Having been a consultant on many public projects as both an Engineer of Record and Resident Engineer, I can say with confidence how valuable it is when public agencies implement a Roles and Responsibilities Matrix. Why? Because it means that each and every person’s role and their responsibilities are clearly and concisely outlined, defined, and assigned.
Did you know that a majority of public capital projects overshoot their budget and schedule targets, incurring additional costs? Based on that, one might think there would be more public agencies that routinely utilize this tool, but the reality is, they're not.
The problem lies mainly around setting it up, as a Roles and Responsibilities Matrix can be time-consuming and tedious, leading to avoidance altogether. Honestly, though, when agencies put in the effort up front, the Roles and Responsibilities Matrix helps them decrease their risk exposure to preventable consequences like costly delays or liability claims. Think of this tool as the construction management team’s most reliable safety net, catching even the smallest missteps or issues, before they fall through the cracks.
Paul Henderson, VP and Construction Manager with Filippin Engineering weighs in, "The implementation of a matrix removes ambiguity and prompts important questions early on, which is why it’s best established during the pre-construction phase. In my experience, when each team member knows exactly what they’re responsible for, the project runs smoother, risks are identified sooner, and surprises are far less disruptive. It’s one of the simplest, most succinct ways to create clarity and accountability from day one.”
Continue reading to learn about what a Roles and Responsibilities Matrix looks like, why it’s important, and how it can become your most useful and protective construction management tool.
What is it?
Very simply, a Roles and Responsibilities Matrix is a communication and accountability tool. Pertaining to public works construction projects, the Matrix maps out specific roles and requirements of the project manager, construction manager, and inspector, including who is directly responsible for handling action items that arise from: permits, conditions of approval, environmental documents, quality control and assurance (QA/QC) requirements, design engineer requirements, public outreach efforts, etc.
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Roles and Responsibilities Matrix
Why is this vital?
Above all else, the Roles and Responsibilities Matrix helps to prevent confusion, duplication of effort, and delays from tasks that may not be assigned correctly. Let’s take a closer look:
- Clarity of Responsibilities: By clearly defining responsibility and accountability, we can reduce ambiguity around who takes action in response to specific scenarios.
- Risk Planning: By creating a well defined matrix, project managers can more easily identify potential risks , allowing visibility into whether or not the team is adequately prepared and equipped to address specific risks.
- Accountability: Assigning accountability helps curb assumption. Each member of the team knows their role which can prevent gaps in response, reduce negative outcomes, and/or costly delays.
- Communication: Here’s where we create transparency! Specifying “who” needs to be informed about various tasks and risks keeps relevant stakeholders in the communication loop. This is key to both receiving input and support when needed and in fostering a collaborative risk management approach.
- Efficiency: Here we clearly define roles and responsibilities within the constraints of the project. The matrix helps public agencies allocate resources more efficiently for risk management efforts, making sure that: time, budget, and personnel are correctly assigned to their corresponding tasks and activities
- Experience: Nothing substitutes for expertise. And, especially on complex public works projects, we must identify stakeholders in the matrix so the project team can move quickly and efficiently to bring in outside resources to handle specialized, and perhaps unforeseen, actions.
What to include?
It’s important to remember that the level of detail should be comparable to the complexity of the project. That being said every plan should include:
- Tasks and Activities: To ensure clarity and specificity, each one should be clearly defined and broken down into management components.
Example: On a simple project, materials testing may be an adequate definition of a task. However, on a larger project, this could be broken into subtasks depending on how many specific activities require testing (i.e., earthwork, concrete, source inspection, etc.). - Roles: Key roles and stakeholders need to be defined. This includes: project manager or owner’s representative, construction manager, design engineer, architect, contractor, regulatory agencies, and other relevant personnel. And, to ensure redundancy, make sure to include two contacts, a primary and secondary.
- Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed Assignments: While it sounds like overkill on a small job, it’s important to designate who’s responsible for: performing the task, accountable for quality, needs to be consulted for input, and needs to be informed about the progress or completion. Remember, with a good template, these can be completed fast and efficiently.
- Updates: Treat your Matrix as a living document. Especially on projects that last months or years, you can expect changes in scope, team, and risk management strategies. Having the flexibility to update information in real time is invaluable.
- References: Including references to relevant documents and supporting information, can help maintain alignment between the matrix and other project documentation. Depending on project complexity, it is helpful to include: contracts, permit requirements, policies and procedures, or quality assurance plans.