Shared Responsibility

Translate shared responsibility into owners, cadence, and evidence outputs

What a CMMC shared responsibility matrix should track across the contractor, MSP, MSSP, CSP, enclave provider, RPO, vCISO, and evidence coordinator.

Use the owner matrix Discuss provider coordination

Implementation and evidence production can belong to different parties

Shared responsibilities need dependency and handoff fields

Every row needs an expected output and cadence

The contractor retains overall responsibility

Avoid a single RACI letter per control

One NIST requirement can contain several objectives and multiple operating tasks. A provider may configure a system while the contractor approves access, reviews results, and preserves the record. The matrix should be detailed enough to drive evidence requests.

Add evidence fields to the responsibility fields

The minimum useful row explains how the responsibility will be proven.

Applicable objective or responsibility statement
Implementer and process operator
Evidence producer and approved source
Expected artifact, record, interview owner, or test operator
Cadence and change trigger
Client reviewer, qualified reviewer, and escalation authority

Review the matrix when services change

The matrix should be reviewed at onboarding, renewal, scope change, provider change, and assessment preparation. A static matrix can become misleading when service descriptions or architectures change.

What the work produces

Concrete, client-owned operating records

Objective-level responsibility matrix

Evidence-output fields

Shared dependency map

Cadence and trigger fields

Review and escalation routing

Responsibility boundary

Facts, not verdicts

The matrix documents how work is allocated. It does not remove the contractor’s obligations or predetermine assessment findings.

Questions buyers ask

Frequently asked questions

Is a shared responsibility matrix required in one official format?

No single Gridex format is mandated. The important requirement is to document ESP relationships, services, scope, and responsibilities sufficiently for the program and assessment.

How often should it be reviewed?

At a minimum when providers, services, scope, systems, contracts, or relevant responsibilities change, and during scheduled program and assessment preparation reviews.

Primary references

Source context

DoD CMMC Level 2 Scoping Guide v2.13 Defines the assessment scope, asset categories, ESP relationships, and responsibility documentation. DoD CMMC Level 2 Assessment Guide v2.13 Defines assessment objectives, evidence expectations, MET and NOT MET findings, and Examine, Interview, and Test methods.

Start with one bounded scope

Bring the evidence state you actually have.

Gridex will map the operating work, the human judgment boundary, and the safest next step.

Use the owner matrix →