Compliance matrix
Compliance matrix evidence review for qualification test teams
A compliance matrix evidence review confirms that the matrix covers the certification basis, names a valid means of compliance for each requirement, and cites evidence that still supports the claim. It is run by or for a qualification test team before submittal, a finding response, or a design-change assessment. The review checks coverage of the basis, reconciles each means of compliance to the cited evidence, and flags entries whose evidence has been superseded. You receive a gap list, an evidence map from matrix line to record, and a closure sequence for the test lead.
When this review is needed
- A compliance matrix is heading to submittal and its coverage of the certification basis has to be confirmed.
- Evidence was updated after the matrix was populated and the citations may point to superseded records.
- An authority finding questioned the means of compliance claimed for a specific basis item.
- A design change reopened basis items and the affected matrix entries need to be re-cited.
The problem
The compliance matrix is the document an authority reads first, and it ages faster than any other. Entries are populated once and rarely revisited, so a citation points to a report revision that was later superseded, a basis item slips off the matrix when the basis is amended, and a means of compliance is claimed that the current evidence no longer supports. The matrix looks complete while its links have quietly gone stale underneath it.
What gets reviewed
- Coverage of every certification basis item checked against the matrix entries
- The means of compliance for each item reconciled to the evidence it cites
- Cited evidence confirmed as the current revision rather than a superseded record
- Basis amendments checked for corresponding matrix updates
- Compliance status on each line reconciled to the state of its evidence
- Cross-references between related basis items checked for consistency
What gets validated
- Every certification basis item appears on the matrix with a means of compliance
- Each cited record is the current revision and still supports the compliance claim
- The means of compliance on record matches the evidence type actually produced
- A basis amendment is reflected in the matrix rather than left against the prior basis
- Compliance status on each line agrees with the state of the evidence behind it
Evidence normally required
- The compliance matrix with its basis items, means of compliance, and citations
- The certification basis and any amendments to it
- The evidence records the matrix cites
- The certification plan that committed the means of compliance
- Change records that reopened basis items during the program
Common discrepancies
- A citation pointing to a report revision that was later superseded
- A basis item that dropped off the matrix when the basis was amended
- A means of compliance claimed that the current evidence no longer supports
- A compliance status marked closed against evidence that is still open
What is at stake
A matrix that cites stale evidence undermines confidence in every entry, and an authority that finds one broken citation reads the rest more skeptically. A basis item missing from the matrix is a coverage gap that can hold the finding, and reconciling citations after submittal costs schedule the program rarely has late in a program.
Move from findings to resolution
Identify gaps against the means of compliance.
How the work runs
Check basis coverage
Confirm every certification basis item, including amendments, appears on the matrix.
Reconcile to evidence
Match each means of compliance to the current record it cites and confirm the record still supports it.
Catch the stale links
Flag citations pointing to superseded evidence and statuses that outran their records.
Sequence the fixes
List the gaps and stale entries and order the re-citations before submittal.
What the buyer receives
- A gap list of basis items missing coverage or citing invalid evidence
- An evidence map from each matrix line to its current supporting record
- A closure sequence ordering the re-citations by dependency and effort
Who uses the output
- Test leads confirming the matrix holds before it goes to the authority
- Certification leads answering a finding on a specific means of compliance
- Engineering owners re-citing basis items a change reopened
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The review is the last check on the document the authority opens first, confirming the matrix still reflects the evidence beneath it before submittal. Its gap list drives the re-citations and coverage fixes that have to close, and its evidence map becomes the reference the matrix and any finding response point back to.
Start with a single asset
Confirm requirements trace through verification.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
FAA and EASA both work from a compliance matrix against the certification basis, and each structures the basis and the acceptable means differently. The review notes where a matrix satisfies one authority's basis structure and where the other would expect the means of compliance to be stated or cross-referenced differently.
Regulatory limits
The review checks the matrix against the basis and its evidence. It does not accept a means of compliance, close a basis item on the authority's behalf, or make a compliance finding.
What this review does not cover
- Authoring the certification basis or the means of compliance
- Producing the underlying compliance evidence
- Accepting or closing any basis item for the authority
Specific to this review
- The matrix ages faster than the evidence it cites, because entries are populated once and the underlying records keep being revised.
- A basis amendment is where coverage silently drops, since an item can leave the basis or change without the matrix being touched.
- One stale citation lowers an authority's confidence in the whole matrix, so currency of evidence matters as much as coverage.
Sources
U.S. Government (eCFR). Type certificates, STCs (Subpart E), TSO authorizations (Subpart O), PMA (Subpart K), and export airworthiness approvals (Subpart L).
Federal Aviation Administration. FAA type certification process, certification basis establishment, and compliance findings.
SAE International. Development assurance process at aircraft and system level, including requirements capture and validation.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from a verification-trace review?
A verification-trace review walks individual requirements to their verification records. This review works one level up, at the compliance matrix, confirming the basis is fully covered and that each means of compliance still cites valid evidence. The two are complementary checks at different altitudes of the package.
Relevant glossary terms
Related pages
Where this fits
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