Welcome to this instructional module on the RACI Matrix, a simple yet powerful tool that clarifies roles and responsibilities in any project.
RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. It’s a framework defining who does what in a project or process.
Responsible:
The person or people who do the work to complete the task.
Accountable:
The one ultimately answerable for the task’s success or failure. There’s only one A per task.
Consulted:
Subject matter experts. Their input is actively sought.
Informed:
They kept up to date on progress, but they made no decisions.
Confused roles lead to missed deadlines and duplicated work. RACI creates clarity, improves communication, and reduces conflict.
Here are the steps on how to use the RACI Matrix.
Step 1: List all project tasks.
Step 2: List team members or roles.
Step 3: Assign R, A, C, or I for each task.
Step 4: Review to ensure no duplicate ‘A’s per task.
Let’s look at a sample.
For the task ‘Design Homepage’,
The designer is Responsible,
The project manager is Accountable,
The UX lead is consulted, and
Marketing is Informed.
Dos and Don’ts
Do clarify responsibilities early.
Involve the team in assigning roles.
Don’t assign multiple Accountables.
Don’t forget to update the matrix as the project evolves.
You’ve now unlocked the power of the RACI Matrix, a tool that transforms ambiguity into alignment and confusion into collaboration.
Remember to ask who is doing the work, who is ultimately accountable, who needs to be consulted, and who should be kept informed about every project task.
Clear roles lead to clear results. With RACI, you’re not just managing tasks; you’re empowering people.