Sub-activity description

A sub-activity description is a statement of what needs to be accomplished to complete each activity within a larger project or process. It breaks an activity into smaller pieces of work and says what each piece involves. The Government of Canada uses the term in funding-application guidance.

The term also appeared in the former Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) Supply Manual, where "Sub-activity Description" is a heading in a table that divides procurement responsibilities between two departments. In both places, the term describes work to be done. It is not a contract clause or a standard supplier form.

Definition in the Enabling Accessibility Fund application

Employment and Social Development Canada's Enabling Accessibility Fund guidance defines the term directly. In the guidance on preparing a contribution application, a sub-activity description is what needs to be accomplished to complete each activity.

The guidance places the field under "Project description." An applicant lists the activities in the project, then describes the sub-activities that make up each one.

The mid-sized project version of the guidance

The fund's mid-sized project application guidance uses the same term with the same meaning. A sub-activity description again explains what needs to be accomplished to complete the activity.

Because both streams use identical wording, an applicant can expect the same level of detail whichever version of the application applies to its project.

Use in the former PWGSC Supply Manual

The former PWGSC Supply Manual contains a section headed "Sub-activity Description." It forms part of Annex 3.3.1, "Division of Responsibilities Between PWGSC and TC for the Acquisition of Materiel and Services." The annex is available in the 2008 edition of the manual.

Here the heading names the procurement-related activities in the matrix. Each row describes a piece of the acquisition process and shows which department is responsible for it. The matrix is an internal tool for allocating work between PWGSC and Transport Canada.

How the matrix assigns responsibility

The matrix distinguishes between the department responsible for a sub-activity and the department that normally participates in it. Its first major item, "Definition of Operational Needs," assigns overall responsibility to Transport Canada.

• Defining essential characteristics
• Delineating feasible solutions
• Preparing preliminary project cost and schedule estimates

These are the sub-activities listed under that item. The matrix states that PWGSC could normally participate in some of them, including preliminary procurement cost and schedule estimates, or participate as mutually agreed.

What it means for a supplier

The two uses of the term are a program-funding application and an internal division of responsibilities between departments. Neither is a form that a supplier completes in a bid. A supplier will meet the term mainly when applying for funding, such as under the Enabling Accessibility Fund, where each activity needs a clear account of the work required to finish it.

Suppliers can still draw on the Supply Manual's logic. Many requirements begin with defining operational needs, identifying feasible solutions and estimating cost and schedule. Knowing that these steps are often split between a client department and PWGSC helps a bid team see who shaped the requirement and who manages the purchase. When writing a funding application, state each sub-activity as a specific piece of work that can be finished, so the reviewer can see how each activity will be completed.