RACI Matrix

A RACI matrix clarifies roles and responsibilities for project tasks and decisions, ensuring clear ownership and preventing confusion about who does what. It is particularly valuable for cross-functional projects with multiple stakeholders.

RACI definitions:

• Responsible (R): The person(s) who do the work to complete the task. There can be multiple people responsible.
• Accountable (A): The person who is ultimately answerable for the task being completed correctly. There should be only ONE accountable person per task.
• Consulted (C): People whose input is sought before a decision or action (two-way communication).
• Informed (I): People who are kept updated on progress or decisions (one-way communication).

RACI variations:

• RASCI: Adds Supportive (assists the Responsible person)
• DACI: Driver, Approver, Contributor, Informed
• RAPID: Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, Decide

Creating a RACI matrix:

• List all tasks, deliverables, or decisions in rows
• List all roles or people in columns
• Assign R, A, C, or I to each intersection
• Review for balance (no one is overloaded, no tasks lack accountability)
• Validate with stakeholders

RACI validation rules:

• Every task must have exactly one A (accountable)
• Every task must have at least one R (responsible)
• Minimise the number of C (consulted) to avoid decision bottlenecks
• The accountable person can also be responsible
• If too many people are consulted, decisions slow down
• If too many people are informed, communication overhead increases

Common RACI mistakes:

• Multiple A's for a single task (accountability is shared, which means nobody is truly accountable)
• Too many C's creating decision paralysis
• Missing R's (nobody is doing the work)
• RACI created but not followed
• Not updating the RACI when roles or scope change