurement or client. Specific written agreements take precedence over the generic matrix. Legislation, regulations and policy can override it.

A reader should therefore treat the published matrix as the baseline allocation of duties. The agreement for the specific client or procurement sets the actual allocation.

Responsibility matrices inside solicitations

A Responsibility Matrix can also appear directly in a solicitation or contract. It then identifies which party, such as the government organization or the vendor, is responsible for specific functions. The CanadaBuys draft invitation to qualify for PISA 2.0 includes a Responsibility Matrix that names the responsible party, either SSC or the vendor, for ownership, ordering, installation and lifecycle functions.

What a Responsibility Matrix means for suppliers

The PSPC and client matrices are an internal allocation of duties between government organizations. They do not by themselves create a separate obligation for a supplier. A supplier is bound by the solicitation, the resulting contract, the statement of work, the technical requirements and any policies or clauses incorporated into them.

When a Responsibility Matrix is part of a solicitation or contract, the supplier should:

• review the matrix as part of the solicitation or contract documents;
• identify every activity assigned to the vendor;
• make sure the bid describes the capabilities and delivery model needed to perform those activities; and
• perform the assigned activities in accordance with the resulting contract.

On DND work procured through PSPC, the Lead and Participatory designations also show which organization to expect to lead requirements definition and which to lead the procurement process.