What is the Raci Matrix?
What is the RACI Matrix?
The RACI matrix is a model used for clarifying and defining roles in cross-functional teams.
RACI analysis is used to assign various levels of responsibility for a project to the various people charged with its implementation.
What does RACI stand for?
RACI is an acronym for the four levels of responsibilities recognised by the model:.
- R = Responsible
- A = Accountable
- C = Consulted
- I = Informed
It is important to note the above names are not denoting individual people or groups, they denote a set of responsibilities which may be performed by more than one person, and one person may have more than one RACI role.
Definitions of RACI roles
R = Responsible
Responsible means "Those people who are responsible for doing the physical work, in reality".
There must always be at least one person designated as "Responsible for doing the work in reality", because if there were nobody actually doing the work, then all the other roles have no value.
A = Accountable
Accountable means: The person who is ultimately responsible for the success (or not) of the project.
President Truman had a wooden sign on his desk which read, "The Buck Stops Here". It was an indication that he was accountable to the public for everything done, (or not done) by the administration he was leading.
For each task there must be only one accountable person specified.
C = Consulted
Consulted means: Expert people who have specialised knowledge or relevant experience and who provide advice to other members of the team.
I = Informed
Informed means: People who are not directly related to the work process, but who are stakeholders, and therefore need to be informed on progress, or sometimes only on completion of the task.
Assigning people to RACI roles
The RACI model is presented as a grid:
- Vertical axis: denotes the list of tasks, which shows how the major task is subdivided into its constituent subset tasks.
- Horizontal axis: denotes the job titles (and sometimes the names) of the participants.
- Grid boxes: The RACI roles are indicated in the grid boxes.
Template example of RACI matrix.
Each role in the RACI process should be allocated, because if a role is missing, the project will be regarded as poorly managed.
The person who is accountable is often, but not always, the person responsible for doing the work. Except for that case, there should ideally be only one RACI role allocated for each task. If there are multiple allocations of multiple RACI roles given to multiple people, then chaos will reign.
The purpose of the RACI roles method is to decide "who is doing what?", to formalise and communicate those decisions, for the purpose of eliminating the causes of confusion and therefore, to make the project more likely to succeed.
About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years’ experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
Blogs by Email
Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!
Further Reading in Leadership and Management
-
Eight Part Success Strategy
Success is not an event, it is a process. Use this eight-part strategy to be successful and to inspire success in others too. Discover why it is important to set goals and the purpose of listening to feedback too.
Read Article > -
Habits of highly effective leaders
The habits of highly effective leaders We tend to be creatures of habit. Habits are automatized actions. We all tend to have habitual ways of doing things. Your habits allow you to do many complex things, without really thinking about them. Habits allow you to do things on "automatic pilot". You...
Read Article > -
Successful Manager Skills
Learn the skills you need to master to become a successful manager. You can try our quiz to see how you measure up!
Read Article > -
How to Find the Root Causes of Business Problems
Managers are responsible for identifying the root causes of problems and finding effective solutions. There are common errors that managers must avoid in order to find accurate solutions.
Read Article > -
Very good Leadership and Management training
Very good Leadership and Management training On our leadership and management training programmes we make important distinctions between similar but different concepts It is important to distinguish between similar but different concepts for the same reason that it is important to distinguish between a pussy cat and a tiger. If you...
Read Article >
Looking for Leadership and Management Training?
If you're looking to develop your Leadership and Management Skills, you may find this Leadership and Management Training Course beneficial:
Open Training Course Pricing and Availability
Next Open Course Starts in 4 days, Online - Teams, places available