Task authorization (TA)

A task authorization is the document a federal buyer issues under an already-existing contract to switch work on, on an "as and when requested" basis. Per CanadaBuys, a TA is not an individual contract: the contract exists first, and each TA authorizes a defined piece of work within its scope.

What it is

CanadaBuys' buyer's guide describes contracts with task authorizations as a flexible method of supply for services, used when a client needs rapid access to services and will define the exact work only as needs arise. The solicitation sets the framework up front — a broad statement of work, the process for authorizing and issuing TAs, the client's TA dollar limit, and the payment provisions — so each subsequent TA is an administrative authorization rather than a new competition.

Where TAs are used

CanadaBuys lists professional services, informatics professional services, technical investigation and engineering studies, and some repair-and-overhaul work authorizations among the requirements suitable for contracts with TAs. The large federal task-based supply arrangements — TBIPS for informatics professional services and TSPS for other professional services, both mandatory methods of supply at or above the CKFTA threshold — expressly allow resulting contracts to incorporate task authorizations. Shared Services Canada, among other departments, buys through TBIPS with task-based contracts.

How issuance works

The client (normally the department using the services) authorizes TAs up to a limit written into the contract; anything above that limit goes to the contracting authority for authorization. The client must confirm the task fits the contract scope and period, obtain signatures on the TA form, and track total authorized value against the contract's overall liability limit. TAs can be revised — up or down — as long as changes stay within the contract's scope and financial limits. Two governance rules worth knowing: Treasury Board's directive on spending authorities requires that the person authorizing a TA not also certify the invoices for it (PSPC applies this segregation of duties to its own TAs), and standard forms are PWGSC-TPSGC 572 for most contracts and DND 626 for defence contracts.

Task authorization vs. call-up

The mechanism is easy to confuse with standing offer call-ups. Under a contract with TAs, work is authorized "as and when requested" within one existing contract. Under a standing offer, work is authorized "if and when requested" — and each call-up is itself a contract. Under a supply arrangement, each requirement is competed among the pre-qualified pool and results in an individual contract.

Common questions

Does winning a TA contract guarantee work?

Not automatically. The contract framework may include guaranteed minimum business, but the volume of TAs depends on the client's actual needs during the contract period.

Who signs a task authorization?

Either the client or the contracting authority signs, depending on the TA's value relative to the client's delegated limit — and both parties (buyer and contractor) sign the TA form.

Related definitions

Supply arrangement vs. standing offer · RFSA · Call-up limits under standing offers