Form your commissioning team and issue the Cx Organization Chart

Jeremy Curtis

Published: Aug 18, 20266 min read

After reading this guide, you will be able to understand how to form an independent commissioning team, verify stakeholder decision authority, preserve the Commissioning Provider’s (CxP) independence, and issue an accepted Cx Organization Chart.

Purpose of the step

This 'how to' is part of the ASHRAE Stage 1 series. It supports [Phase 1, Step 2] of the Pre-Design commissioning process.

For the full Stage 1 overview, see the Stage 1 guideline.

The formal purpose of [Phase 1, Step 2] is to form the commissioning team, confirm decision authority for every member, and issue the Cx Organization Chart as the accepted governance record before any structured Pre-Design commissioning activity begins. This enacts [Guideline 0-2019 Section 5.2.1.1], which requires a CxP Team to be formed during Predesign to oversee, implement, and accomplish commissioning activities, with each member available for meetings, qualified to contribute to OPR development, and holding authority to make binding decisions for the organisations they represent.

In practical terms, this step ensures that:

The CxP's reporting line to the Owner or Owner's Representative [see Key Terms] is formally documented and independent of the design and construction entities before any Pre-Design work proceeds.
Every team member's decision authority is checked and recorded, so the first OPR workshop session is not derailed by the discovery that the people in the room cannot actually commit to anything.
FM and O&M personnel are included at this step, giving their operational knowledge the opportunity to shape the OPR before design assumptions overwrite it.
The project has a usable delivery structure, a record that answers "who decides this?" and "who needs to be in the room?" at every subsequent Pre-Design activity.
The decision matrix governing meetings, issue escalation, and formal approvals at [Phase 1, Steps 3], [Phase 1, Step 7], [Phase 1, Step 8], [Phase 1, Step 10], and [Phase 1, Step 11] is built from agreed information.

Inputs and Outputs

Required Inputs

Expected Outputs

Executed CxP appointment from [Phase 1, Step 1], establishing the CxP's independent authority.

Issued and formally accepted Cx Organization Chart detailing the commissioning team structure, roles, and reporting lines.

Identified Owner / Owner's Representative and clarity on whether the Project Manager [PM] holds delegated Owner acceptance authority.

Named Pre-Design commissioning team list with defined roles, authority levels, and documented PM delegation limits.

Early project information on scope and delivery route to inform who needs to be at the table.

Written authority confirmation from each participating organisation, detailing representative names, decision limits, and escalation paths.

Availability and commitment confirmation for FM, O&M, and end-user representatives.

Agreed attendance and governance basis to enforce [Phase 1, Step 3] meeting protocols and [Phase 1, Step 7] OPR workshop participation.

Any existing Owner governance mapping or general project organisation information.

Contact and responsibility data formatted and ready to flow directly into the initial Cx Plan at [Phase 1, Step 10].

Step Checklist

Owner / Owner's Representative is named, their commissioning acceptance authority confirmed in writing, and any delegation to the Project Manager [PM] is documented before the Cx Organization Chart is drafted.
CxP is listed as team lead for the commissioning process, with a direct reporting line to the Owner or Owner's Representative confirmed and independent from design and construction entities.
Project Manager [PM] is listed with their authority level stated explicitly: what they can decide in the room, what requires escalation to the Owner, and what is reserved for formal Owner acceptance.
FM and O&M personnel are named as active team members, not deferred to construction or listed as future observers.
End-user and occupant representatives are identified, with their scope of contribution confirmed relative to the OPR workshop agenda.
Written authority confirmation received from every participating organisation before the first OPR-related session is scheduled.
Cx Organization Chart drafted showing CxP reporting directly to Owner / Owner's Representative, independent of design and construction entities.
Cx Organization Chart issued for review and all CxP Team comments resolved.
Formal written Owner acceptance of the Cx Organization Chart obtained and recorded with date and version number.
Delivery method reviewed and any adjustments to team composition or phasing documented, with CxP independence preserved regardless of procurement route.
Accepted chart distributed and used to set [Phase 1, Step 3] meeting attendance lists, distribution, and governance basis.

How to

Section 4 covers the full team formation and governance mapping sequence across seven sub-steps. Work through them in order to ensure authority is documented before any structured Pre-Design commissioning activity begins.

Quick reference:

4a. Identify the core Pre-Design commissioning team
4b. Verify decision authority for every team member
4c. Draft the Cx Organization Chart
4d. Adjust team composition for project delivery method
4e. Obtain written authority confirmation from every participating organisation
4f. Issue the Cx Organization Chart for review and obtain Owner acceptance
4g. Use the accepted chart to oversee the next steps

Do not just list personnel. Every team member must have confirmed authority to make decisions and commit resources for their organization. Guideline 0-2019 sets the standard directly: team members must hold authority to make decisions binding on the organisations they represent.

The following steps build that list systematically, starting with the parties who carry the requirements the OPR must capture.

List Owner-side participants first: Owner or Owner's Representative [decision authority and budget holder], Commissioning Provider [team lead, independent of design and construction], and Project Manager [PM] if a PM structure exists and is not a decision authority for commissioning.
Add FM and Facilities Management personnel. [Guideline 0-2019 names FM as an essential Predesign participant and links FM inclusion directly to better OPR content, particularly on maintenance access, lifecycle requirements, and operational capability.
Add O&M personnel. Their knowledge of how existing buildings in the Owner's portfolio actually perform is the one input that translates directly into verifiable OPR requirements that maintenance teams will be able to work against.
Add end-user or occupant representatives where building function, occupancy patterns, security requirements, or mission-critical activities affect what the OPR must capture.
Separately identify subject matter experts [SMEs] whose technical input the OPR will need [e.g., HVAC controls specialists, IT and cybersecurity representatives]. Guideline 1.1-2025 and Guideline 1.5-2012 provides discipline-specific checklists that help the CxP confirm which SME categories apply. Identify them now so the CxP can schedule their input before the OPR is drafted.
Document each participant's organisation, role on the project, and whether they are an active participant at Pre-Design or a later joiner who simply needs to be identified now.
Do not include design consultants or contractors in the core Pre-Design team at this step unless the delivery route has already brought them into the project. Guideline 0-2019 confirms that active membership changes by phase; later participants join as procurement or appointment milestones occur.

What to Watch

The Owner's procurement team includes a name on the list without checking whether that person can actually attend key sessions or make binding decisions. The individual is nominated on paper, the position is filled in the chart, and the gap does not surface until the OPR workshop, where the person in the room says they will need to take everything back for sign-off.

Confirm availability and authority together, not as separate conversations.

Common Issues

IssuesWhat it looks like in practiceWhy it causes trouble

Reusing the project's general org chartThe CxP just adds their name to a box on the standard project hierarchy, usually somewhere below the PM or design team.It breaks the CxP's independence. If you show the CxP reporting to the PM or design team on paper, you lose the leverage needed to reject their work or direct testing later.

Naming participants without confirming authorityListing people like the FM manager on the chart without checking if they can actually commit their department to anything during workshops.Decisions made in workshops get contested later because the person in the room didn't have the power to agree. The project accumulates deferred decisions that blow up at stage gates.

Leaving FM and O&M out until constructionThe chart lists FM and O&M as "TBC," assuming they only need to be involved when the building is built.You write the OPR without the people who actually run buildings. Maintenance access, lifecycle costs, and operational realities get guessed at. The resulting gaps are designed in and cost a fortune to fix later.

Assuming the PM's authority limitThe PM acts as the Owner's representative day-to-day, but nobody writes down exactly what they are allowed to formally accept.The PM signs off on the OPR or Cx Plan, and months later the Owner claims it wasn't a valid acceptance. The stage gate collapses retroactively because the baseline was never officially approved.

Accepting the chart verballyThe Owner nods in a kick-off meeting, and the minutes say "Cx Org Chart agreed." Nobody signs a formal acceptance record.When a contractor or designer challenges your authority later, you have no hard proof the governance structure was ever agreed. You end up fighting for authority instead of enforcing the contract.

Letting the chart go stalePeople change jobs, new contractors join, and authority limits shift, but the chart in the file stays at version 1.0.The escalation path on paper no longer matches the people actually doing the work. When a real issue hits, nobody knows who is supposed to make the call, and resolution stalls.

Yielding to design-build contract structuresOn a design-build job, the chart shows the CxP reporting to the design-builder simply because that's who holds the contract.A CxP cannot objectively reject the work of the company signing their checks. If you don't carve out an independent reporting line directly to the Owner, the Cx process becomes purely advisory.

Adapting to the design-builder's head startThe design-builder is hired months before the CxP and has already shaped the project scope. The CxP arrives and just accepts the existing dynamic instead of forcing an independence reset.The OPR gets written to match what the contractor wants to build, not what the Owner actually needs. If you don't formally establish your independence on day one, you can't effectively enforce the OPR later.

Key Terms

Cx Organization Chart

The formal diagram showing the commissioning team structure: who is on it, what role and authority each member holds, and how the CxP sits in the governance hierarchy for commissioning decisions and escalation. Distinct from the project's general org chart.

Escalation path

The documented route by which a decision that exceeds a team member's authority is passed upward to a party who can resolve it, within a defined timeframe.

FM Personnel

People responsible for managing the facility and coordinating the services, resources, and activities that help keep it functional, safe, comfortable, and efficient. In commissioning, they represent the facility-management perspective and help prepare the building for operation.

O&M Personnel

Staff who operate building systems and equipment and perform or coordinate their routine, preventive, and corrective maintenance. In commissioning, they provide operational input, participate in training and testing, and take responsibility for operating and maintaining systems after handover.

Decision Points

This table highlights the key decisions to establish a working control structure for this step.

DecisionWho decides

Is the minimum Pre-Design commissioning team confirmed and complete before the OPR workshop is scheduled?Owner / Representative

Does each named team member hold documented decision authority, or is the escalation path confirmed where authority is limited?Owner / Representative

Does the Cx Organization Chart show the CxP reporting directly to the Owner / Owner's Representative, independent of design and construction entities?Owner / Representative

Are FM and O&M personnel genuinely active members at Pre-Design, not deferred to a later stage?Owner / Representative

Has the Owner / Owner's Representative formally accepted the Cx Organization Chart in writing before [Phase 1, Step 3] begins?Owner / Representative

Where the project delivery plan involves a design-build or ECI contractor, has the CxP's independence been preserved and documented in the chart?Owner / Representative

Timing and sequencing

[Phase 1, Step 2] begins immediately after the CxP appointment is executed at [Phase 1, Step 1] and the Owner-side structure is clear enough to identify the participants. It continues until the Cx Organization Chart is formally accepted.

Earliest start: When the CxP appointment is executed [Phase 1, Step 1] closes and Owner-side participants can be identified.
Latest acceptable start: Immediately after [Phase 1, Step 1] closes.
Dependencies: [Phase 1, Step 2] must close before [Phase 1, Step 3] (meeting and reporting protocols) begins, because meeting structures, attendance expectations, and escalation paths cannot be set without a confirmed team map.
OPR milestone: [Phase 1, Step 2] must close before the OPR workshop is scheduled. The workshop requires confirmed attendance by all active Pre-Design team members with documented authority.
FM/O&M integration: FM and O&M availability must be confirmed at this step. Their participation in [Phase 1, Step 7] (OPR workshop) is critical; confirming them late leaves no time to prepare their input.
Later stage participants: Design consultants and contractors are not members of the core Pre-Design team at this step unless already engaged by the process. Their future inclusion should be shown as outline entries in the chart.
Change control: Any change to the team, authority, or reporting lines after the chart is initially accepted requires a formal chart revision and Owner acceptance before the change takes effect.

Roles and Responsibilities

RResponsible

Confirms governance structure and delegation scope; nominates Owner-side participants; provides written authority confirmation; formally accepts the Cx Organization Chart.

AAccountable

Final acceptance authority for the Cx Organization Chart and for all Owner-side authority delegation decisions. Acceptance must be in writing with version number and date.

CConsulted

Consulted by CxP on team composition gaps, authority boundary decisions, escalation structure, and PM delegation scope.

IInformed

Informed of subsequent revisions and team membership changes requiring chart update.

Documents Produced

This table summarises the main records this step should generate, who owns them, what they contain, and where they are used later.

Format / contentFormal diagram showing: role title, person name, organisation, decision authority level, escalation path, and the CxP's independent reporting line. Version numbered and dated.

Where it is usedUsed immediately at [Phase 1, Step 3] to set meeting structures; controls attendance at the [Phase 1, Step 7] OPR workshop; incorporated into the initial Cx Plan at [Phase 1, Step 10].

ASHRAE References

DocumentRequirement / practical use in

ASHRAE Guideline 0-2019Section 5.2.1.1

Mandates the formation of the CxP Team during Pre-Design. Dictates that team members must be available, hold binding decision authority for their organisations, and have their lines of authority formally documented

ASHRAE Guideline 0-2019Section 5.2.1.3

Identifies essential Pre-Design participants, specifically mandating the inclusion of FM and O&M personnel from the outset to ensure operational knowledge shapes the OPR

ASHRAE Guideline 0-2019Section 5.2.1.4

Confirms that the CxP Team evolves by project phase. Used here to distinguish between the core Pre-Design team that must be confirmed now, and future participants who simply join at later procurement milestones

ASHRAE Guideline 0-2019Appendix F, Section F2

Explicitly assigns the CxP the responsibility to "organize and lead the CxP Team" (item a), establishing the CxP as the party responsible for team governance.

ASHRAE Standard 202-2024Section 5.2.1

Requires the Owner to include defined Cx roles and responsibilities in the Design and Construction Teams' contracts. Ensures team obligations are anchored in normative standards

ASHRAE SSPC 300 Informative Annex 03-2022Section 03.2

Provides guidance on initiating the process, securing stakeholder buy-in, and ensuring Cx participation is written as a contractual requirement rather than left as a courtesy arrangement

ASHRAE Guideline 0-2019Sections 5.2.4.2 and 5.2.4.4

Requires the Cx Plan to include individual responsibilities and communication protocols, establishing the direct link between Step 2's org chart outputs and the initial Cx Plan developed at Step 10.

ASHRAE SSPC 300 Informative Annex 07-2022Section 07.1.3 (Figure 07-01) and Section 07.2.2

Illustrates the communication structure showing the CxP reporting directly to the Owner (Figure 07-01), and explicitly advises that this separate relationship is necessary to avoid conflicts of interest and preserve independence.

ASHRAE SSPC 300 Informative Annex 21-2024Full Annex

Offers supplementary guidance on allocating team roles and integrating them into project contracts. Crucial for resolving authority boundaries on design-build or multi-party delivery routes

ASHRAE Commissioning Stake Holders Guide-2019Chapter 3

Explains team roles from a stakeholder perspective. Supports the Step 2 approach of confirming participation expectations for every party before the first OPR session begins