AKV matrix - Citizen Service Portal (BSP-2026), as of 15/05/2026
- Project manager
- Dr Anke Berger
- Sponsor
- First Deputy Mayor
- Markers
- E Decide · P Plan · A Execute · M Consult · K Control · I Inform
| Work package1 | PM Berger2 | Sponsor | Citizen service dept. | Public order dept. | IT coordination3 | Vendor4 | Staff council5 | Check6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 Gather department requirements | E, P | I | A, M | A, M | M | - | M | ok |
| 1.3 Produce functional concept | P, K | E | M | M | M | A | I | ok |
| 2.1 Tender and award | P, A | E | M | I | M | - | I | ok |
| 2.3 Interface to residents' register | P, K | I | I | - | E | A | - | ok |
| 3.2 Data protection impact assessment | P | I | M | M | A | M | M | no decision-maker |
| 4.1 Case worker training | E, P | I | A | A | - | A | M | ok |
| 4.3 Handover to regular operation | P | E | M | M | E, A | M | I | duplicate |
Notes on the fields
- 1Work package: One row per work package from the work breakdown structure, with WBS number. Not per task - then the matrix is 200 rows long and nobody maintains it.
- 2PM Berger: One column per role or person. Roles last longer than names; names are less ambiguous. The example uses both, because in a public sector project the departments act as units.
- 3IT coordination: Marker E goes where operational responsibility lies - for the interface that is IT coordination, not the project manager, even though she steers the package.
- 4Vendor: Externals get A and M, rarely P and never E. Whoever hands the decision to the vendor has given the project away.
- 5Staff council: M wherever case workers' jobs are affected; I for the rest. If the staff council is missing from the matrix, it will be missing from the works agreement later.
- 6Check: Formula: row without E → "no decision-maker", more than one E → "duplicate", otherwise "ok". This is the actual value of the matrix; the discussion about the red rows takes longer than filling it in.
What an AKV matrix is and how it differs from RACI
The AKV matrix defines for every work package of a project who holds which role: A for Aufgaben (tasks - who does it), K for Kompetenzen (authority - who may decide) and V for Verantwortung (accountability - who answers for it). It is also called responsibility matrix, responsibility assignment matrix, role matrix or linear responsibility chart; in the English-speaking world the RACI matrix is common (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed). The idea is the same: a table in which rows are work packages, columns are roles, and the cells say who does what.
The difference from RACI lies in the markers. RACI has four; the variant of the AKV matrix used here has six: E Decide, P Plan, A Execute, M Consult (is consulted, provides input), K Control, I Inform. That is more practical for public sector and industrial projects, because planning and executing often sit with different people there, and because co-determination (staff council, works council) needs a marker of its own.
What is the sheet for? For the two questions that get asked in every project at some point: "who actually decided that?" and "why did nobody ask me?" A matrix with a check column answers both in advance: every row has exactly one decision-maker, and everyone affected appears with M or I.
The template comes as an Excel sheet with check column and as a PDF, plus the completed sample above from the fictional "Citizen Service Portal" project of the City of Lindenau - with two deliberately red rows.
How to fill in the AKV matrix
Rows first: take the work packages from the work breakdown structure with their WBS number. Not the individual tasks - then the matrix is two hundred rows long and from week three nobody maintains it. Twenty to forty rows is normal for a mid-sized project.
Then the columns: one per role or person. Roles ("public order department") survive staff changes, names ("Dr Berger") are less ambiguous; the example uses both, because in public sector projects the departments act as units and the project manager is one person. Externals (vendor) get a column of their own, the staff council too.
Now the cells, row by row, with the E first: who decides on this work package? Exactly one. Then P (who plans), A (who executes - may be several), M (who is consulted), K (who checks the result), I (who is told). Not every cell has to be filled; a dash is a statement too.
Finally read the check column. In the example row 3.2 is red because nobody decides on the data protection impact assessment, and row 4.3 because sponsor and IT coordination both have an E. Those two rows are the reason for making the matrix - the discussion about them takes longer than filling it in, and it happens now rather than during operation. The numbered notes on the sheet above go through the columns one by one.
Typical mistakes in AKV matrices
- Two decision-makers in one row
- Sponsor and IT coordination both have an E for handover to regular operation. That feels harmonious in the workshop and leads in October to neither of them deciding. One E per row, no exceptions.
- The project manager decides everything
- E in every row for the project manager, because that is easiest. Then she also decides on the interface that IT coordination answers for in operation - and IT coordination does not stick to it later.
- Matrix at task level
- Two hundred rows, every single task from the plan. After three weeks it no longer matches, and nobody reads it. Work packages, not tasks.
- Co-determination missing
- The staff council has no column because it "does not work on the project". Six months later it stops the training because it was never asked. M wherever jobs are affected.
- Filled in once, never changed
- After contract award the vendor joins the project, after the functional concept the work packages change - the matrix still shows the kick-off state. Go through it once after every change to the WBS.
When the Excel template stops being enough
For one project with a project manager who maintains the matrix alone, Excel is the right tool. It gets difficult when several people are supposed to work on it: the department enters its assignments in one copy, IT coordination in another, and after the second replanning there are three versions, none of which matches the work breakdown structure.
In WORKSPACE.PM the AKV matrix is a page inside the project that everyone with permission maintains together:
| In the file | WORKSPACE.PM |
|---|---|
| People and roles sit as text in column headers; on a change, every copy is corrected separately. | People are system users or externally named persons with a role; name, role and user assignment are changed once in the project and apply to all rows of the matrix. |
| Work packages are typed into the matrix and drift apart after replanning. | Work packages of the matrix are created, renamed, ordered and removed inside the project. |
| Whoever wants to change one person's assignments goes through the table row by row. | Set or change markers A, E, I, K, M, P per person and work package; replace all of a person's assignments in one step. |
| Whoever wants to see where a person has M everywhere filters by hand. | Filter assignments by person or work package; access is governed by the project permission "project network & organisation". |
This template exists in WORKSPACE.PM as the AKV matrix per project
On the team page of every project WORKSPACE.PM keeps an AKV matrix of people and work packages. People are added as users or as externally named persons with a role, work packages are created and ordered inside the project. Per person and work package you set the markers A, E, I, K, M and P; a person's assignments can be saved in one step and filtered by person or work package. Access is governed by the project permission "project network & organisation".
See team and project organisation in WORKSPACE.PMFrequently asked questions about the AKV matrix template
01What does the template cost, and do I have to sign up?
Nothing, and no. The files sit directly behind the links, without a form and without an e-mail address.
02AKV matrix or RACI matrix - which should I use?
If your organisation already uses one of the two, stick with it. If not: AKV with six markers is finer-grained, because planning and executing are separate markers and consulting (staff council, departments) has a marker of its own. RACI with four markers is quicker to explain. The template can be switched to RACI by changing the marker legend; the check column then checks for exactly one A (Accountable).
03What exactly do the six markers mean?
E Decide: may decide on the work package, exactly one per row. P Plan: sets approach, dates and effort. A Execute: does the work, may be several. M Consult: is consulted and provides input. K Control: checks the result. I Inform: is told about the result.
04How many rows should the matrix have?
As many as there are work packages in the WBS - twenty to forty for a mid-sized project. If it exceeds sixty, they are tasks, not work packages.
05When is the matrix created and updated?
Created at project start as soon as the WBS stands - ideally in a workshop with everyone who has a column. Updated after every change to the WBS and whenever a person with an E changes.
06Does the template work in LibreOffice?
The Excel file contains no macros, the check column is an ordinary formula with conditional formatting. LibreOffice Calc replaces the Calibri font with the metrically identical Carlito, so columns and line breaks stay the same. We have tested the template with Microsoft Office.
07May I adapt the template and use it at work?
Yes, commercially too, in any number of projects, with your own markers and columns. Only resale and publication as your own template are excluded.
Maintain the AKV matrix in the project instead of in three copies
The sandbox opens a WORKSPACE.PM instance with demo projects, no registration. Open a project's team page there and set the markers for one person.
Up and running in five minutes, no credit card.