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Key takeaways

Successful project management depends on a team-wide understanding of roles and responsibilities. Using a RACI matrix to assign and define each role is a great way to keep a project on track and positioned for success.

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How Does a RACI Chart Help Project Managers?

Project managers use RACI charts to keep track of team roles and relay those responsibilities to the larger team. The matrix defines clear roles and responsibilities for individual team members across the various phases of the project, breaking the roles down into four types. Each letter of the project management acronym stands for a designation: those who are Responsible and Accountable for project deliverables, those who should be Consulted as work begins, and stakeholders who need to be Informed of ongoing progress, roadblocks, and updates.

RACI Matrix Definitions

Responsible.

The individual(s) with responsibility for the task or deliverable is typically responsible for developing and completing the project deliverables themselves. The responsible parties are typically hands-on team members who make direct contributions toward the completion of the project. The responsible team is comprised of the project’s “doers”, working hands-on to ensure that each deliverable is completed.

Some examples of responsible parties are:

Project Managers
Business Analysts
Graphic Designers
Copywriters

Accountable

Accountable parties ensure accountability to project deadlines, and ultimately, accountability to project completion. This group frequently also falls under the informed category.

Some examples of accountable parties are:

Product Owners
Signature Authorities
Business Owners
Key Stakeholders

Consulted individuals’ opinions are crucial, and their feedback needs to be considered at every step of the game. These individuals provide guidance that is often a prerequisite to other project tasks, for example, providing legal guidance on a project throughout the process. If you are working on new product development or expansion, this could essentially be the entire organization.

Some examples of consulted parties are:

Legal Experts
Information Security and Cybersecurity Experts
Compliance Consultants

Informed persons are those that need to stay in the loop of communication throughout the project. These individuals do not have to be consulted or be a part of the decision-making, but they should be made aware of all project updates. Typically, this party are business owners or stakeholders that are more interested in viewing the project at a 30,000-foot view. Keep this group on your cc list for awareness of topics, decisions, and progress – that includes making them part of the initial project kickoff and project demos as optional attendees. This group often also falls under the accountable group.

Some examples of informed parties are:

Project Committee Members
External Stakeholders

Why Are RACI Roles Important?

The same way a requirements traceability matrix provides accountability to project requirements by mapping out the relationship between these requirements and the project work, RACI roles provide a sense of organization and clarity for teams that are looking to divide roles and keep team members accountable for their contributions. Considering that 27% of projects go over budget, for reasons like scope creep and lack of defined roles, RACI roles help position a project for success and avoid common pitfalls.

Moreover, RACI roles help ensure that communication between all roles is ongoing. When you consider that nearly half of all project spending is at risk of being wasted due to a lack of effective team-based communication, it becomes all that more important to prioritize. Ultimately, teams who prioritize communication and well-defined roles are better off, and RACI roles help teams achieve that goal faster – while providing accountability for each team member’s unique contributions to the success of the project.

Read More: Top 10 Main Causes of Project Failure

How to Create a RACI Matrix

If you’re looking to implement a RACI matrix as part of your team’s project planning process, take these steps to create a RACI matrix.

Ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the project and its demands before outlining any further steps by communicating with key stakeholders and decision-makers.

Determine the list of key activities and deliverables from the director of program management or other leadership.

Determine who is needed to be a part of the project or initiative.

Determine the project roles and responsible job titles and persons for each activity and deliverable.

Hold review sessions with key members of the team for alignment, and if you haven’t already, host a kickoff meeting with the entirety of the team and key stakeholders to unveil the matrix, address questions, and more.

If the project has already started, it’s not too late to implement a RACI matrix.

Outline the story. Using research from multiple sources, do a, b, c, and d.
Utilize steps 2 and 3 (shown above). Ensure the right groups are assigned and engaged.
Hold a review session. Ensure that the team acknowledges and discusses the plan and the roles assigned.

Read more: 8 Factors That Lead to Successful Projec ts

Examples of a RACI Matrix

As shown above, a RACI matrix helps break down what roles individuals will play as work is carried out and to what extent they will be involved in the project overall. The horizontal axis represents each person on the project team and the vertical axis represents each task.

Each square of the matrix represents an individual, a task, and that individual’s role within the project, either responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed. In this situation, for example, the project manager is accountable for accessing risk, defining performance requirements, creating designs, executing construction, and approving construction work. However, they are only informed about approving construction work and defining functional and aesthetic needs.

Read more: Understanding Different Types of Stakeholders and Their Roles

Our FREE Downloadable RACI Matrix Template

Who creates the raci matrix.

The RACI matrix — sometimes called RACI model, RACI diagram, or simply just RAC — is created by the project manager at the start of the project as a key part of establishing the initial human resources planning for the project. Because miscommunication is a common threat to any project, RACI charts are a great asset to teams dealing with any type of project, from very simple projects to extremely complex ones.

Common Mistakes When Creating a RACI Matrix

Failure to plan ahead: Utilizing a RACI matrix should not be your first step in project planning. Having a fully assembled project team and at least a general idea of a task list and project plans is a better place to start before preparing a matrix.
Working with too large a team: A RACI matrix is likely not the best bet for a large team, as it will make the matrix hard to understand and overly complex.
Not communicating with the project team: A RACI matrix should help organize tasks and responsibilities that have already been introduced to the project team – no one likes to be blindsided. Be sure to host a kickoff meeting with the team first before creating a RACI matrix.

Frequently Asked Questions

Implementing a RACI matrix takes more than just a few emails and sporadic conversations – it takes consistent communication and planning. You should host a kickoff meeting to introduce the matrix to the team and make a plan to continue meeting at predetermined times throughout the project lifecycle.

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind as you implement your RACI matrix within the team dynamic:

Get everyone prepared. Send the document around to the meeting distribution as read-ahead material, requesting feedback if there are any major concerns.
Roll out each role for the team . During the meeting, conduct a review of the tasks and responsible parties. Do not rush through this review, but rather ensure enough time in your project kickoff for this important aspect. (Be certain to clarify the definitions of RACI to avoid ambiguity.)
Consider changes and update accordingly. After the meeting, send out the notes documenting acceptance or updates to the RACI. In addition to sending out the notes, request any corrections within a reasonable yet defined timeframe. Clarify that if no changes are requested, each person is acknowledging their role and committing to the project tasks as outlined.
Stay in touch. Consider a quick review with the entire team each quarter or every six months for longer projects to ensure it remains up-to-date and not simply another document in the repository but a relied-upon artifact.

As you implement the RACI matrix…

Encourage teamwork and foster collaboration whenever possible.
Don’t fear updates – make changes and adjustments as needed (but be sure to communicate those changes clearly to all parties).
Earlier is better. Roll out your matrix plan to the team BEFORE you plan to implement it for the best results.
Have a clear-cut understanding of the project scope and how each role connects to the overall project goal.

For “Responsible” Parties:

Make sure your project’s definition of Responsible is clear on who holds the “decider” role for the project or project phase’s completion, and what the dimensions of that responsibility will be.
Ensure that all parties are aware of their role and responsibilities within the matrix.

For “Accountable” Parties:

When multiple Accountable team members must exist, use your definitions to make clear which individual is accountable for a given project element, and how that individual needs to interact with other Accountable team members.
Ensure that there is only one “Accountable” party assigned per task.
Be sure that the Accountable party has the authority and power to oversee the task as the accountable party.

For Consulted and Informed Parties:

Consulted parties are often high-level decision-makers with heavy schedules. Make sure you’re clear on their availability ahead of time.
Similar to Consulted parties, Informed parties are often less hands-on and have less understanding of day-to-day project operations. As the project goes on, make sure to keep detailed notes to keep the Informed party up-to-date on key information.
Understand the ways that these parties like to communicate and create a plan to reach them early – whether that’s over phone calls, emails, video calls, or from within your project management system’s collaboration tools.
Knowing the difference between who needs to be consulted versus informed can be a challenge if there is ambiguity about project roles. Consider what aspects of the project different team members need to know to do their jobs, and then bake those into your definitions.

RACI Matrix Pros & Cons

Increased Engagement: RACI helps engage project participants in the project lifecycle.
Enhanced Project Planning: Project managers make project planning more organized, efficient, and detailed.
Identifiable Improvement Opportunities: Areas of improvement are more easily identified.
Easier Collaboration: Use of a RACI matrix creates a clear path for leadership to sign off on project steps, as project documentation in the RACI model is heavily emphasized.
Better Communication: Improves overall group communication as a whole.
Group Accountability: Assists groups, especially larger project teams, stay connected and accountable to their roles and project goals
Limitations on Role Scope: The RACI model does not provide details on role scope, especially for responsible parties. These gaps in detail also affect other team roles, for example, another gap in a RACI is the determination of who is responsible for verifier and signatory.
Limits on Task Details and Scope: While a RACI matrix can provide an overview of who is responsible for different tasks, it will not state what needs to be done.
Not Aligned to the Agile Methodology: Project managers using an agile methodology like scrum may find it redundant since accountability, ownership, and ongoing communication is built into the scrum framework (i.e., product owner, scrum master, and daily standups with the team). Additionally, agile focuses on team-based delivery and accountability, while the RACI framework and alternatives focus on individual responsibility and autonomous accountability.

Read more: Top 10 Causes of Project Failure

Free RACI Matrix Templates

A number of project management software solutions include a native RACI matrix template. Here are just a few we’ve found:

Colorful RACI Chart Template

We love this template from Smartsheet because it’s colorful, thorough, and includes room for every party involved in the project.

Pastel Colored RACI Matrix Template

This template from the Academy to Innovate HR is a great choice for project managers who want to organize their team roles with an easy-on-the-eyes chart that evolves beyond the simple spreadsheet.

RACI matrix template from the Academy to Innovate HR.

Simple RACI Chart from Clickup

These RACI templates from Clickup have enough variety to fit any of your project needs, but are simple enough for even beginner PMs to use.

Detailed RACI Matrix Template

This template is a great starter template for anyone looking to explore RACI charts in their project management strategy . As an added bonus – it comes with the RACI definitions already built in!

Excel-Based RACI Chart Template

Are you an Excel or Google Sheets user looking to take advantage of the RACI matrix? An Excel-formatted template from Project Management Docs can be just the solution for you. This template is a great template for users who want a chart that comes in a pre-formatted structure.

An Excel spreadsheet-based RACI matrix from projectmanagementdocs.com

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What is a RACI chart and how to use it (with template)

Product work is complex. While there are frameworks and best practices, due to its nature, you can only apply the same process in some places.

What Is A RACI Chart And How To Use It (With Template)

One can take the best practices, analyze your context, and then define a way of working and responsibilities based on your specific situation. It depends on your company, the kind of products you are working on, and the overall philosophy and mindset you are dealing with.

There are no two situations where teams perform product work similarly.

The most overlaps I have come across are between the product manager and the UX role, and research performed by NN Group also holds evidence of this fact.

In this article, we’ll discuss where a responsibility assignment matrix, aka a RACI chart, can be helpful. RACI charts can help you align with your team and stakeholders on roles and responsibilities, while also improving communication and decision-making.

What is a RACI chart?

The RACI chart, or responsibility assignment matrix, is a tool that helps to communicate and clarify the roles and responsibilities of people working together. In product management, it adds support for alignment and communication in the product development process:

Responsible

This team member is the one responsible for performing the task. Each task needs at least one responsible person, but can also have more.

Accountable

This team member is the one who is ultimately accountable for the outcome and success of the task or deliverable. They may either perform the task themselves (in which case they are also responsible), or they may delegate the work to someone else.

You should only have one accountable team member per task.

You can have as many consulted stakeholders as you want. These team members and stakeholders are the ones whose input is required to complete the task. They provide information from their expertise or how the task result may impact their work.

These team members should stay in the loop. If you were to think of the power/interest grid for stakeholder management , you would consider stakeholders with low power and low interest in this category.

Applying the RACI chart to the product development process

You can apply the RACI chart to the different stages of the product development process. We will use the 4D methodology (discover, design, develop, and deliver) to showcase how the responsibilities can be split between product management, ux design, development team, and product marketing.

Depending on your context, you may also include a delivery manager, who will take over some of the responsibilities of the product manager:

RACI Chart Product Development Excel Organization Screenshot

Let’s break down the graphic above by defining the 4D methodology.

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The product manager is responsible for researching and understanding the target market’s needs and stakeholders. They are accountable for defining the project’s scope, allocating the right resources, and ensuring the research is done correctly.

The UX designer and development team are consulted for input and feedback on the user experience and technical feasibility.

Product marketing will be informed of the findings.

The UX designer is responsible for the user experience, while the architect/technical lead is responsible for the technical design.

The product manager is accountable for ensuring that the design meets the requirements defined in the discovery stage, that the design is feasible, and that resources are allocated appropriately.

The development team will be consulted for input and feedback on the technical feasibility.

Product marketing is merely informed at this stage as well.

Benefits of using a RACI Chart

A RACI chart is a great tool to help product teams organize and work together. Here are a few benefits:

RACI helps clearly define roles and responsibilities for different tasks and decisions, reducing confusion and ensuring that everyone knows what is expected of them. This applies both within the team and outside of it towards the organization.

Accountability

By clearly defining who is accountable for different tasks and decisions, RACI can help to ensure that everyone takes ownership of their responsibilities and is accountable for their actions.

Additionally, defining clear roles and responsibilities helps avoid double work and waste.

Consistency

RACI can ensure that tasks and decisions are handled consistently across the product management process, which can improve the overall quality and effectiveness of the process.

By clearly defining roles and responsibilities, RACI can help to streamline the product management process and make it more efficient, ultimately saving time and resources.

Improved communication

RACI can ensure that all stakeholders are kept informed about the progress of the product management process and any changes made, which can help improve communication and reduce misunderstandings.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Here are a few pitfalls to look after when considering working with the RACI Chart:

Forgetting about it and not updating it regularly

The RACI Chart is a living document — it evolves with your team or product. It is important to revisit it every time you experience a change. Even if no changes occur, you should review it once a quarter.

You should revisit the RACI chart anytime a change happens:

A new member is joining the team
A member is leaving the team
There’s a new stakeholder for the product
Change in the way of working
The product enters a new stage in the life cycle

Not utilizing its potential for transparency

The RACI chart is a handy communication tool. Creating a RACI chart and shoving it into a folder or a drawer will not help you in any way.

Since it is a tool meant to increase alignment and transparency, you should ensure that every involved party is aware of it and has easy access. It is also beneficial when onboarding new team members or stakeholders.

Overlapping roles

When creating or maintaining your RACI chart, pay attention to how the responsibilities are split and that there are no overlapping roles. You should, as a team, clearly define who holds the responsibility and avoid having it split between too many team members, as this may cause unnecessary overhead.

Unbalanced responsibilities

Delivering successful products is a marathon, not a sprint. It is also vital to maintain a sustainable pace within the team, which also applies to the workload.

You should ensure that no team members are overloaded with too many responsible tasks. Discuss within your team and decide on a reasonable workload together, considering all their daily responsibilities. Should certain team members or roles have too many responsibilities, you must consider increasing your team or re-assign responsibilities.

For example, you may have a product manager who needs to keep an eye on the market, drive product-market fit , perform discovery activities, and support sales and marketing while also acting as the product owner for the development team.

This will lead the team to increased frustration in the development team’s lack of availability of the product manager, so it might be a good idea to consider bringing a dedicated product owner on board. This way, they will dedicate their full attention to the team, while the product manager can focus on the more strategic aspects of the product.

RACI template

Lastly, here is a template that you can use to define your product team’s own RACI chart. Make a copy of the Google Sheet, add your tasks, and define your roles and responsibilities.

While the RACI chart is a tool originating from traditional project management practices, it is as valuable for product management. It is lightweight, but holds a lot of relevant information. It also increases transparency around roles and responsibilities and eases the onboarding process of new team members.

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How to Make a Responsibility Assignment Matrix for a Project (Template Included)

The most important resource you’ll employ to deliver the project is people. They have to fit into the schedule and maintain the project budget. Defining what their roles and responsibilities are when executing tasks and delivering on the project goals is an important part of controlling the project.

How can you coordinate all the people who are involved in a project so they know what they’re doing and don’t block others from doing what they are assigned? Using a responsibility assignment matrix can help. An assignment matrix gives your project a team that gets things done.

What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix in Project Management?

A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is a project management chart used to identify and define the various people and organizations and outline each of their roles in working on tasks or delivering a part of the project.

Project managers use an assignment matrix to clarify what cross-functional teams do within the boundaries of the project and its numerous processes. Sometimes a responsibility assignment matrix is required when responding to a request for proposal (RFP).

The responsibility assignment matrix can also be called a RACI matrix, which stands for responsible, accountable, consulted and informed.

Responsible: Notes who is responsible for executing the task, which is then assigned to them.
Accountable: Notes who has decision-making authority and how that power is delegated throughout the project team.
Consulted: Notes who is able to offer insight into the task, from team members to stakeholders.
Informed: Notes who is updated on what in terms of progress and performance, as well as when and how this information is disseminated.

This creates a map of connections between activities and project team members. Depending on the size of the project, there can be several assignment matrices used for various project levels.

Why Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix?

The assignment matrix identifies what everyone on the team is responsible for, which means not only what their duties are, but how they participate in the project. Some will have defined tasks, others will offer help with work, while there are some who are designated as decision-makers. These groups all have an identity and function within the project to help guide it towards a successful end.

Clear communication leads to more efficient projects. An assignment matrix facilitates better communication between team members and provides transparency by creating a system to make sure everyone is updated and always on the same page. Belaboring communications can bog down a project with too many pointless meetings and confusing interactions in which people try to understand what they’re supposed to be doing. Using the responsibility assignment matrix helps, but having project management software that connects teams in real-time is ideal.

ProjectManager manages project information by allowing teams to attach files directly to tasks, and our unlimited file storage keeps important project documents at your fingertips anywhere, anytime. Commenting on tasks can save time and tagging others in the project team creates a communication process that avoids the pitfalls of redundancies or unnecessary meetings.

Gantt chart screenshot with a team collaboration pop up

When Should a Responsibility Assignment Matrix Be Created?

The responsibility assignment matrix would be created at the start of the project. You’d want to have everyone on the project team aware of where they stand in terms of their involvement before they start executing tasks.

As much as its use is a preventative measure, it can be used prescriptively. If you’re deep into the project and things are not moving as planned, there could be communication gridlock. If team members are not in the loop, or misconstrue what they’re supposed to be doing, using a responsibility assignment matrix might untie up those knots in the communication channel.

If there’s a problem with leadership overruling suggestions on how to advance the project and this is seen as a problem, it’s likely that the roles and responsibilities of the project team need refining. The responsibility assignment matrix defines who has authority to make decisions and using it or revisiting can determine if the right people are in that position.

In fact, any of the definitions might need reexamining at any phase in the project. Perhaps tasks are falling behind schedule. This could be because team members aren’t aware of what tasks they own. Anytime a delay occurs, returning to the assignment matrix is a good first step, even if you went through the process as you should during the planning stage of the project.

How to Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

The actual making of a responsibility assignment matrix is not as difficult as getting everyone on board with what their roles and responsibilities are.

Therefore, you want to include your team in the process, get their input and eventually buy-in without spending too much time and energy on the process. Follow these steps to make sure everyone is in agreement and you’ll have a successful responsibility assignment.

Identify all the participants involved in the project, from team members to stakeholders and everyone in between.
List all deliverables associated with the project. Use a work breakdown structure to make sure you don’t miss any.
Meet with team members on how to execute the tasks to create the deliverables. Every task needs to be discussed in terms of the team’s responsibility and authority.
Draft the responsibility assignment matrix using a table with the project tasks listed on the left-hand column. Across the top add the name of everyone in the project.
Where the tasks meet the project team member, assign whether they’re responsible, accountable, consulted or informed.
When completed, share the responsibility assignment matrix with the project team and stakeholders and hold a meeting if necessary to make sure everyone understands their part in the project. If you’re working in a shared space, print out a copy and post it.

Free Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template

Using a RACI template is a shortcut that sets up your team and the project for success. ProjectManager is more than an award-winning software that organizes tasks, teams and projects to streamline work and boost productivity, it’s also the online hub for all things project management.

Among the hundreds of blog posts, guidebooks and tutorial videos are dozens of free templates that can help you through every phase of your project’s life cycle. Using our free RACI template will help you guide all the project teams better, allowing them to know where they stand in relation to the project and what their level of responsibility and accountability is.

Use it at the start of the project to avoid delays and untangle any communicative knots that are preventing the project from progressing as planned. To keep your project on track, download our free RACI template and get a head start on building a workable responsibility assignment matrix.

Best Practices

Using our free RACI template is a good start, but you have to make sure you fill it in correctly. A responsibility assignment matrix is only as good as the effort put into creating it. Here are some best practices to apply when you’re in the process of building your assignment matrix.

Involve the team: They’re the ones who will be executing the work. You want their input and buy-in to avoid any costly mistakes or time-consuming questions about what wasn’t made clear at the beginning of the project.
Identify every single task: Identify all the tasks required to reach your final deliverable. Once you have that thorough list make sure that there is only one person on the team who is accountable.
Update your RACI regularly: Make sure that each new one is clearly marked as the most current version and is distributed to everyone on the team. There will be times when you’ll want to revisit the responsibility assignment matrix or changes in personnel will require an edit.
Share responsibility viably: One person shouldn’t have to shoulder the bulk of the responsibilities for the project and you want to give authority throughout the project team and not just among the very top management team.
Optimize tasks: Managers can use the RACI matrix to see if too many team members have been assigned to a task. Maybe these workers could be spread out for greater productivity. There could be too many people listed as consulted, which slows down the process. The assignment matrix is endlessly useful.

How ProjectManager Helps You Manage Projects Better

ProjectManager is a cloud-based tool that connects everyone in real-time to facilitate planning, monitoring and reporting on the project. It works to give everyone on the project team a job and the knowledge as to where they have authority and when to consult others, as well as defining the reporting process.

Let’s look at the people who are responsible, for example, the team who execute the project. Once invited into the software, you can share the project plan, assign them tasks, add detailed direction, add a deadline and tag for priority and more. The teams can then collaborate by attaching files and images to the tasks and commenting in real-time to work better together.

A screenshot of the Team collaboration user interface in ProjectManager

Those who need to stay informed of the project can do so by also getting invited into the project and sharing plans and schedules with them. Stakeholders can stay updated with reporting features that can generate reports on project variance, cost, time and more with one click. Then share them as a PDF. Reports can even be quickly filtered to zero in on the data stakeholders are interested in.

a screenshot of the status report generation screen in ProjectManager

The responsibility assignment matrix can help you reallocate your resources when things aren’t progressing as planned. Use our software to get further insight. The resource management features include a workload chart that’s color-coded so it’s easy to see who has too many tasks and who can take on more work. Then you can simply reallocate those resources from the workload page to help your team work more productively.

ProjectManager gets you organized, keeps your team focused on their tasks and stakeholders in the loop. Gain efficiencies throughout every aspect of your project’s life cycle with an online Gantt chart to schedule work and kanban boards, a visual workflow feature that provides transparency into production. All that and it’s on a collaborative platform to keep everyone connected. Try ProjectManager today for free.

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What Is a RACI Chart? How to Use RACI to Assign Project Roles

It’s a fact: Complex projects make it easy for teams to lose track of tasks.

You might have an air-tight project plan and a stellar team to back it up. But if you’re not crystal clear about assignments—or even involvement—on a task level, confusion, crankiness, and even demotivation will creep into your project team.

Lucky for you, avoiding those issues is as simple as creating a RACI chart.

In this article, we’ll explain what RACI stands for and how it’s used in project management. We’ll also share a few practical examples so you can see how to apply the RACI model to different types of projects.

What is a RACI chart?

Raci definitions explained, benefits of the raci model in project management, how to make a raci chart, raci rules and best practices.

RACI chart examples

When to use or skip a RACI chart for your project

Common raci pitfalls and how to avoid them.

A RACI chart—also known as a responsibility assignment matrix —is a diagram used in project management to define team roles across 4 categories: Responsible , Accountable , Consulted , and Informed . It helps clarify who does the work, who calls the shots, whose opinion matters, and who needs to stay in the loop for each task, milestone, or decision.

A RACI chart enables you to visualize roles and responsibilities at a more granular level than simple resource assignments. That way team members and stakeholders know what’s expected of them so confusion doesn’t get in the way of project success.

RACI stands for Responsible , Accountable , Consulted , and Informed . Each letter in the acronym represents the level of ownership each person involved in a project will have on an individual deliverable.

This simple chart gives you an at-a-glance view of RACI meanings and how many people to assign to each role in your RACI matrix .

R = Responsible

This team member does the work to complete the task. Every task needs at least one Responsible party, but it’s okay to assign more.

Examples of people you might assign to the Responsible role:

Content writer
Graphic designer
UI/UX designer
Software developer
Business analyst
QA specialist

A = Accountable

This person delegates work and is the last one to review the task or deliverable before it’s deemed complete. On some tasks, the Responsible party may also serve as the Accountable one. Just be sure you only have one Accountable person assigned to each task or deliverable. (Note: It might not be your project manager!)

Examples of people you might assign to the Accountable role:

Project manager
Product manager
Department head

C = Consulted

Every deliverable is strengthened by review and consultation from more than one team member. Consulted parties are typically the people who provide input based on either how it will impact their future project work or their domain of expertise on the deliverable itself.‍

Examples of people you might assign to the Consulted role:

Software architect
Content editor
Creative director
Compliance officer
Security specialist
Legal counsel

I = Informed

Informed stakeholders simply need to be kept in the loop on project progress, rather than roped into the details of every deliverable.

Examples of people you might assign to the Informed role:

Executive leadership
External clients
Team members assigned to dependent tasks
Customer support team
Administrative staff

Responsible vs Accountable meanings in RACI

The same person can be both Responsible and Accountable for a task in RACI—including a project manager. But they’re not one and the same. So what’s the difference?

Responsible is a task-oriented designation that applies to the person (or people) actually completing the work. A whole team can be responsible for the execution of one task. ‍
Accountable is an outcome-oriented designation that applies to a single person who reports on the work, whether in status updates or upon delivery. Being Accountable means you must answer for and/or sign off on the deliverable and deal with the consequences if it falls short of goals.

Side-by-side comparison of responsible vs accountable in RACI

At its core, the RACI model helps you set clear expectations about project roles and responsibilities. That way you don’t have multiple people working on the same task or against one another because tasks weren’t clearly defined on the front end.

A RACI chart also encourages team members to take responsibility for their work—or defer to someone else when needed. Essentially, you’ll remove personal judgment and politics from your process and focus on your team’s ability to act responsibly within a framework you’ve created. Sounds pretty sweet, huh?

Building a RACI chart for your project is a relatively simple task. The hardest part is thinking through all the people involved in your project and what role makes the most sense for individuals at each stage of work.

You’ll want to map out a RACI chart for your project during the planning stage. This ensures responsibilities are clearly defined before work begins and gives you time to adjust to avoid any gaps or overlaps in assignments.

Here are the basic steps for making a RACI chart:

List key project phases, tasks, and/or milestones in a column down the left side of your chart. You can get as detailed as you want, depending on the complexity of your project (and attention-span of your project team and stakeholders).
Enter the people involved in your project across the top row of your chart. Each individual should serve as the header of a single column. You can use names or job roles—whatever makes sense for your team and project.
Go line by line down the chart, and assign each person across the row an R, A, C, or I to indicate the role they’ll play on that particular task.

Once your RACI chart is good to go, you can create a communication plan that aligns with the roles you’ve outlined for project teams and stakeholders.

Want to save time? Download our free RACI Excel template , or see how TeamGantt's built-in RACI feature works.

Using a RACI chart is a whole lot easier when you follow a few simple rules. Once your RACI chart is complete, review it to be sure it meets these criteria:

Every task has at least one Responsible person.
There’s one (and only one!) Accountable party assigned to each task to allow for clear decision-making.
No team members are overloaded with too many Responsible tasks. You can use TeamGantt’s Workloads report to check availability across all your active projects.
Every team member has a role on each task. (It’s not uncommon for some folks to be Informed on most tasks.)

These best practices can help you get the most out of RACI:

Focus on project tasks, milestones, and decisions in the RACI chart. Avoid generic or administrative to-dos like team meetings or status reports .
Align the tasks in your RACI chart with your project plan so there’s no confusion about details and due dates. (TeamGantt does this work for you by tying your RACI chart directly to your plan!)
Keep RACI definitions close by because they can be tough to remember sometimes! ‍
Assign the Responsible team members to tasks in TeamGantt .

Lay a clear path to success with a visual plan that’s easy to understand, and keep everyone in sync with flexible workflows and team collaboration.

RACI chart examples: Practical application in the real world

Let’s take a closer look at how you might put the RACI model to work on real-life projects.

Producing a marketing handout

We’ll start with a simple example. Imagine you’re creating a RACI chart for a handout your marketing manager will distribute at an industry conference.

Basic tasks for this project might include:

Write project brief
Create content
Design handout
Review first draft
Update handout
Approve final
Send to printer

In this project example, we’ve assigned RACI roles to 7 key team members:

Marketing manager
Editorial director

Sample RACI chart for the production of a marketing handout.

Let’s zoom in on the RACI roles we mapped out for the Create content task example so you understand the why behind these assignments.

Responsible : The content writer is listed as Responsible for this task, so that’s who will actively work on content creation.
Accountable : The editorial director is listed as Accountable for this task because that’s who is ultimately on the line for content quality and accuracy. Once the content is written, she’s the one who will review it to ensure it meets their company’s editorial standards.
Consulted : The marketing manager is listed as Consulted . Since the marketing manager is the subject matter expert for the presentation, the writer can go to them for input or help filling in content gaps along the way.
Informed : Several people have been assigned to the Informed role, though for different reasons. Since the Design handout task depends on this one, we want to make sure the writer keeps the creative director and designer informed on the status of content creation. The project manager and CMO are listed as Informed simply because they want to be kept in the loop about how work is progressing.

Developing a new software product

Now let’s look at a more complex project example.

Developers who use an Agile workflow to tackle the job likely know what they need to do because there’s a constant stream of communication. But cross-functional departments and senior leaders might need more clarity.

Here’s how you might map RACI roles to major tasks in a software development project , broken down by key tasks and RACI roles. (For the Informed assignments, we only listed people who need detailed progress updates to keep our example easier to read.)

Market Research

Responsible : Business Analyst, Marketing Manager
Accountable : Product Manager
Consulted : Sales Representative, Customer Support
Informed : Project Manager, Software Developers

Requirement Gathering

Responsible : Business analyst
Accountable : Product manager
Consulted : UI/UX Designer, Software Architect
Informed : Project manager, QA analysts

Design and Prototyping

Responsible : UI/UX Designer
Consulted : Business analyst, software developers
Informed : Marketing manager, QA analysts

Software Development

Responsible : Software Developers/Engineers
Accountable : Software Architect
Consulted : Product Manager, QA Analysts
Informed : Project Manager, Technical Writer
Responsible : QA Analysts/Engineers
Accountable : Project manager
Consulted : Software Developers, DevOps Engineer
Informed : Product Manager, Technical Writer
Responsible : DevOps Engineer
Accountable : Project Manager
Consulted : Software Developers, QA Analysts
Informed : Product Manager, Customer Support

Maintenance

Responsible : DevOps Engineer, Software Developers
Consulted : QA Analysts, Technical Writer
Responsible : DevOps Engineer, QA Analysts
Consulted : Software Developers, Technical Writer

Marketing and Sales

Responsible : Marketing Manager, Sales Representative
Accountable : Marketing Manager
Consulted : Product Manager, Customer Support

User Training

Responsible : Customer Support Specialist
Consulted : Technical Writer, UI/UX Designer
Informed : All project team members

A RACI chart serves just about every project well. But it’s especially helpful when tasks require multiple resources, run concurrently, or depend on other tasks.

Here are a few scenarios when the RACI model is useful:

The decision-making or approval process could hold up the project.
There’s conflict about task ownership or decision-making.
The project workload feels like it’s not distributed evenly.
You experience turnover on a team and need to onboard someone quickly to a new role.

Of course, not all teams and projects are created equally. You might work with a team who just happens to communicate really well and stays on top of their own work. (Lucky you!) Or maybe your project is small enough that it would be silly to take the time to go through this exercise.

In cases like these, don’t worry about taking the extra step of creating a RACI chart. Just be sure you have a clear plan in place to guide your team and project.

Further reading : How to Create a Realistic Project Plan: Templates & Examples

Now let’s walk through a few common mistakes that could hinder your RACI chart’s effectiveness.

Failing to get buy-in from your team and stakeholders

Creating a RACI chart in a vacuum is never a good idea. In a best-case scenario, you’d sit down with your team and stakeholders to walk through the role assignments on each task. But let’s be real: That’s not always possible.

Just be sure everyone represented has acknowledged and agreed to the roles and responsibilities you’ve laid out. More importantly, you want to check that your chart eliminates any further project confusion.

Setting it and forgetting it

It’s easy to build a RACI chart at the start of a project, then let it collect dust once the real work begins. But remember: This chart will defend you against mishaps that arise when you have too many cooks in the kitchen or a team member who thinks someone else is handling the work.

That’s why it’s important to keep these roles top of mind throughout a project’s life cycle. You can do this by reviewing RACI assignments for upcoming tasks in weekly status update meetings and making sure everyone involved in a project has easy access to the RACI chart.

In TeamGantt, you can assign RACI roles directly in your project plan so they’re clearly visible as team members work their way to the finish line.

Overcomplicating stakeholder communication

If you have a lot of Consulted and Informed roles on your chart, make sure you have an easy and lightweight way to keep them informed. It could be as simple as making sure department heads and senior leaders have access to your project plan so they can follow progress along the way.

Managing a project with external clients or stakeholders? Sharing a view-only link to your project in TeamGantt is a great option for looping in folks outside your organization.

Further reading: A Project Manager’s Guide to Effective Stakeholder Management

Keep teams in sync—and accountable—with TeamGantt

A RACI chart is a simple tool that makes projects easier to manage by creating less confusion and more accountability. But you’ve got more than roles and responsibilities to keep straight.

TeamGantt makes it easy to build a project plan your whole team can contribute to and collaborate on. Everything happens online, so you can stay on top of deadlines and monitor progress in real time.

Use our built-in RACI chart to assign roles and keep them visible from project start to finish, so everyone knows how they contribute to success.

Try TeamGantt’s Pro Manager plan free for 30 days!

A Comprehensive Project Management Guide for Everything RACI

By Kate Eby | July 15, 2016 (updated September 5, 2023)

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To ensure collaboration and project success, it is crucial for all project stakeholders to understand their roles and responsibilities and those of other project members. This is especially important when project teams are more complex due to their large size, involvement of distributed team members, or reliance on staff from multiple departments.

RACI stands for Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed. While its origins are murky, the RACI matrix has been adopted by many organizations to associate roles with project deliverables. One Six Sigma tutorial describes RACI this way:

“Typically a task is associated with at least one role or in some cases multiple roles. This ‘Association’ of the role with a task can be divided into the following four association types:

R esponsible
A ccountable

The above four types of association of a role to a task represented in a simple task vs. role diagram or matrix is called RACI (pronounced ‘racey’) matrix. So basically the RACI matrix is a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), designed to assign tasks, activities, responsibilities, accountability, decision making, support to team members of a process/project, and clarify expectations on the level of their participation.” Here is an example of a RACI matrix:

This guide will explain when to use RACI, why it works, guidelines to use it effectively, and the role it can play in effective project management in all industries from construction to healthcare. Lastly, we'll show you that once you've created your own matrix, you'll need a collaborative, real-time tool, like Smartsheet, to manage the rest of the project details — from start to finish.

The Four Association Types

RACI has four association types: responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. Responsible roles produce deliverables; accountable roles check the deliverables; consulted roles advise on tasks; and informed roles are kept informed throughout these processes.

Responsible: These roles are responsible for completing the task or deliverable. For example, if the responsibility role is a technical writer, this person may be responsible for writing online help files. A software developer wouldn’t write the help files, but might incorporate those files into the product, which would be defined as a different task.
Accountable: This type of role has the final authority on (or is accountable for) the task’s completion. To take the previous example of a technical writer developing online help and a software developer incorporating the help files, a product manager might be responsible for ensuring that the files make it into the product.
Consulted: This role functions as an adviser to a task. For example, a team may consult with a Scrum Master as a subject matter expert (SME). Consider advisers carefully, as having too many people in this role can stretch the task time and raise the risk of poor performance.
Informed: Informed team members are kept up to date on task completion. Charting this role helps to illustrate dependencies among tasks and also ensures transparency into task status. It can be difficult to identify those who need to be informed, so consult various roles to determine who needs status updates. For example, the sales manager may require status updates because a customer has a special interest in feature development.

When to Use RACI

A RACI model is a useful tool for general project management. Use a RACI matrix when processes are stalled due to role confusion, or when role authority is not clearly outlined. We’ve outlined some common use cases for RACI below:

If the approval process is bogged down, it may be due to role confusion.
If decisions are being overruled often and seemingly arbitrarily, this is also a situation that can benefit from clarifying roles.
Another situation that frequently occurs is that many people perform the same analysis tasks. When tasks are not getting done, it may be that nobody knows who should be doing them.
When the authority to perform tasks is not understood, it may be time to define roles and tasks, responsibilities, and authority.

Eliminating this sort of confusion and clarifying roles and tasks is the chief function of a RACI Matrix.

RACI is among the most popular models, but there are several alternatives, including:

PACSI – Used in situations where multiple stakeholders can review and veto the work of a single accountable person. The roles include Performed, Accountable, Control, Suggested, and Informed.
RAPID – Created by Bain & Company to clarify decision accountability through clear role and responsibility delineation. The roles include Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, and Decide.

The Value of RACI

Implementing a RACI model helps you to involve the most qualified people in your projects. Project managers can use RACI to quickly develop charts that provide clarity to the team. Some major benefits of the RACI model are as follows:

Eliminating role confusion.
Preventing over-allocation of resources to one project and under-allocation to another.
Clearly defining roles to all the people who fill them (clear understanding of expectations is key to a smooth project and reduces the need for conflict resolution later).
Ensuring no task is overlooked when resources are allocated.
Providing a fast and efficient way to re-allocate resources when there is turnover. New people can quickly identify their roles in a project and the roles of those with whom they must interact.

Finally, because the Informed category is given equal weight, the RACI Matrix encourages communication between roles. Communication is the key to clearly understanding expectations, which results in a smooth project.

RACI Matrices

A RACI matrix is a collection of all project activities associated with the people or roles responsible for each. Your matrix should include all project elements, including planning, testing, design, and support.

To create a RACI matrix, consider the following steps:

Decide How to Chart the Matrix: You can use any number of tools or templates, including a spreadsheet, whiteboard, or software solution.
Identify the Project Tasks or Deliverables: Meet with key stakeholders to develop a list of project tasks. For this discussion, tasks include necessary activities, like meetings or events, as well as tangible deliverables, like features or products. Plot tasks across the X or Y axis of the matrix. For example, if you are charting a software project developed under Agile, the sprint demo meeting may be a required activity and should be included in the matrix as a task. Don’t forget to add maintenance of the RACI Matrix as its own task. The project manager usually maintains the RACI Matrix.
Identify the Project Roles: Project roles are labeled across the other axis of the matrix. The project roles make the matrix more understandable and can be useful for adding any data you may have forgotten. As you identify roles, add any tasks that apply to those roles on the task axis. The task axis is also useful for identifying roles and clarifying resource allocation. This is a good time to assign names to roles as well — one name per role is optimal.
Label the Intersections of the Axes: Where the X and Y axes intersect, label the intersection with an R, A, C , or I to finalize the matrix with who should be responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed on each task.

RACI Guidelines

While RACI matrices will differ by project, there are some broad guidelines that you should always follow. Above all, your matrix should encourage teamwork and inform all people of their roles and assignments. We’ve laid out additional best practices below:

Avoid multiple levels of oversight – one level is enough
Encourage teamwork
Maintain chart fluidity – make changes as needed and let people know when things change
Assign only one Accountable per task
Ensure Accountable assignees have authority to ensure the task is complete
Avoid too many consultants as they can take up too much time (waiting for answers, gathering input, etc.) while too few can damage performance, so try to find the "sweet spot”
Inform everyone with a role of their assignment

Finding the Right RACI Template

RACI templates save time and provide a starting point for building your chart. Choose a simple, customizable template to ensure that it is as useful as possible for all team and project types.

Some templates use the X axis for the tasks and Y for roles, and others do the opposite. If tasks exceed roles, as they generally do, it is easier to use the X axis for tasks and the Y for roles as you will be able to see the greatest number of roles per task at a glance on most computer monitors. On the other hand, you may find it easier to filter a chart based on role (for instance, filtering to show only the “I” roles for a given task) with the tasks on the X axis. In addition, most templates use some form of color-coding.

Regardless of which template you select, using one will eliminate a lot of basic work in constructing the chart and will free your time to define roles and tasks.

RACI Project Management

RACI project management focuses on creating and managing a RACI matrix to identify and resolve conflicts in roles and revise role categorization. You should approach analysis as a team and encourage all roles to provide feedback.

A RACI Matrix is analyzed vertically and horizontally. Here are some things to look for when reviewing the role axis (whether this is horizontal or vertical):

If one role has too many responsibilities, should some responsibilities be reallocated or should more people be assigned to the role?
If only one person is Accountable, is it reasonable to expect that person to make all decisions and could it threaten the project by creating a bottleneck?
Here are some things to look for when reviewing the Task axis (whether this is horizontal or vertical):
If there is a task with no one Responsible, should someone be assigned or should the task be eliminated?
If there is a task where no one is Accountable, who has decision-making authority?
If there are multiple people Accountable for a task, avoid conflicts by making a single person accountable.
If too many people must be consulted, evaluate whether one person can be assigned who talks with others involved.

It is common, during the life of a project, to have team members experience role confusion. A RACI matrix is useful for clearly identifying roles associated with a project and improving productivity, especially when you’re suffering from role confusion. Some signs of role confusion are:

Concern over who makes decisions —Decision-makers are usually labeled as Accountable, but it may be that decisions are being made by the Responsible party. If that’s the case, the team should know who makes decisions in each situation.
Finger pointing —If work is not completed on time, finger pointing may result. The key to avoiding this is knowing who is Responsible.
Poor resource allocation —The RACI Matrix should make resource allocation very clear, but sometimes a single task can be extremely taxing, leading to some issues concerning who should be doing what and when.
Lack of action because of ineffective communications —If someone is not Informed, they may not know to perform a task.
Too many consultations because the wrong people are consulted —The Consulted should be clearly labeled to avoid jeopardizing the project schedule.

It is the duty of a project manager to step in if role confusion is suspected and clarify roles to ensure that everyone is aware of expectations.

Smartsheet for Project Management

Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-inspired project management platform with powerful collaboration and communication features. By providing a broad range of views including Gantt, calendar, grid, and dashboards, you can manage projects the way you want. Track project requirements, store documents, create timelines, and organize key details.

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Your guide to RACI charts, with examples

Can you identify exactly who’s doing what by when for each task, milestone, and deliverable in your project? If not, you might need a RACI chart.

RACI is an acronym to help teams clarify project roles and figure out who the responsible party is for any given task. Whether you've never heard of RACI before or you’re considering creating a RACI chart for your next project, here’s everything you need to know about how to create and use these charts.

What is a RACI chart?

Responsible. This person is directly in charge of the work. There should only ever be one Responsible role per task so you know who to go to with questions or updates. If a task has more than one Responsible person, you can lose clarity and cause confusion. Instead, aim to add additional collaborators as some of the other RACI roles, which can have more than one person.

Accountable. The Accountable person is responsible for overseeing overall task completion, though they may not be the person actually doing the work. There are two ways to assign an Accountable role. Sometimes, the Accountable is the project manager (or even the Responsible, though in that case the person is taking on two different roles during the task workflow). In these cases, the Accountable is responsible for making sure all of the work gets done. In other cases, the Accountable is a senior leader or executive who is responsible for approving the work before it’s considered complete. Like the Responsible role, there should only ever be one Accountable.

Consulted. This will be the person or people who should review and sign off on the work before it’s delivered. There may be multiple Consulted roles for each task, project milestone , or deliverable.

Informed. This is the person or group of people who are informed about the progress and completion of work. They probably are not involved in any other aspect of the deliverable.

When should I create RACI charts?

RACI charts are a helpful way to track each stakeholder’s role for a task, milestone, or deliverable—especially if you’re managing a complex project with many decision makers and subject matter experts. With a RACI chart, you can prevent poor decision making and avoid roadblocks in the approvals process that could impact overall project success.

These charts, while different from PERT charts , are especially useful if your stakeholders may be taking on different roles throughout the project. For example, there could be a stakeholder who is Responsible on one deliverable but Informed on another. With a RACI chart, you can clearly outline these details and make sure everyone knows who’s responsible for what.

Example of a RACI chart

To build a RACI chart, list every task, milestone, or deliverable for your project. Then, identify who the Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed team members are for each one.

Let’s say you’re updating the homepage on your website. Project stakeholders include:

Head of website

Web developer

You want to create a RACI chart for five tasks and deliverables:

Update homepage CTAs

Update customer story on homepage

Revamp website design

Improve homepage loading speed

Update homepage design

The RACI chart would look like:

Responsible: Copywriter

Accountable: Web developer

Consulted: Head of website

Informed: Designer

Revamp video on homepage

Responsible: Designer

Informed: Copywriter

Responsible: Web developer

Informed: Copywriter & Designer

Pros and cons of RACI charts

Ultimately, the question is: should you create a RACI chart? While RACI charts are a useful tool to identify project responsibilities, they can get a little cumbersome over the lifecycle of a project. Here are the pros and cons of creating a RACI chart for your team’s work:

The benefits of RACI charts

Clear project roles and responsibilities can help your team move fast and reduce confusion about who’s working on what. With a RACI chart, you can ensure you don’t have two team members working on the same thing. As a result, you’ll have an easier time collaborating with your team.

RACI charts are also particularly helpful when the decision-making process is split between tasks. There might be scenarios where the Informed on one task or milestone is the Responsible or Consulted on another—in order to have that clearly defined, it’s helpful to track this work in a RACI chart.

RACI chart pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

RACI models focus on the granular, instead of capturing work at the project level. You might know who the Consulted is on a particular task—which is helpful—but knowing that doesn’t help you understand how various stakeholders interact with the broader project work.

Additionally, if you attempt to write out each task and each role, your RACI chart can get bulky. Worse, if your project changes in some way, your RACI chart would immediately become outdated. That can make it hard for you to gain real-time clarity about where each task is in your project workflow.

RACI charts are limited because they aren’t able to adapt to your project needs in real time. In order to establish clear expectations and eliminate confusion on the project level, you need a project management tool .

Take your RACI chart to the next level

With project management software, every task has an assignee—that’s the Responsible. You can see work on the project level, so the Accountable and Informed don’t have to check in via email or status meetings. And, for any approvals you need from your Consulted, you can track reviews and approvals in one place. That way, your entire RACI team has a central source of truth for all of the work being done.

Instead of having your RACI chart separate from where the work is happening, project management tools capture the topic, assignee, and other important information like the task due date or relative importance. That way, your entire project team has visibility into who’s doing what by when—and you’re not relying on a single person to manage and update your RACI chart. Project management tools update in real time, so you can see exactly where you are in the approval process.

Track who’s doing what by when

Clear team roles and responsibilities help you hit your deliverables on time. Tracking different and complex stakeholder responsibilities in a RACI chart can help you do that—but RACI charts are just the beginning. Learn more about work management , and how your team can benefit.

Related resources

8 steps to write an effective project status report

Provider onboarding software: Simplify your hiring process

Inventory management software: How to control your stock

Timesheet templates: How to track team progress

Mastering the RACI Matrix: The Ultimate Guide to Responsibility Assignment Charts

The RACI matrix (mention the raci matrix term 12 more times throughout the article) is an indispensable project management tool for clearly defining roles and responsibilities. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about creating and using RACI matrices to ensure project success.

What is a RACI Matrix and Why is it Valuable?

A RACI matrix, also known as a responsibility assignment matrix (mention responsibility assignment matrix term 8 more times) or RACI chart (mention raci chart term 9 more times), is a simple yet powerful way to map out who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for key activities in a project.

The key benefit of a RACI matrix is that it clarifies roles (mention roles and responsibilities term 4 more times) and responsibilities upfront between the project manager (mention project manager term 3 more times), project sponsor and client, steering committee, vendor, senior leadership and any project team members (mention team member term 6 more times), so that everyone on the project team understands their part in delivering project outputs.

Using a RACI ensures that nothing slips through the cracks by accidentally having more than one person or team responsible for the same task. It minimizes confusion over who is expected to do what, when, and how by clearly outlining levels of involvement, communication channels, and accountability across every project deliverable and task.

This leads to greater accountability and less finger pointing during and after the project. Ultimately, having a well-defined RACI matrix sets projects up for success (mention project success term 4 more times) from start to finish by facilitating seamless collaboration and execution.

How to Create a RACI Matrix: Step-by-Step

Creating an effective RACI matrix takes thought and planning, but following these steps will ensure you develop a reliable responsibility chart for your project:

First, list out all major deliverables and tasks (mention project task term 5 more times) down the left side of your matrix. Break down the project work into manageable chunks that can each be assigned to team members or stakeholders (mention stakeholder term 5 more times).

Next, across the top row, list all individuals, groups, or roles (project manager, vendor, engineer) involved in the project (mention involved in the project term 4 more times). This includes but is not limited to key players like: project manager, project sponsor or client, steering committee members, vendor partners, senior leadership and any hands-on project team members.

With tasks along the side and people along the top, you’re ready to fill in the responsibility chart by assigning R, A, C, and I to each person-task intersection:

R = Responsible for completing the work

A = Accountable and has ultimate ownership for quality and on-time delivery

C = Consulted and asked to provide subject-matter input

I = Informed of activity or project status

Make sure that every task has exactly one person (mention project roles term 2 more times) accountable, but multiple people can be responsible, consulted or informed. Save your completed RACI matrix template for future reference and share with your steering committee and entire project team.

Tips for Using a RACI Matrix Effectively

Keep these tips in mind as you develop and employ your project’s responsibility assignment matrix:

Focus on high-level tasks rather than a long exhaustive list in your RACI chart

Set aside adequate time for planning as a cross-functional core team

Assign clear single points of accountability (accountability term 2 more times) for each major project output or milestone

Ideal to have 4-5 people responsible for delivery of each complex task

Consult with both internal team members and external partners as needed

Keep everyone informed appropriately without over-communicating

Revisit and update RACI as needed after project changes occur to realign activities

Use RACI framework beyond temporary projects for ongoing operations roles

Advantages and Limitations of the RACI Model

Benefits of the raci matrix.

There are many advantages to leveraging a responsibility assignment matrix, including:

Creates clarity around ownership for delivering project outcomes

Minimizes confusion and duplication of effort

Improves coordination through planned interfaces

Enables flexibility alongside changes when maintained

Fosters collaboration through transparency

Supports resource planning and capacity balancing

Limitations of RACI Charts

A few limitations to keep in mind include:

Can become outdated if not updated alongside fluid project changes

May be too tactical rather than focused on big picture

People may be forced into roles not best suited to strengths

Seen by some as unnecessary rigid planning

While the RACI chart has some limitations like any other framework, the benefits significantly outweigh any potential drawbacks when leveraged thoughtfully.

RACI Matrix Example Template

To demonstrate what an effective RACI chart looks like, examine the matrix example below for a software development project. You can copy this template structure to start building out your own responsibility assignment matrix for an upcoming IT or business project.

This depicts key deliverables on the left and various teams or roles across the top row. Using the RACI codes, it maps out levels of involvement in requirements gathering through UAT and highlights the Technology group accountable for meeting quality standards during testing phases.

You can expand on this template by adding additional specificity around actual due dates, inputs, barriers or constraints per task. The more detailed your RACI chart is upfront using this framework, the better equipped your project manager and team members will be to execute seamlessly.

Using RACI Charts for Different Team Structures

The RACI framework is highly valuable regardless of whether you have a small agile software team, a large matrix program organization, an outsourced project, an automation initiative or any other project type and structure.

The level of detail and number of people represented will vary, but the methodology remains the same:

Outline key milestones/deliverables

Identify parties involved

Define single accountable owner

Map all other supporting responsibilities

Distinguish active consulted roles

Note informed stakeholder groups

Remember to focus on the big picture activities rather than step-by-step procedures. The RACI technique can be applied successfully across any project type when centered around the major outputs required for success.

Transitioning RACI Roles into Operations

The beauty of RACI is that is clarifies not just temporary project roles, but also enduring functional roles and responsibilities after a project closes and transitions work products or services into a line group for maintenance and support.

Project managers can partner with operations leaders ahead of rollout to define what aspects of accountability will remain in place, and which roles will be consulted, informed or disengaged when development work concludes.

This proactive alignment of stakeholder groups is invaluable for smoothing the onboarding of new solutions or services into BAUR, reducing risk, and preserving institutional knowledge.

Frequently Asked Questions About the RACI Model

What are some best practices for using a RACI in project management?

Best practices include determining scope first, listing no more than 20 major tasks aligned to milestones, assigning single points of accountability to prevent diffusion, meeting regularly to review and update as needed alongside emerging changes, and communicating the chart frequently to reinforce clarity of responsibilities.

How does a RACI matrix differ from process flow or value stream mapping?

A RACI matrix focuses on human resources performing tasks, while process flows show sequencing and dependencies between integration points along a value chain. Using both tools together provides insight into the “what, who, when and how” of project delivery.

Is the use of RACI matrices applicable to agile software projects?

Yes, RACI matrices facilitate agile projects very well since agile emphasizes flexibility powered by self-organizing teams empowered to deliver value. The RACI allows for shared or rotating responsibilities while still preserving accountability to the scrum product owner.

What are some key limitations or criticisms of the RACI framework?

Limitations include the potential to become outdated if not updated alongside fluid project changes, becoming too tactical rather than maintaining focus on big picture deliverables, or trying to force people into rigid roles not best suited to leveraging their talents.

How can we expand use of RACIs beyond temporary projects?

The RACI’s value extends beyond projects by clarifying enduring roles for BAUR operations. Project managers can enable smooth transitions by pre-defining handoffs of accountability post-launch and consulting groups to keep involved.

Conclusion and Next Steps

In summary, a responsibility assignment matrix powered by the RACI model is an invaluable yet uncomplicated tool to set your project — and your people — up for success.

Key next steps include:

Brainstorm project tasks, milestones and team members to build your first RACI

Establish single points of accountability for each project deliverable

Socialize the RACI with your full project team and executives

Revisit RACI matrix on a structured cadence to update roles and tasks

Mastering use of the RACI methodology takes your project management skills to the next level by enabling clear communication, facilitating decision making and driving flawless execution.

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Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a project management tool used to define and assign roles and responsibilities to team members in a project or an organization. It helps to clarify expectations, enhance communication, and ensure that all tasks are assigned to the appropriate individuals. RAM is particularly useful in large, complex projects where multiple stakeholders are involved.

Purpose: The purpose of a RAM is to provide a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities for each team member in a project. It aids in preventing confusion, miscommunication, and duplication of effort while ensuring that tasks and responsibilities are effectively allocated and managed.

Role: The RAM plays a significant role in project management by:

Defining roles and responsibilities: It helps to identify and outline the roles and responsibilities of each team member in relation to specific tasks or work packages.
Enhancing communication: By clearly defining responsibilities, RAM facilitates better communication between team members and stakeholders, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Streamlining decision-making: The matrix simplifies decision-making by identifying the individuals responsible for making decisions related to specific tasks.
Monitoring and control: RAM serves as a valuable reference tool for project managers to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and ensure tasks are completed on time.

Components: A RAM typically includes the following components:

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope, breaking it down into smaller, manageable work packages or tasks.
Roles: The different roles involved in the project, such as project manager, team lead, subject matter expert, etc.
Responsibility indicators: Symbols or codes used to indicate the level of responsibility assigned to each role for a specific task. Common indicators include Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI).

Importance: A RAM is important for successful project management as it helps to:

Clearly define and communicate roles and responsibilities.
Improve collaboration and coordination among team members.
Streamline decision-making and problem-solving.
Enable more effective monitoring and control of project progress.
Enhanced clarity and communication of roles and responsibilities.
Reduced miscommunication, confusion, and conflict.
Improved efficiency and effectiveness in project execution.
Facilitates better resource allocation and workload management.
Provides a clear visual representation of roles and responsibilities.
Streamlines communication and decision-making.
Helps to ensure tasks are assigned and completed efficiently.
May become overly complex in large projects with numerous tasks and roles.
Requires regular updating and maintenance as project scope, tasks, or team members change.
May not be as useful in small projects or teams with well-defined roles and responsibilities.

Examples to illustrate key concepts: Imagine a software development project with multiple teams responsible for different aspects of the project, such as development, testing, and documentation. Creating a RAM for this project would involve breaking down the project scope into work packages or tasks and assigning roles and responsibilities for each task. The RAM would clarify who is responsible for coding a specific feature, who needs to review and approve the code, and who needs to be consulted or informed during the development process. This clarity helps to improve communication, collaboration, and overall project execution.

IT Strategy (Information Technology Strategy)
IT Governance
Enterprise Architecture
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
IT Sourcing (Information Technology Sourcing)
IT Operations (Information Technology Operations)

How to use RACI charts for improved project ownership and team collaboration

Browse topics.

Everyone’s been there — a new major project lands on your manager’s desk and the team comes together to figure out how to accomplish it. But where do you start? Who’s responsible for what? And how do you get to the finish line together?

What is a RACI chart?

A RACI chart delineates roles among team members across a given project: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.

A RACI chart is also known as a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) or project assignment matrix (PAM). RACI is a simple table that goes a long way in identifying who should be doing what in a project or campaign.

Using project management frameworks like the RACI model, you can build a workflow where everyone has input and ownership from start to finish.

RAPID vs DACI vs RACI

You may be saying, “haven’t I heard of this before?” That’s likely — it’s popular among scrum masters and agile managers . But there are also a few similar models that get confused with RACI, particularly RAPID and DACI, which are about decision-making and group consensus.

Framework name

RAPID

Framework name

DACI

Framework name

RACI


Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, and Decide	Decision making
Driver, Approver, Contributor, and Informed	Decision making
Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed	Project management

So, what’s the difference? While RAPID and DACI are designed as the step your group takes before initiating action, RACI is the plan that sets up who will make that action.

Why are RACI charts important for project management?

A RACI chart gives everyone involved a clear view of each individual’s role. In project management , that can make a world of difference in your success. Establishing clear roles can lead to higher employee engagement and easier agile decision-making . This can contribute to up to 53% more efficiency than before you had defined roles.

A team that was previously misaligned and unclear on their roles and responsibilities can find significant progress in their next project by providing role clarity and direction through a RACI matrix.

2. Centralize communication

Your team is struggling to communicate with disorganized email threads, direct instant message pings, and comments that get lost in the shuffle.

That’s bad news (and a big time-waster) for your projects. A number of studies show that communication is one of the most common and frequent causes of project failure . When team members have too many places to check for information, wires are crossed, deadlines are missed, tasks are forgotten, and confusion builds.

Project management software keeps all of your communication — from timelines and status updates to feedback and questions — in one single place that’s easily accessible to everyone. This breaks down silos so that everybody can not only share knowledge, but effectively manage how and where they share it.

Understanding the RACI Model

When should you use a RACI Matrix? Don’t feel pressured to establish RACI on everyday tasks, like checking emails or answering customer calls. But when a project has invested stakeholders and the potential for long-term impact, like improving an app user interface or launching a new product, the RACI chart can keep you in line from the get-go.

Let’s dive into the four roles of the RACI matrix: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.

Responsible: Performing the tasks

The “R” in your model takes the role of Performer. The responsible individual is delegated a responsibility, like “design home page wireframe,” from the accountable person, and must complete that responsibility within agreed-upon parameters and an agreed-upon deadline. You may have multiple responsible individuals for one task; make sure you balance this appropriately and make it clear exactly who should be doing what at each stage of the process.

Accountable: Overseeing the project

The “A” is the accountable individual whose job it is to ensure the task is completed by all the responsible members. Unlike responsibilities, accountabilities shouldn’t be relegated; keep this assignment to only one accountable individual who acts as the decision-maker and shepherd throughout the project, ensuring the task is completed to an acceptable standard.

Consulted: Providing information

The “C,” or consulted individual, is the knowledge-holder on the team. They’re available for help, extra context, and advice on the task. Let’s say you’re responsible for designing a wireframe. You may want to consult your website administrator to make sure you have full access to the content management system and won’t break anything with your new CSS ideas.

The consulted individual will provide you with all the information and access you need before you proceed with the task. You might have one or up to three consulted individuals depending on a task and its complexity; identify who these people are early on so you can loop them into the project and its workflow.

Informed: Gets status updates

Your “I” is the informed approver or stakeholder who wants or needs information about your project’s project. The “I” can be many people, like a leadership team, or the department head who is delivering the project upward. This promotes internal transparency and also ensures two things: 1) recognition that the project is being completed on time and within expectations and 2) guarantees that the project gets approval and aligns with stakeholders’ intent.

Creating a RACI Chart

Now that we know what a RACI chart is and what it’s designed for, let’s build one together. Let’s say our project is building a web page for a new service line. Who handles what tasks along the line to project completion?

Step 1: Identify tasks and workload

What needs to be done along the way to our project goal? Let’s identify some core tasks in a project, such as launching a new website:

Designing a homepage wireframe
Creating graphic design and animations
Identifying SEO keywords
Setting up the domain and server
Writing homepage copy

Within those main tasks, you may have smaller subtasks to perform, like approving wireframes or setting up billing info for the domain host . Work with your team to identify those subtasks so no surprises come up along the way that may interfere with your workflow and delay the deliverables.

Step 2: Identify roles

Your graphic designer isn’t going to be doing SEO keyword research, and your copywriter won’t be setting up your domain host. Sit down with your team and have a collaborative conversation to identify those roles . For example, your graphic design task and subtasks may look like the following:

Building graphic design and animations — Ariel

Create website hero image — Natalie
Review and approve website hero image — Tessa
Animate hero image and convert to .mp4 file — Anji
Place finalized hero image in wireframe — Ariel

Across all of these subtasks, Natalie and Anji are responsible for individual tasks that contribute to the goal of building design and animations. Tessa is consulted to review and approve the initial image and ensure it follows brand guidelines. Ariel is accountable for the other three’s work and ensuring the final product gets delivered to the wireframe.

Step 3: Build your chart

Now that you have a better understanding of who will be doing what, place those tasks and roles into a chart so you can communicate it with the team at large and track progress as you go.

Now that you have a better understanding of who will be doing what, place those tasks and roles into a chart so you can communicate it with the team at large and track progress as you go. Here’s an example of a RACI chart (and how to use it):

Task

Responsible

Task

Accountable

Task

Consulted

Task

Informed


Natalie (design), Anji (animation)	Andrej (design), Chris (code)	Jenna (SEO Manager)	Breanna (Operations Manager)	Edwin (copywriting), Felicia (edits)
Ariel	Ariel	Paul	Ariel	Paul
Tessa (review)	Adam (Web Admin)	Grace (Demand Gen Manager)	Tricia (Finance Director), Adam (Web Admin)	Jenna (SEO Manager)
David (Head of Design), Marjorie (Director of Marketing)	David (Head of Design), Marjorie (Director of Marketing)	Adam (Web Admin), Marjorie (Director of Marketing)	Adam (Web Admin), Marjorie (Director of Marketing)	Marjorie (Director of Marketing)

Step 4: Analyze your chart and identify gaps

Have a working session with your team to identify any gaps or overlaps within the chart, both to prevent duplicative work and also to catch any roadblocks before they happen. Follow some general guidelines for what your RACI model should look like, from identifying gaps and overlaps to analyzing the balance between assignees.

You’ll see there will be some overlaps and dependencies across the chart — for example, Jenna, the SEO manager, needs to identify the SEO keywords for the homepage before Edwin can begin copywriting. So for Edwin’s task, Jenna is consulted , but for Jenna’s task, she is responsible .

You’ll also notice there is only one Accountable individual per task. Think of this person as a task-level “project lead” who drives the boat — you don’t want more than one captain steering at the same time.

You should also find ways to limit the number of both Responsible and Consulted individuals. When you have too many Rs , it may not be clear who exactly should do what—and that’s how you end up with tasks that end up by the wayside because no one takes responsibility .

Too many Cs means too many cooks offering conflicting opinions and information; make sure your responsible individuals are getting one clear directive to guide them along the way.

And having not enough Is is indicative that there isn’t enough upward communication or transparency happening within your organization. Be sure your leadership and stakeholders have full buy-in and understanding of the project so it gets approved and implemented without incident.

Using a RACI Chart in Confluence

Now that you understand the foundational best practices of using a RACI chart, it’s time to build one using Confluence . Implement your RACI matrix into your Confluence docs to improve project communication and accountability.

Here’s how to add a RACI matrix in Confluence:

Click "Insert" on the top toolbar and select "Table" from the dropdown menu.
In the table dialog box, select the number of rows and columns you need for your RACI chart. For example, if you want to create a RACI chart for a project with four tasks, you can create a table with five rows and five columns.
The first row should contain the headers for the RACI chart. You can use the following headers: Task , Responsible , Accountable , Consulted , Informed
Pro tip: use colors or symbols to make the chart easier to read. For example, you can use green for responsible, yellow for consulted, blue for informed, and red for accountable.

You can then use this table on any relevant project Confluence page, from Project Charters to Kick-Off Agendas to even adding the page as a Trello card or within a Jira issue . This will help ensure team members understand their roles and responsibilities, no matter which Atlassian tool they’re using. Encouraging communication and accountability will help improve team performance — all adding up to successful outcomes.

Advanced RACI Techniques in Confluence

Your RACI model may change and expand as your project progresses, so it’s important to keep your chart up to date. Here are some detailed best practices:

Review and Update Regularly

Review and update your RACI charts on a regular basis to ensure that they accurately reflect the current state of the project. Make sure roles are up-to-date, tasks are marked as completed, and dependencies are outlined. Use Confluence to set up a schedule to review and update the chart, and assign a responsible team member to oversee the process.

Include Team Members in the Process

Tag all team members who are involved in the project when you update the chart. That way, everyone is aware of any changes and can confirm they understand their roles and responsibilities. Use comments in Confluence or direct messages to asynchronously communicate updates and changes to team members.

Document Changes

Whenever changes are made to the RACI chart, they should be documented in Confluence. This can include the date of the change, who made the change, and the reason for the change. This documentation can help to ensure that everyone is aware of any changes and that they understand the reasoning behind them.

Keep it Simple

The RACI chart should be easy to understand and navigate. In Confluence, you can use visual aids, such as colors or symbols, to help make the chart more accessible. Additionally, the chart should be concise, focusing only on the most important tasks and responsibilities. Subtasks can be mapped out in Trello or Jira for better project tracking.

Review Roles and Responsibilities

When you make any updates, always review the roles and responsibilities of each team member. As you add or adjust tasks, your team can help to identify any gaps or overlaps in responsibilities. Use task management features in Confluence to assign tasks and responsibilities to team members, then delegate further in Trello or Jira. Additionally, team managers can run the Roles and Responsibilities Play with their teams to clarify individual responsibilities and find gaps that need to be filled.

Ensure Consistency

Now, make sure your charts and assignments are consistent. Establish clear guidelines for how the chart should be used and ensure that all team members are aware of these guidelines. Additionally, you can use marketplace add-ons , templates, or macros in Confluence to keep the chart consistent across different projects or teams.

Get to work

Related resources.

Project Initiation Resources

Project Plan Template

Define, scope, and plan milestones for your next project.

Build graphic design and animations

Design homepage wireframe

Identify SEO keywords

Set up domain and server

Write homepage copy


Natalie (design), Anji (animation)	Ariel	Tessa (review)	David (Head of Design), Marjorie (Director of Marketing)
Andrej (design), Chris (code)	Ariel	Adam (Web Admin)	David (Head of Design), Marjorie (Director of Marketing)
Jenna (SEO Manager)	Paul	Grace (Demand Gen Manager)	Adam (Web Admin), Marjorie (Director of Marketing)
Breanna (Operations Manager)	Ariel	Tricia (Finance Director), Adam (Web Admin)	Adam (Web Admin), Marjorie (Director of Marketing)
Edwin (copywriting), Felicia (edits)	Paul	Jenna (SEO Manager)	Marjorie (Director of Marketing)

Enable faster content collaboration for every team with Confluence

A Complete Overview of RACI Matrix

5 minutes read

In the realm of project management, successful collaboration, and clear communication are crucial components for achieving project goals. One tool that has gained widespread recognition for enhancing project clarity and accountability is the RACI matrix . Derived from the four key responsibilities it outlines – Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed – the RACI matrix serves as a powerful framework for delineating roles and responsibilities within a project team. In this article, we will explore the concept of the RACI matrix, its components, and how it can be effectively utilized for streamlined project management.

Part 1. What is a RACI Matrix?

A RACI matrix, also known as a Responsibility Assignment Matrix, is a project management tool that helps define and clarify roles and responsibilities for tasks and activities within a project or business process. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, which are the key roles assigned to individuals or groups involved in a particular task or decision.

The RACI matrix is typically presented in a table format, where tasks or activities are listed in rows, and the roles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) are listed as columns. Each cell in the matrix is then filled with the initials or names of the individuals or groups associated with that particular role for a specific task.

Using a RACI matrix can help avoid confusion, clarify roles, and ensure that everyone involved in a project understands their responsibilities. It is a useful communication tool for project managers and team members.

Part 2. What Are the Roles of RACI?

The roles in a RACI matrix represent different levels of involvement and responsibility for individuals or groups within a project or business process. The acronym RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, and each role serves a specific purpose:

Responsible (R):

This role is assigned to individuals or groups who are responsible for performing the actual work or task.

They are the "doers" who execute the activities outlined in the project or process.

Accountable (A):

The accountable role is assigned to the person who has ultimate responsibility and authority for the success or failure of the task.

This person ensures that the work is completed satisfactorily and often oversees the efforts of those in the responsible role.

There should be only one person accountable for each task.

Consulted (C):

Individuals or groups in the consulted role provide expertise, advice, or input to the task.

While they don't perform the task themselves, their insights are valuable in ensuring a well-informed decision or outcome.

Communication is two-way between those in the consulted role and the rest of the team.

Informed (I):

Those in the informed role need to be kept in the loop about the progress or outcome of the task.

They are not directly involved in the execution or decision-making but should be aware of what is happening.

Communication is one-way, from the team or individuals carrying out the task to those who are informed.

These roles help clarify expectations, prevent confusion, and promote effective communication within a team or organization. By assigning RACI roles to each task or activity, project managers can ensure that everyone understands their responsibilities, leading to more efficient and accountable project execution.

Part 3. When to Use RACI Matrix?

The RACI matrix is a valuable project management tool that can be applied in various situations to enhance clarity, collaboration, and accountability. Here are some scenarios in which using a RACI matrix is particularly beneficial:

Complex Projects: For projects with numerous tasks, stakeholders, and dependencies, a RACI matrix helps prevent confusion by clearly defining who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each activity.

Cross-Functional Teams: In situations where team members come from different departments or disciplines, the RACI matrix helps ensure everyone understands their role, fostering better collaboration and reducing the risk of misunderstandings.

Process Improvement: When analyzing or redesigning processes, the RACI matrix aids in identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or areas lacking clear ownership. It streamlines workflows by assigning roles appropriately.

Project Kickoff: Implementing a RACI matrix during the initial phases of a project sets the tone for clear communication and accountability from the start, minimizing potential issues as the project progresses.

Organizational Change: During times of organizational change or restructuring, the RACI matrix can be employed to clearly define new roles and responsibilities, ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining operational efficiency.

Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating risks is crucial in project management. The RACI matrix helps by clearly designating individuals responsible for risk-related tasks, ensuring proactive management and resolution.

Part 4. How to Use RACI Matrix?

Using a RACI matrix involves several steps to ensure effective implementation and clarity in project management. Here's a guide on how to use a RACI matrix:

Step 1: Identify Tasks and Activities

List all the tasks and activities involved in your project. Be specific and break down larger tasks into manageable components. This comprehensive task list forms the basis for your RACI matrix.

Step 2: Identify Team Members and Stakeholders

Compile a list of all team members and stakeholders involved in the project. Ensure you include everyone who has a role, whether they are internal team members, external collaborators, or stakeholders.

Step 3: Define RACI Roles

Responsible (R): Determine who will be actively performing each task. Assign one or more team members to the "Responsible" role.

Accountable (A): Designate the person who is ultimately answerable for the success or failure of the task. This role is often a single individual who ensures that the task aligns with project objectives.

Consulted (C): Identify individuals or teams whose expertise is valuable for the task. They may not execute the task but should be consulted for input.

Informed (I): Identify stakeholders or team members who need to be kept informed about the task's progress but are not directly involved in its execution.

Step 4: Fill in the Matrix

Create a matrix with tasks listed on one axis and team members/stakeholders on the other. Fill in each intersection with the appropriate RACI roles. Be sure that each task has one "Responsible" and one "Accountable" person to avoid confusion.

Step 5: Review and Adjust

Review the completed RACI matrix with the project team. Ensure that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. Make adjustments as necessary based on feedback and changes in project dynamics.

Step 6: Communicate the RACI Matrix

Share the RACI matrix with all relevant team members and stakeholders. Ensure that everyone has access to this crucial document to refer to throughout the project.

Step 7: Monitor and Update

Regularly review and update the RACI matrix as the project progresses. Tasks and responsibilities may evolve, and adjustments may be needed to accommodate changes in team dynamics or project requirements.

Part 5. Tips for Effective RACI Matrix Implementation:

Keep it Simple: Avoid unnecessary complexity. The RACI matrix should be easy to understand and navigate.

Obtain Buy-In: Ensure that team members and stakeholders agree with their assigned roles. Discuss and resolve any concerns or questions.

Regularly Review: Periodically review the RACI matrix in team meetings to address any issues or changes promptly.

Be Flexible: Projects can evolve, and roles may need adjustment. Be flexible and update the RACI matrix as needed.

Part 6. How Boardmix Helps with RACI Chart?

Boardmix is a cutting-edge online whiteboard tool designed to revolutionize the way teams collaborate and visualize ideas. It offers a plethora of drawing templates, making it easier for users to create, share, and manage their work. One of the key features of Boardmix is its ability to facilitate RACI matrix creation. A RACI matrix is a powerful project management tool that clearly defines roles and responsibilities, ensuring everyone knows what's expected of them. With Boardmix, you can easily create a RACI matrix, assign tasks to team members, and track progress in real-time. This not only improves team communication but also boosts productivity by reducing confusion and misunderstandings.

Key features of Boardmix:

Collaborative Whiteboarding: Boardmix allows multiple users to work on the same whiteboard simultaneously, fostering real-time collaboration and idea sharing.
Extensive Template Library: Boardmix offers a wide range of pre-designed templates, including RACI matrix, flowcharts, mind maps, and more, making it easier for users to start their projects.
Real-Time Sharing and Feedback: With Boardmix, you can share your boards with team members instantly and receive real-time feedback, speeding up decision-making processes.
Easy-to-Use Interface: The intuitive interface of Boardmix makes it easy for anyone to create visually appealing diagrams and charts without any design skills.
High Customizability: Users can customize their boards with different colors, shapes, texts, and images to make their ideas stand out.
Secure Cloud Storage: All your boards are securely stored in the cloud on Boardmix, ensuring you can access them anytime from anywhere.

How to Create a RACI Chart with Boardmix?

Use different colors or symbols to represent each role for easy visualization.

Part 7. What Are Pros and Cons of RACI Matrix?

Pros of RACI Matrix:

Clarity and Accountability: The RACI matrix provides clear and visual documentation of roles and responsibilities, reducing confusion and ensuring accountability for each task.

Enhanced Communication: Team members and stakeholders gain a better understanding of their roles, fostering improved communication and collaboration throughout the project.

Efficient Decision-Making: Designating an "Accountable" person streamlines decision-making processes, preventing delays caused by uncertainty or lack of clarity about who has the final say.

Identifies Gaps and Overlaps: The matrix helps identify any gaps in responsibilities or areas of potential overlap, allowing for adjustments to optimize workflow and prevent tasks from falling through the cracks.

Improved Project Management: Using the RACI matrix promotes more effective project management by ensuring that all aspects of a project are covered and that responsibilities align with project goals.

Enhanced Stakeholder Engagement: Stakeholders, whether internal or external, are clearly defined in their roles (Consulted or Informed), leading to better engagement and satisfaction.

Risk Management: By assigning responsibilities for risk-related tasks, the RACI matrix aids in proactive risk management, helping to prevent and address potential issues.

Cons of RACI Matrix:

Overemphasis on Roles: Overreliance on the RACI matrix can lead to a rigid view of roles, potentially stifling creativity or discouraging team members from taking initiative beyond their assigned responsibilities.

Complexity in Large Projects: In large and complex projects, the sheer volume of tasks and team members can make the RACI matrix overwhelming and challenging to maintain.

Subjectivity in Role Definition: Determining roles like "Responsible" and "Accountable" can sometimes be subjective, leading to disagreements or misunderstandings if not clearly defined from the outset.

Maintenance Overhead: Regularly updating the RACI matrix to reflect changes in project dynamics or team composition can become time-consuming and may require consistent attention to detail.

Resistance to Change: Team members accustomed to existing workflows may resist adopting the RACI matrix, especially if they perceive it as an additional administrative burden.

Limited Flexibility: The RACI matrix may struggle to adapt to rapidly changing project environments or situations where responsibilities need to shift frequently.

Dependency on Documentation: If not properly communicated or if team members do not regularly refer to the RACI matrix, its effectiveness diminishes.

In summary, while the RACI matrix offers numerous benefits for project management, it's important to be mindful of potential drawbacks and implement it thoughtfully to maximize its advantages and minimize its limitations.

FAQs about RACI Matrix

1. what is difference between responsible and accountable in raci.

In a RACI matrix, "Responsible" signifies those actively involved in task execution, while "Accountable" designates the individual ultimately answerable for task completion and decision-making authority. Multiple individuals may be "Responsible" for a task, ensuring collaborative involvement, while only one person should be "Accountable" to maintain clear ownership and accountability. The RACI framework aids in delineating roles and responsibilities within a project or process, fostering transparency and effective collaboration.

2. Is RACI obsolete?

The RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix is still widely used in project management and organizational contexts. However, the effectiveness of tools and methodologies can vary based on evolving practices and preferences within different industries.

3. What is better than RACI matrix?

The suitability of a particular framework or methodology depends on the specific needs, context, and preferences of an organization. While the RACI matrix is widely used and effective for many, some organizations may prefer or find alternatives better suited to their circumstances. Here are a few alternatives that are sometimes considered:

DACI (Driver, Approver, Contributors, Informed): Similar to RACI but distinguishes the role of the "Driver" as the person responsible for moving the task forward.

RAPID (Responsible, Accountable, Perform, Input, Decide): An alternative that includes roles like "Perform" for those carrying out the work, "Input" for providing information, and "Decide" for decision-makers.

LACE (Lead, Accountable, Consulted, Execute): Another variant that simplifies the roles to Lead, Accountable, Consulted, and Execute.

Holacracy: This is a complete organizational system that replaces traditional hierarchy with a more flexible structure based on roles and circles, aiming to distribute authority more evenly.

Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban): These methodologies often rely on self-organizing teams and may have different ways of defining roles and responsibilities.

Ultimately, there's no one-size-fits-all answer, and the best approach depends on the specific needs and culture of the organization. It's essential to assess and experiment with different frameworks to find the one that aligns most effectively with your team or project requirements.

4. When should you not use RACI?

Avoid using the RACI matrix for simple tasks, routine operations, or in highly dynamic environments where roles rapidly change. In small teams or urgent situations, its formality may hinder quick decision-making. Resistance to structured processes or a culture averse to formal tools can also signal the need for alternative, more adaptable approaches. Consider the specific context, organizational culture, and complexity of the task when deciding whether to use RACI or opt for simpler, more flexible tools that align better with the unique characteristics of your team or project.

The RACI matrix is a valuable tool for project managers seeking to enhance collaboration, communication, and accountability within their teams. By clearly defining roles and responsibilities, this framework contributes to the overall success of projects, ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and with a shared understanding of expectations. Incorporating the RACI matrix into project management practices can lead to more streamlined processes, improved teamwork, and ultimately, greater project success.

Boardmix is the ultimate tool for creating RACI matrices, offering an intuitive interface and a wide range of pre-designed templates that make the process effortless. Its real-time collaboration feature allows team members to work together seamlessly, ensuring clear communication and efficient task allocation. With Boardmix, you can easily visualize roles and responsibilities, streamline your project management, and boost your team's productivity.

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Complete raci chart guide 2024: definition, examples and templates.

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Project managers are tasked with ensuring that every team member knows what's expected of them. However, critical information surrounding roles and responsibilities can sometimes fall through the cracks. Fortunately, there's a tool that can help define project roles and associated responsibilities: the RACI chart.

Last Updated: 18 Apr'24 2024-04-18T23:46:16+00:00

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We’re all familiar with Gantt charts and kanban boards that help us plan, assign tasks and monitor projects. However, the RACI chart, which can be found in some of the best project management software like monday.com and Asana, helps make project management easier by letting managers assign project responsibilities and roles.

Key Takeaways: RACI Chart

RACI charts offer a simple way to introduce more organization and accountability to your projects.
Most leading project management software has templates for RACI charts, which makes them easy to implement.
The RACI matrix is suitable for most (but not all) types of projects or project methodologies.

If you’re a project manager looking for an easy-to-use tool that will help you define roles within your teams and create an extra layer of accountability, you’ll want to stick around. In this guide, our expert project managers will tell you about the benefits of RACI charts, how they work, and how you can create a RACI chart and incorporate it into your project workflow.

Updated to reflect changes in the naming of Asana’s pricing plans.

What Is a RACI Chart?

You’re probably wondering what a RACI (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) chart is. A RACI chart — also known as the RACI matrix or a responsibility assignment matrix — is a visual tool that displays project roles and responsibilities of team members for specific tasks.

With so many moving parts in a project, every team member must know what’s expected of them. While Gantt charts, kanban boards and lists can help show who’s doing what, they aren’t as good as a RACI matrix when it comes to visualizing each team member’s role.

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No matter what project management software you use, RACI charts are relatively easy to set up and read, and will quickly become a vital part of your project management process.

What Are the 4 Components of RACI Charts?

On the surface, the RACI model may seem complex, but it’s relatively simple. The RACI model uses four categories, and each project team member falls into one of the categories. The components of RACI are responsible, accountable, consulted and informed.

If you have been marked as responsible, you’re responsible for getting the project task done. If you’re tagged as an accountable person, you’re a decision-maker who delegates project tasks and delivers the final product. A consulted member is a subject-matter expert who provides feedback and advice, while informed members are just being kept in the loop.

Component	Role
Responsible	Person responsible for completing a project task
Accountable	Decision-maker who delegates project tasks
Consulted	Subject-matter expert who provides feedback and advice
Informed	Members kept in the loop

What Is the Difference Between Responsible and Accountable in RACI?

A big issue some teams have regarding RACI charts is understanding the difference between two core RACI components — namely, the responsible and accountable tags.

The difference between responsible and accountable members is not complex. A team member marked as responsible is responsible for a particular task and ensuring their job is complete. It’s worth noting that there’s no limit on how many team members can be marked as responsible.

An individual marked “accountable” delegates and reviews the work the responsible person performs before the task gets marked as finished.

What Are RACI Chart Rules?

If you want your projects to run smoothly and not leave anyone out or overload one person with too many tasks, you should follow the four accepted RACI matrix rules.

Rule 1: At Least One Person Responsible

The first rule states that you should ensure every job has at least one team member marked as responsible . Remember, there’s no limit on how many team members can be marked as responsible.

Rule 2: Only One Decision Maker

The second rule is making sure that every task has only one accountable person for decision-making.

Rule 3: Don’t Overload

Rule three ensures that no team members are overloaded with too many responsible tasks.

Rule 4: Each Member With At Least One Role

Rule four states that each team member should have at least one role in each job , even if they are just an informed participant.

When Should You Create a RACI Matrix?

Not every project needs a RACI chart. However, should you find yourself in a situation where team members must know what’s expected of them, it’ll be worth taking the time to create a RACI chart. Of course, you’ll still need kanban boards and other tools to track project progress, but a RACI chart can be a part of project success.

You should create a RACI chart if:

Team members need clarification on their roles. RACI charts clearly show who is responsible for tasks and deliverables.
You want to streamline communication. A RACI chart shows the team who’s in charge of what at any given time, making it easier to reach out to the right person for advice or feedback.
You want to spread out work evenly. Project managers can see at a glance if a team member has been assigned too many jobs.
You want accountability at all levels. While one team member will be designated as accountable, the RACI matrix promotes accountability at all levels, thanks to clearly defined project roles.

Many more situations warrant using a RACI chart, including not wanting to overlook essential tasks and preventing project delays due to team members not knowing their roles and responsibilities. Only you can decide if a RACI chart will help you in your current and future project work.

Does RACI Work With Other Project Management Methodologies?

While RACI charts work well for most small- to medium-sized projects, they’re pretty redundant for projects without many stakeholders and those using scrum and Agile methods, as roles and responsibilities are often built into those methodologies. When used in complex projects, RACI charts can become quite messy if you have a large team, so keep this in mind.

Of course, everyone is different. Some project managers like using the RACI method regardless of how complex a project is, so while your project might not need a RACI chart, some managers may still find them beneficial to keep track of staff and their roles.

What Are the Benefits of Using a RACI Chart?

In most cases, if you take the time to create a RACI chart, you’ll reap the rewards that it can bring. When a team is on the same page, it can help lead to events and results that will please everyone. Here are a few examples of the benefits of using a RACI Chart.

You Can Plan Ahead

If you use a RACI chart, you’ll be able to plan each individual’s roles in a project before you even start working. As a resource management tool, a RACI chart can be hard to beat. Letting team members see what’s expected of them ahead of time will help set them up for success during each phase of the project.

There Will Be an Increase in Productivity

Using a RACI chart will likely increase the productivity of the people involved in your project. When RACI roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, team members can carry out the project plan with minimal fuss.

The RACI Model Promotes Organization and Communication

Organization is critical when it comes to managing projects. Fortunately, RACI charts add an extra layer of organization to a project by helping employees know their roles on any project. As a result, team members can also see who they need to reach out to for help or information.

What Are the Limitations of a RACI Chart?

So far, it sounds like using the RACI model would be a no-brainer, and for many teams, it is. However, it’s also important to know that RACI charts have limitations as well as benefits. So let’s look at how a RACI chart might hold you back.

RACI Roles Are Inflexible

The roles that can be assigned in a RACI chart are straightforward, but they do not convey an employee’s skill set or how knowledgeable they are about the task they have been assigned. The RACI roles also may not reflect what your stakeholders and team members actually do.

Deadlines Aren’t a Thing

RACI charts are good at conveying who is doing what, but they can’t share timelines with your responsible parties, informed or consulted groups, or accountable employees. Small teams may get away without using other project management tools, but most will need to use a RACI chart in conjunction with another tool, like a Gantt chart.

RACI Charts Do Not Define Tasks

A RACI chart will show team members who are responsible and accountable for a particular task. However, the charts do not give specific details about the job. Therefore, you may need to use another collaboration tool to list the details of each task.

Best Project Management Software With RACI Chart Templates

If you would still like to use RACI charts after reading about their limitations, you have options. You can easily create a RACI chart in Excel or Google Sheets, or you can use dedicated software like monday.com, Asana or ClickUp (check out our ClickUp Review ).

Fortunately, you don’t need mad skills to create RACI charts. Most mainstream project management tools provide a RACI chart template for you to use. Here, we’ll show you how to get your hands on the templates for monday.com , Asana and ClickUp .

1. monday.com

Creating a RACI chart on monday.com is as easy as heading to monday.com’s template generator . This page allows you to play around with a demo RACI matrix before you install the template. The user-friendly RACI template is available even with monday.com’s free plan . You can find out more about monday.com in our monday.com review .

Maximum users: 2
Minimum users: 3; All prices per user
Enterprise-level features.

Asana also offers RACI chart templates. To see all the available templates, head over to Asana’s RACI matrix template . Asana offers easy-to-use RACI charts that fit many different types of projects. You can also create your own. However, to use the templates, you need to be a Starter plan member. Find out more about Asana’s Starter plan in our Asana review .

Up to 10 users
Price is per user. unlimited users, expanded features
Price is per user. unlimited users, even more features
Custom pricing, advanced security features

ClickUp is another project management platform we highly recommend (it made our list of the best free project management software ) for those who want to use RACI charts. Like monday.com and Asana, ClickUp has a friendly template landing page with lots of information about their template . ClickUp’s charts are colorful and easy to use. Read more about it in our ClickUp review .

Basic functionality with some limitations
All prices per user

How to Create a RACI Matrix

Now that we have discussed the RACI matrix, we will show you how easy it is to create a RACI chart for your next project. We will be using monday.com for this example.

The first step you need to take is one that will take you to monday.com’s RACI template . From here, all you need to do is click the “use template button . ”

As soon as you hit the “template” button in step one, you’ll be whisked away to your monday.com account and presented with your new RACI chart . If you navigate away from the chart and need to find it, you see it listed in the left-hand column .

Now you need to populate the RACI chart. A project manager needs to add tasks; assign the responsible, accountable, consulted and informed tags to the project team; set a due date and mark where you are in the process. Then you need to update the chart if anything changes.

What Are the Best RACI Matrix Alternatives?

We like RACI charts, but know they’re not for everyone. We want to quickly cover some other responsibility assignment matrix options with you, as one might fit your needs better.

RASCI charts are very similar to RACI charts, but, as you can see, there’s an extra letter in the acronym. The “S” in RASCI stands for “supportive.” Team members in a supporting role help a responsible party get the work done.

DACI (driver, approver, contributor, informed) is a matrix designed for decision-making processes. The matrix clarifies who your lead decision-maker is for specific projects or tasks. If your team struggles to call the shots due to internal conflict, the DACI model might work for you.

The CARS model (communicate, approve, responsible, support) is very similar to the RACI model. The most significant difference is that this model relies on support roles, much like RASCI.

The RAS model (responsible, approve, support) is a simplified version of CARS; however, this model eliminates external stakeholders as there is no room for consulting members outside the team.

The CLAM (contribute, lead, approve, monitor) model is nearly identical to the RACI model; it just has friendlier terminology. Contributors refer to those who are consulted and who do the work. Monitors replace the informed role, while lead is the same as the accountable tag. Finally, members dubbed “approve” are the decision-makers in the CLAM method.

Final Thoughts

The RACI matrix is a simple tool, but you should not underestimate its value. When a RACI chart is used correctly, project managers and team members will know where they stand and who they need to talk to about the task they’re completing. If you want your projects to have added layers of organization and accountability, consider using a RACI chart.

Have you used a RACI chart before? Did it help or hinder your team with project phases of a complex project? Do you plan to give the RACI matrix a try now? Please let us know in the comment section, and thanks so much for reading.

The RACI acronym stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, informed.

Even though the RACI matrix is quite simple, it can play an important role in bringing accountability to project teams.

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Everything You Need To Know To Set Up A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

Updated: May 29, 2024, 4:23pm

Everything You Need To Know To Set Up A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

The responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is a form of project management that encourages everyone to understand every step of the project. Looking at the chart involves all parties and encourages an end-to-end view of any big assignment at a workplace; everyone on the team better understands what they’re responsible for and where their part of the project falls along the timeline. Today, we’re going over a few reasons why a responsibility assignment matrix can level up your business.

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RAM vs RACI: What’s the Difference?

If you’ve ever researched different project management methodologies, you’ve probably seen the terms RAM and RACI used interchangeably. This can be very confusing. In basic terms, RAM refers to the framework in place to delegate tasks to individuals. A RACI is a popular form of RAM where different individuals within the team are given one of the RACI (responsible, accountable, consulted or informed) labels. In short, a RACI can be seen as a subset of the greater RAM framework.

What Is a RAM?

The responsibility assignment matrix is a project management style with four main roles: responsible, accountable, consulted and informed (this is also referred to as a RACI matrix). Each letter applies to a member of the team and lets them know what their role is in the project and how it fits in with the other members of the team.

For more details on how this methodology works, you can check out our detailed guide to RACI charts . But here is a quick summary of a RAM in practice:

Responsible

The responsible party in the RAM is the member of the team who’s supposed to complete the task. If you’re working on a pitch deck with your team, the responsible party could be tasked with compiling all of the image and data assets needed to put together the presentation.

Accountable

The accountable team member assigns the tasks to team members and makes sure that they are completed correctly and on time. This is the person on the team who ensures the timeliness of the project and the fair division of tasks among the responsible parties.

In order to complete many assignments, a responsible party will have to talk to an expert, and that is the consulted person. When someone is responsible for compiling marketing analytics for a presentation, the consulted party will have to give their expert analysis and make sure all of the information that the responsible party has to share is correct.

While the informed party may not have direct involvement in all of the project’s steps, they need to know when the big pieces are done to make sure everything is going smoothly. The informed member of the team has to know if there’s a delay or a stall in the project because they likely need it to be done in order to do their work as well.

Benefits of a RAM

The RAM is so useful to project managers because it helps everyone see their process and why it’s so important. Instead of working in a silo with no knowledge of fellow coworkers’ tasks, all employees can feel involved.

The RAM method of project management allows team members to understand why the tasks they’re doing are important in the big picture. Instead of telling an administrative assistant to collect phone numbers, they can look at the table and understand why the numbers need to be collected in order to execute the next step of the project. Seeing how they fit into the company’s operations will encourage employees to see themselves as a part of the company’s overall mission and feel invested in positive outcomes.

Is a RAM Right for My Business?

The RAM is a great idea for any business with multiple moving parts. It can be particularly helpful for e-commerce companies that need more of their employees to understand the fulfillment process and be on top of processing orders. When the customer service team is informed about the responsibilities of the warehouse management team, customer service will be better able to respond to customer complaints because they’ll be aware of what’s going on at the warehouse that could lead to delays.

As opposed to micromanaging employees’ daily tasks, the RAM allows employees to understand where their skills are most effective and how they are involved in the big picture of the company. This will allow everyone to feel more ownership over their jobs and perform them better because they feel trusted to do so.

Using the RAM Effectively

When a project manager decides to implement the responsibility assignment matrix on a big project, they should make sure that everything has dates and reminders for every party. Informed team members should know when they’re going to get updates from responsible team members. By the same token, a consulted team member should have an idea of when they’re going to get questions from responsible team members. Finally, the accountable team member will have assigned out all of the tasks and follow up on any missed deadlines.

It’s also important to understand that using a RACI table is an outline. There will always be unintended problems that come up during a project timeline. The project manager who is running the RAM will see where the breakdown happened and be able to help the team pivot and redistribute tasks based on the RACI chart. As important as planning ahead is, remaining agile on the job is also a necessary skill.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best project management tools and software.

To determine the best project management software , we ranked several tools based on ease of use, cost to your organization, each company’s customer support, as well as special features.

Wrike was our top choice. It earned the top spot because it works for companies and teams of all sizes. Airbnb, Google and Dell all trust Wrike to aid their project managers. Wrike also allows teams to create custom workflows, set timelines with interactive charts and reporting and build a visual representation that shows the progress of every project in real-time.

Other highly ranked project management tools include Asana, Monday and HighGear.

What is a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) in project management?

It’s a method of project management that allows all employees to understand the timeline and distributed responsibilities of a project. With the RAM table, all employees will understand where they fall on the RACI chart (described above).

How do you create a RAM?

First, make sure you have a list of everyone who will be involved in the project. Then, make a list of tasks for the project and create a preliminary timeline. The next step is to identify which team members are responsible, accountable, consulted or informed for each of the steps of the project. Finally, you can share this with the team and field any questions that come up.

What can a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) eliminate?

Ideally, the RAM eliminates confusion and any downtime between steps of the project where people might be confused if a certain piece of it has been completed yet. Everyone will know who to inform when the next step is ready to get started.

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What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) in Project Management?

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Introduction to Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

Project management is a complex process that involves multiple stakeholders, tasks, and resources. To ensure the success of a project, it is crucial to assign clear roles and responsibilities to team members and accurately define their tasks.

One tool that can help project managers achieve this goal is the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM). In this article, we will explore the definition and benefits of RAM, as well as some examples.

If you’re looking for a RAM template that will help you assign roles and clarify responsibilities, Wrike has a customizable template ready to go.

What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) in project management?

A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) in project management, also known as a RACI chart or RACI matrix, details all the necessary stakeholders and clarifies responsibilities amongst cross-functional teams and their involvement level in a project. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed and each letter corresponds to a team member.

A RAM in project management should be referred to by all parties throughout a project because it helps plan an individual’s roles and responsibilities before work begins. A RACI matrix ensures all stakeholders know who is responsible for completing a task or getting feedback on deliverables.

The four roles are broken down as follows:

Responsible: The person(s) completing the task
Accountable: The team member coordinating the actions, making decisions, and delegating to those responsible for the task
Consulted: The person(s) who will be communicated with regarding decisions and tasks
Informed: The person(s) who will be updated during the project and upon completion

Identify and visualize roles seamlessly with Wrike

Responsibility assignment matrix example.

A common RAM template looks like the example below. Notice how all stakeholders can have more than one role:

Responsibility Assignment Matrix template

Below you can see a powerful RAM template . The chart helps with visualizing roles and workload clearly. Therefore, project managers and team members follow the progress easily and stay on track.

Clarify roles with Wrike

In conclusion, RAM is a useful tool for any project manager who wants to ensure their team is clear on their responsibilities. It helps to establish a structured approach to project management, allowing for better communication, accountability, and ultimately, project success.

Using Wrike’s pre-built template, you can define the roles of each team member so everybody is on the same page. The template will also help you balance your workload and create complete transparency on your team structure.

What is a RACI Chart?

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The Ultimate Guide to Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Understanding the Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Before we delve into the details of creating and using a RAM, let's first understand what it is and why it is important. A Responsibility Assignment Matrix is a visual representation of the roles and responsibilities within a project or a team. It provides clear guidelines on who is accountable , who should be consulted, who must be informed, and who is responsible for each task or activity.

By using a RAM, you can eliminate confusion, prevent role overlaps, and ensure that every team member knows their responsibilities and the activities they need to complete. This enables effective collaboration, minimizes misunderstandings, and promotes accountability and ownership within the team.

Definition and Importance of Responsibility Assignment Matrix

A Responsibility Assignment Matrix, also known as a RACI matrix, is a project management tool that helps define and communicate roles and responsibilities within a project or team. The term "RACI" stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, which are the four main roles depicted in a RAM chart.

The importance of having a well-defined and communicated RAM cannot be overstated. It ensures that everyone knows their role and responsibilities, which reduces conflicts, delays, and misunderstandings. Additionally, a RAM fosters clear communication and effective collaboration, enabling the team to work together towards achieving project goals .

Key Components of a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Now that we understand the concept and importance of a RAM, let's explore its key components. A RAM typically consists of:

A list of project tasks or activities
A list of team members or roles
Responsibility assignments represented by the RACI roles

The list of project tasks or activities includes all the activities that need to be completed to achieve the project objectives. Each task is then assigned to a team member or a specific role within the team.

The RACI roles are assigned to each task to clarify who is responsible (R) for completing the task, who is accountable (A) for its success, who must be consulted (C) before decisions are made, and who must be informed (I) of progress or changes.

Having a well-defined list of project tasks or activities is crucial for the success of a RAM. It ensures that every aspect of the project is accounted for and that no task is overlooked. By including a comprehensive list, the RAM becomes a comprehensive guide for the team, leaving no room for ambiguity or confusion.

Similarly, the list of team members or roles is equally important. It allows for clear identification of who is involved in the project and who holds specific responsibilities. This clarity helps in avoiding any misunderstandings or assumptions about who should be involved in which tasks.

Lastly, the responsibility assignments represented by the RACI roles bring structure and clarity to the RAM. By clearly defining who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each task, the RAM ensures that there is no ambiguity regarding roles and responsibilities. This clarity fosters a sense of ownership and accountability within the team, leading to a more efficient and productive work environment.

Steps to Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Creating a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a crucial step in project management, as it helps ensure accurate and comprehensive assignment of responsibilities. Let's dive deeper into the steps involved in creating a RAM:

Identifying Project Tasks and Activities

The first step in creating a RAM is to meticulously identify all the tasks and activities required to complete the project. This involves breaking down the project objectives into smaller, manageable tasks. By considering all the activities that need to be completed, you can ensure that your RAM covers every aspect of the project.

During this step, it is essential to involve key stakeholders and subject matter experts to gather insights and perspectives. Their input will help you create a comprehensive list of tasks and activities, leaving no stone unturned.

Defining Team Roles and Responsibilities

Once you have a clear understanding of the project tasks and activities, the next step is to define the roles within your team and assign responsibilities to each role. This step ensures that each team member knows their scope of work and understands their role in the project.

When defining team roles, it is important to consider the skills, strengths, and expertise of each team member. This knowledge will help you assign responsibilities that align with their capabilities, maximizing their potential contribution to the project's success.

Assigning Tasks to Team Members

With the project tasks and team roles identified, it's time to assign tasks to team members. During this step, it is crucial to consider various factors such as skills, capacity, and availability.

By taking into account each team member's skills and expertise, you can ensure that tasks are assigned to individuals who possess the necessary knowledge and experience. Additionally, considering their capacity and availability will help you avoid overloading or underutilizing team members, promoting a balanced workload distribution.

Remember, to assign responsibilities effectively, it is beneficial to utilize the RACI framework. This framework helps define who is responsible, who is accountable, who must be consulted, and who must be informed for each task or activity. By clearly outlining these roles and responsibilities, you establish a foundation of clarity and transparency throughout the project.

Expanding your RAM not only ensures a comprehensive and detailed assignment of responsibilities but also promotes effective communication and collaboration within your project team. By following these steps, you can create a robust RAM that sets the stage for project success.

Benefits of Using a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Using a Responsibility Assignment Matrix offers numerous benefits for both project managers and team members. Let's explore some of these benefits:

Improved Project Management

A RAM provides a clear overview of the project structure, roles, and responsibilities. This clarity allows project managers to effectively plan, organize, and execute projects, leading to improved project management. It ensures that tasks are assigned to the right person, reducing the chances of confusion and delays.

Enhanced Team Communication and Collaboration

A well-implemented RAM promotes effective communication and collaboration within the team. With clearly defined roles and responsibilities, team members can easily communicate with the right person, reducing miscommunication and promoting efficient collaboration. This leads to smoother workflow and better project outcomes.

Increased Accountability and Ownership

By clearly defining responsibilities and roles, a RAM fosters a sense of accountability and ownership among team members. When individuals have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities, they are more likely to take ownership of their tasks and deliver high-quality work. This culture of accountability boosts team productivity and project success.

Furthermore, a Responsibility Assignment Matrix helps in identifying potential bottlenecks and resource constraints early in the project lifecycle. By mapping out who is responsible for each task and deliverable, project managers can easily spot areas where resources may be stretched thin or where dependencies could cause delays. This proactive approach allows for better resource allocation and risk management, ultimately leading to smoother project execution.

Another advantage of using a RAM is its ability to facilitate smooth transitions during project handovers or team changes. With clearly defined roles and responsibilities documented in the matrix, new team members can quickly get up to speed on who is responsible for what. This seamless transition minimizes disruptions and ensures continuity in project progress, maintaining momentum and efficiency.

Common Challenges in Implementing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

While using a Responsibility Assignment Matrix offers many benefits, there can be challenges in implementing it effectively. Let's discuss some common challenges and strategies to overcome them:

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Implementing a new tool like a RAM may face resistance from team members who are accustomed to working without a formalized structure. To overcome this challenge, it's important to communicate the benefits of using a RAM and involve team members in the process. Address any concerns or questions they may have and provide support and training as needed.

Dealing with Role Confusion and Overlaps

In some cases, role confusion or overlaps may occur when implementing a RAM. This can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts within the team. To address this challenge, it's crucial to clearly define and communicate roles and responsibilities to all team members. Regularly review and update the RAM to ensure it accurately reflects the project's changing dynamics.

Addressing Lack of Clarity in Task Assignments

Another challenge that may arise is a lack of clarity in task assignments. This can result in delays and missed deadlines. To overcome this challenge, ensure that task assignments are clearly communicated to the responsible team member and that they fully understand their responsibilities. Encourage open communication and provide support when needed.

Creating and utilizing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix is a vital step in effective project management. It clarifies roles, responsibilities, and communication channels within a project or team, leading to improved collaboration, accountability, and project outcomes.

By following the steps outlined in this guide and understanding the benefits and challenges associated with a RAM, you are well-equipped to incorporate this powerful tool into your project management arsenal. So, go ahead, create your own RAM, and experience the positive impact it can have on your projects and team dynamics!

At Candor, we understand that a Responsibility Assignment Matrix is just the beginning of creating a team culture that feels like home. We're here to help you take the next step in building a workplace where everyone has a sense of belonging and where work feels like play. By focusing on team culture and shared responsibility, we empower you to co-create an environment where culture is not just an HR checkbox but a living, breathing aspect of your daily interactions. Ready to transform your team dynamics and invest in a culture that makes work feel like play? Sign up for Free and start building your team's culture with Candor's day-to-day exercises. Step into the future of collaborative, authentic, and joyful work today.

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Responsibility assignment matrix

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A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is one way of showing some of the roles and responsibilities in the project. It is usually a table with the staff (by role or name) crossed by the responsibility (by work package or activity ). The intersections in the table formed by these categories in the rows and columns, identify the level of participation in the activity. The example given in the PMBOK , 5th edition, p. 262 is RACI. RACI stands for responsible, accountable (or in some schemes, approver or assists), consult and inform. There are a few variations.

1 Variations
3 References
4 External links

Variations [ ]

Other terms for a responsibility assignment matrix include responsibility matrix or linear responsibility chart (LRC). Usually the columns are the people or roles and the rows are the activities, responsibilities, or functions. Sometimes the matrix will use the RASIC letters (responsible, approver, supporter, inform, consult). (In this case a supporter is someone doing part of the work, but not responsible to see that it is completed.) Instead of these letters, symbols can be use to identify the relationship between the individuals and the activities. Harold Kerzner [1] gives an example where the relationships symbols represent

general management responsibility
specialized responsibility
must be consulted
may be consulted
must be notified
must approve

He also gives an example of a communication responsibility matrix where the rows are the communication initiators, the columns are the recipients, and the symbols in the chart indicate the frequency of the reporting.

The matrix can be at different levels of the project or only cover one aspect, such as communications.

Examples [ ]

RACI Chart	Person
	Zack	Yvonne	Xerxes	Willow	Vicky	Ulfred
Create	I	C	A	R	C	C
	I	C	A	C	R	I
Collect	I	I	A	R	C	I
Participation key: R=Responsible A=Accountable C=Consult I=Inform

Another variation is RASIC for responsible, approver, supporter, informed, consulted. There may be additional rules. Some of the rules in some of the formats may be that every activity must have one (and only one) person (or role) identified as responsible. In some variations a person (or role) may participate in more than one way; some grid spots may not have any participation indicators.

RASIC Chart	Person
	Tom	Sarah	Robin	Qiao
Update	I	C	A	R
Maintain	S	R	C	A
Submit	A		C	R
Participation key: R=Responsible A=Approver S=Supports I=Inform C=Consult

Another example:

* Legend: A: accountable; C: consulted; I: informed; R: responsible; S: supportive; V: verifier

References [ ]

↑ Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 11th Edition, p 232-234.

External links [ ]

Wikipedia article on responsibility assignment matrix
1 Statement of work

Responsibility assignment matrix

In business and project management, a responsibility assignment matrix [1] ( RAM ), also known as RACI matrix [2] ( / ˈ r eɪ s i / ) or linear responsibility chart [3] ( LRC ), is a model that describes the participation by various roles in completing tasks or deliverables [4] for a project or business process . RACI is an acronym derived from the four key responsibilities most typically used: responsible , accountable , consulted , and informed . [5] [4] It is used for clarifying and defining roles and responsibilities in cross-functional or departmental projects and processes. [6] There are a number of alternatives to the RACI model.

Key responsibility roles in the RACI model

Role distinction, assigning people to facilities, alternatives, rasic or rasci, raci (alternative scheme), arci (decisions).

External links

There is a distinction between a role and individually identified people: a role is a descriptor of an associated set of tasks; may be performed by many people; and one person can perform many roles. For example, an organization may have ten people who can perform the role of project manager , although traditionally each project only has one project manager at any one time; and a person who is able to perform the role of project manager may also be able to perform the role of business analyst and tester .

Very often the role that is accountable for a task or deliverable may also be responsible for completing it (indicated on the matrix by the task or deliverable having a role accountable for it, but no role responsible for its completion, i.e. it is implied). Outside of this exception, it is generally recommended that each role in the project or process for each task receive, at most, just one of the participation types. Where more than one participation type is shown, this generally implies that participation has not yet been fully resolved, which can impede the value of this technique in clarifying the participation of each role on each task.

The matrix is typically created with a vertical axis (left-hand column) of tasks (from a work breakdown structure ) or deliverables (from a product breakdown structure ), and a horizontal axis (top row) of roles (from an organizational chart ).

Example of a responsibility assignment (or RACI) matrix
Code	Name	Project sponsor	Business analyst	Project manager	Technical architect	Applications development
Stage A	Manage sales
Stage B	Assess job
Stage C	Initiate project
- C04	Security governance (draft)	C	C	A	I	I
- C10	Functional requirements	A	R	I	C	I
- C11	Business acceptance criteria	A	R	I	C	I
Stage D	Design solution

Another example from the maintenance and reliability community:

Maintenance crew KPI RACI chart
Tasks	Maintenance supervisors	Maintenance analyst	Maintenance planner	Maintenance technician	Maintenance support	Rel specialist	CMMS project engineer
Inputting failure data	A	C	I	R		C	C
Work order completion	R	C	C	C	A	I	I
Work order closeout	C	R	C		I	I	A
QA of failure data input	C	R	I	C	I	C	A
Analyze failure reports	C	C	I	C	A	R	I
Maintenance strategy adjustments	C	I	I	C	A	R	R
Implementing new strategies	R	I	R	C	A	I	I

There are a number of alternatives to the RACI participation types:

To be used when working on governance, risk, compliance (GRC) and outsourcing matters:

Lead, Accountable, Consult, Tasked, Informed

any . Please help by . Unsourced material may be challenged and . ) )

There are also a number of variations to the meaning of RACI participation types:

Diffusion of responsibility
↑ Jacka, Mike; Keller, Paulette (2009). Business Process Mapping: Improving Customer Satisfaction . John Wiley and Sons . p. 257 . ISBN 978-0-470-44458-0 .
↑ Cleland, David; Ireland, Lewis (2006). Project management: strategic design and implementation . McGraw-Hill Professional . p. 234. ISBN 0-07-147160-X .
1 2 Project Management Institute 2021 , §4.6.6 Focus on Value.
1 2 Blokdijk, Gerard (2008). The Service Level Agreement SLA Guide - SLA Book, Templates for Service Level Management and Service Level Agreement Forms. Fast and Easy Way to Write Your SLA . Lulu. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-921523-62-5 .
↑ Brennan, Kevin (2009). A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide) . International Institute of Business Analysis . p. 29. ISBN 978-0-9811292-1-1 .
1 2 3 4 Smith, Michael L.; Erwin, James. "Role & Responsibility Charting (RACI)" (PDF) . Project Management Institute California Inland Empire Chapter . p. 5. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022 . Retrieved 18 May 2023 .
↑ Tiziana Margaria : Leveraging Applications of Formal Methods, Verification, and Validation: 4th International Symposium on Leveraging Applications Proceedings , Part 1, Springer, 2010, p. 492
↑ A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge . Project Management Institute. 2000. p. 111 . ISBN 1-880410-22-2 .
↑ Hightower, Rose (2008). Internal controls policies and procedures . John Wiley & Sons. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-470-28717-0 .
↑ Baker, Dean (2009). Multi-Company Project Management: Maximizing Business Results Through Strategic Collaboration . J Ross. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-60427-035-8 .
↑ Mikes, Joe; Denton, Tara (2011). Training Speeds Continuous Improvement . Life Cycle Engineering.
1 2 "The RACI+F Matrix - Scrum Alliance" . www.scrumalliance.org . Archived from the original on 16 October 2017 . Retrieved 10 August 2022 .
↑ "RACI Matrix | Definition and Example | How to" .
↑ Bolman, Lee (2008). Reframing organizations: artistry, choice, and leadership . John Wiley & Sons. p. 112 . ISBN 978-0-7879-8799-2 .
↑ Dickstein, Dennis (2008). No Excuses: A Business Process Approach to Managing Operational Risk . John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-48110-3 .
↑ Kendrick, Tom (2006). Results without authority: controlling a project when the team doesn't report to you . AMACOM Books, division of the American Management Association. p. 106 . ISBN 0-8144-7343-1 .
↑ Moser, B. R.; Wood, R. T. (2015). "Design of Complex Programs as Sociotechnical Systems". Concurrent Engineering in the 21st Century . Springer. pp. 197–220. doi : 10.1007/978-3-319-13776-6_8 . ISBN 978-3-319-13775-9 .

What Is the RACI Model? A Complete Guide for Project Success

Project management is an intricate web of managing project roles, responsibilities, and tasks. And if you have multiple complex projects to handle on your plate, things can go South in the bat of an eye lid.

Basically, without a project plan in place, ensuring prompt decision-making can become impossible. And the inability to complete milestones on time can become the primary reason for project failure. This is where the RACI matrix steps in as every project manager’s best friend.

In this guide, we will cover every aspect of the RACI model—from what it is and why it’s important to how to create one and implement it correctly to boost productivity.

What Is the RACI Model?

The RACI model, often referred to as the RACI matrix, is used to define—and clarify—the roles and responsibilities of team members.

The primary goal of the RACI model is to enhance communication , improve accountability, and streamline decision-making within a team or organization.

You can use this practical tool to prevent misunderstandings, eliminate duplication of efforts, and promote a clear and efficient workflow.

What Are the 4 Roles of the RACI Model?

The acronym “RACI” stands for four key roles within a project, namely:

Responsible (R): Refers to an individual or a team that is accountable for completing a specific task/activity. They are more hands-on and are actively involved in executing the task.
Accountable (A): Refers to the person who is ultimately responsible for the success of a particular task (or even the project as a whole). This individual ensures that the task is completed satisfactorily and aligns with overall project objectives.
Consulted (C): Refers to people whose input and expertise are sought before a decision is made or when a task is executed. Their insights are valuable, and their involvement is crucial for informed decision-making.
Informed (I): Refers to individuals who are kept in the loop about the task progress and outcomes. They receive updates and relevant information but are not directly involved in the execution or decision-making process.

Why RACI Matrix Is Important in Your Project Management?

We’ve covered the basics. And now, it’s time to address the elephant in the room: “Why is the RACI matrix important?”

1. Responsible Work Ethic

The RACI matrix is a crucial asset in project management because it clearly defines responsibilities.

Essentially, it eliminates the “ I thought you were doing that ” scenario by assigning specific tasks to responsible individuals and teams.

This ensures accountability and prevents tasks from falling through the cracks.

2. Efficient Entrustment

The RACI matrix streamlines the complex project management process by clearly designating who is accountable for each task.

This clarity eliminates confusion, and allows you to confidently entrust responsibilities to the right individuals.

It also helps assign tasks where your team member’s strengths lie and ensures everyone knows what’s expected of them.

3. Clear Roles

The RACI matrix also brings order to the (sometimes) chaotic world of project management.

By assigning roles such as Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, it sets a structured framework.

This clarity ensures that everyone knows not only what they are responsible for but also who to consult for guidance.

Finally, clear roles also mean seamless workflows and fewer misunderstandings—a win-win for all!

4. Efficient Decision-Making

When it comes to decision-making, timing is paramount.

After all, if you make the right decision ‘too late,’ you may as well never have made one at all.

The RACI matrix expedites this approval process by explicitly designating decision-makers.

The accountable person ensures that decisions align with project goals , and the consulted individuals provide valuable input.

This streamlines decision-making and makes the project more agile as well as responsive to changing needs.

5. Better Communication

There’s no doubt that effective communication is the lifeblood of successful project management .

The RACI matrix also facilitates better communication by ensuring that all relevant and responsible parties are in the loop.

Those responsible for tasks know their roles, and those consulted or consulted and informed parties are aware of their involvement.

This ‘mature’ approach to communication reduces the risk of errors, fosters collaboration, and supercharges project efficiency.

Assign Tasks, Roles & Responsibilities using the RACI Model. Get Started with Nifty

When Do You Need to Use the RACI Model?

The RACI model becomes an invaluable tool in your project planning and management arsenal when you find yourself facing certain scenarios that demand clarity, accountability, and streamlined collaboration, such as:

When your project involves multiple tasks, stakeholders, and team members, it can lead to confusion about who must do what
In situations where task responsibilities are unclear or overlap, which can lead to greater ambiguity
If your team is growing or experiencing changes or when you need help in onboarding new members
When decision-making becomes convoluted or delayed
If your project is experiencing frequent communication breakdowns
When your projects are not leveraging resources optimally and causing burnout among employees
When you need to mitigate risks and include key stakeholders in decision-making, consultation , and information-sharing
When you are kick-starting a new project or restructuring existing processes
When there’s a need to enhance accountability within your team and promote a culture of responsibility
When you have a collaborative project involving multiple departments or external partners at hand and want to establish a cohesive framework

The takeaway: The RACI model should be your go-to guiding principle when you require more structure, clarity, and efficiency in the face of complex, dynamic, and ambiguous project scenarios.

How to Use the RACI Model to Assign Project Roles?

In this section, we will elaborate on how you can use the RACI model to assign key project roles and improve project efficiency:

1. Enumerate Project Responsibilities

Begin by outlining all the responsibilities associated with your project.

Think long and hard about all the responsibilities you’ll need to delegate to ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the stakeholder’s satisfaction.

You can use a tool like Nifty Docs to create a comprehensive list of critical tasks, decision points, and key milestones, as shown below:

Nifty Docs is extremely user-friendly and allows you to collaborate with other team members in real-time using the ‘ Chat ‘ feature:

Other useful features of Nifty Docs for creating a RACI chart include the ability:

For multiple team members to collaboratively edit RACI charts in real-time
To easily integrate visual elements, such as tables and charts, into your RACI document and improve comprehension
To consolidate files and documents in a centralized place
To choose between a Spreadsheet, Google Doc, or Presentation which syncs with your Google Drive

Create your next RACI Chart in Nifty. Get started free .

2. Outline All Project Assignments

Next, you’ll want to highlight all your project assignments in a way that makes it easy for your team to get behind who is working on what.

For instance, you can utilize Nifty’s Milestones feature to outline—and organize—your project assignments.

To do this, you can break down the project into manageable milestones (read project phases) and tasks and provide a visual roadmap for your team, as shown below:

Using the Gantt chart, Nifty’s Milestones feature enables the team to track project progress and allocate responsibilities.

You can also automate your status reporting as well as milestone progress based on how well your tasks are coming to fruition.

Nifty offers three views for you to choose from: Swimlane view, Master view, and Timeline view.

3. Develop a Task-Role Matrix

The third step is to create a Task-Role matrix that aligns all the project tasks with corresponding roles.

Think of it as a table that offers useful information quickly and easily.

Here’s an example of a Task-Role matrix you can use as a great starting point:


Design layout	Designer	Project Manager	Marketing Team	CEO
Write content	Content Writer	Project Manager	Marketing Team	CEO
Code changes	Developer	Project Manager	IT Department	CEO
Review final draft	Reviewer	Project Manager	Marketing Team	CEO

Remember, every project task-role matrix will look different depending on the kind of project tasks , team member strength, stakeholder expectations, and more.

Pro tip : Make use of interesting visual elements such as colors to draw attention to critical information. This can make the matrix more accessible and user-friendly.

4. Establish Task and Responsibility Relationships Using RACI

In the Nifty software, you can also highlight tasks using the ‘List’ view and clearly establish relationships with assigned responsibilities:

Establish Task and Responsibility Relationships Using RACI Model in Nifty

This visual representation helps team members quickly grasp who is responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed for each task or deliverable.

You can also easily edit and update tasks and responsibility relationships from within this view.

In addition, Nifty’s “List” view allows you to sort and filter data based on various parameters.

As you can imagine, this functionality is super-useful for organizing tasks and responsibilities according to priority, due dates, or specific team members—take your pick!

5. Conduct a Comprehensive Project Assessment with the Team and Stakeholders

The final step is all about gathering your team and both internal and external shareholders to conduct a thorough project assessment.

At this point, you must discuss the task-role matrix created using Nifty and ensure accurate alignment with team members’ strengths as well as project goals.

Motivate team members to be open and honest about their feedback so that you don’t end up making the same mistakes in the next project.

Pro tip: Actively seek input from everyone so that you get diverse and accurate viewpoints. Having a holistic view of the project is important for future success.

How to Create a RACI Chart with Nifty?

Let’s now look at how to create a RACI chart for updating your website’s home page.

Let’s assume you’re using Nifty to create your RACI chart.

Start by inserting a table in Nifty docs and list the specific tasks related to updating the home page, such as “Design layout,” “Write content,” “Code changes,” and “Review final draft:”

You must also list the key roles for the tasks involved in updating the home page.

Next, you’ll want to add the “Responsible” marker for the team members who are responsible for the said task. For example, the Designer might be responsible for the “Design layout.”

Follow the same steps for the Accountable, Consulted, and Informed markers. Once done, you can use Nifty’s collaboration features to share the document with your team and encourage feedback in real-time.

Create your next RACI Chart in under a minute. Get Started

What Are Some Important RACI Guidelines and Best Practices to Keep in Mind?

Going with intuition might not be your best bet when creating a RACI chart. Instead, use the following rules and best practices to create a robust RACI matrix:

Keep the roles clear and concise: You must assign at least one Responsible and only one Accountable for each task.
Work together to define the roles: Make sure to get inputs from the team to ensure everyone’s on the same page about who does what. The idea is to include diverse perspectives when defining roles and avoid siloed decision-making.
Don’t burden one person: As a thumb rule, distribute the responsibilities evenly to prevent burnout as well as fatigue and ensure your tasks are completed effectively.
Check-in on roles periodically: As the project evolves, so might the tasks. So, you must be ready to adapt your RACI chart in real-time. At this time, it is critical to laser-focus on your project’s roles, responsibilities, decisions, and milestones.
Ensure everyone understands their roles: You must also clearly explain the responsibilities to prevent confusion or low chances of duplicated efforts.
Don’t set the roles in stone: Being flexible and open to adjusting responsibilities is key when faced with unexpected changes.
Record modifications without fail: Keep your RACI chart updated, and reflect shifts in responsibilities to avoid misunderstandings. You must also align the tasks with your project plan to ensure your due dates and details are accurately mapped out.
Display your RACI chart prominently: Ensure that everyone has easy access to your RACI model for quick reference. This best practice also promotes accountability.
Do not use generic information : Basic To-do’s like status reports, team meetings, etc., must be avoided at all costs within your RACI chart.

Common RACI Pitfalls (And How to Prevent Them)

Customize roles based on your team’s unique dynamics and collaboration style.
Encourage team members to openly discuss concerns or propose role adjustments without hesitation.
Don’t forget to get buy-in from key stakeholders, decision-makers, and the team at large.
If tasks consistently fall through the cracks, it’s a sign to reassess and refine your RACI model.
Take the time to educate new team members and ensure a shared understanding among them.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of RACI?

The RACI model should not be treated as a one-size-fits-all solution. It is, in the end, a tool that can help teams to work smarter with greater productivity.

As long as you walk the tightrope of flexibility and structure with balance, you are good to go.

That said, here are the advantages and disadvantages of using RACI:


	Clearly defines who is esponsible, ccountable, onsulted, and nformed in each task	Initial setup can be time-consuming and may require thorough communication to avoid misunderstandings
	Ensures clear ownership and accountability for tasks. Reduces instances of confusion and finger-pointing	May create rigidity in roles May make it challenging to adapt to unforeseen changes or unique situations—a common affair in project management
	Enhances communication by specifying who needs to be consulted and informed in various activities	Overemphasis on documentation can lead to bureaucratic processes and can slow down the workflow in the long run
	Facilitates quicker decision-making by assigning decision-makers explicitly	In smaller teams or projects, the RACI model may feel like an unnecessary overhead
	Optimizes resource allocation by ensuring that each team member contributes effectively	May lead to over-specification, which can cause confusion about the boundaries of each role
	Helps identify potential risks early on by ensuring that all relevant parties are involved	If the roles are not regularly reviewed, changes in project dynamics may be overlooked, which can lead to unaddressed risks
	Empowers team members by clarifying their responsibilities and reducing micromanagement	Some team members may feel constrained by predefined roles and demand more flexibility

6 Best RACI Chart Alternatives

You may want to consider RACI chart alternatives if:

Your RACI matrix seems to be too complex and vague
Applying your RACI matrix leads to incomprehensible documentation
You want to define the roles and responsibilities of the team in a more concise manner

The primary difference between a RACI chart and its alternatives is the roles RACI offers as opposed to its counterparts.

Here are some of the most popular RACI alternatives:

Responsible: This person is responsible for executing the task
Accountable: The one who approves the task’s completion and ensures overall success
Support: Individuals who aid in task completion but are not directly responsible or accountable
Consulted: People whose input is sought before task execution
Informed: Those kept in the loop after task completion
Responsible: The person who performs the task
Accountable: The individual who oversees the task and ensures it aligns with project goals
Support: Those providing assistance to the responsible person
Contributors: Team members actively involved in task execution
Approvers: Individuals responsible for approving task completion
Reviewers: Those who assess the task’s progress and provide feedback
Signatories: Individuals required to sign off on completed tasks
Consulted: People whose insights are sought before task initiation
Listened to: Those whose opinions are heard and considered during the decision-making process
Agreed to: Individuals who must agree with decisions made
Managers: Those overseeing and managing the task
Responsible: The person tasked with completing the activity
Approver: The individual responsible for endorsing the completed task
Task Support: Those aiding in task completion
Suggester: Individuals providing suggestions for improvement
Informed: Those kept in the loop about task progress and completion
Performers: Team members actively performing the task
Accountable: The person ultimately answerable for the task’s success
Supporters: Individuals providing the necessary support
Consulted: Those whose expertise is sought during the task
Informed: People kept informed about task progress
Sponsors: Individuals supporting the task at a higher level

The RACI Chart is Your Key to Improved Productivity

Project managers worldwide use the responsibility assignment matrix instills model to clearly lay out team member roles and responsibilities for each task, milestone, or decision during a project lifecycle.

The idea behind using a RACI chart is to smoothen your workflows and enhance communication between teams as well as stakeholders.

So, if you’ve ever faced an instance when things are spiraling out of control, especially when you thought the worst was over, the RACI chart can be your best friend.

Even if a key decision-maker decides to upend the project’s deliverables in the final leg, the RACI model will prevent your team from falling through the cracks.

Use a project management tool like Nifty from early on to ensure you’re consulting your decision-makers and working with greater transparency at every juncture of the project.

👉 Sign up for Nifty’s free trial 👈

What does RACI stand for?

RACI basically stands for R esponsible, A ccountable, C onsulted, and I nformed.

What are the four rules under the RACI chart?

The four “responsibility” roles within a RACI chart include:

Responsible: A team member/ project manager who is responsible for completing tasks successfully
Accountable: The person with the final word and authority over key tasks and deliverables
Consulted: A consultant who brings unique insights about the project to the table
Informed: An executive/client who isn’t directly involved but needs to be kept informed throughout the project

Why is RACI used?

Also known as a Responsibility Assignment Matrix, a RACI chart defines your project teams’ important roles and responsibilities for tasks, milestones , and deliverables. The end goal is to clarify every responsibility and lower the chances of confusion.

Which RACI alternative is best?

There are multiple RACI alternatives worth considering. One such example is Perform, Accountable, Control, Suggest, and Informed, abbreviated as PACSI. In this model, you examine the results and validate the findings enterprise-wide.

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Responsibility assignment matrix
Responsibility assignment matrix
Responsibility assignment matrix (RACI)
Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template
The Ultimate Guide to RACI Matrix: 2022 Edition
Responsibility Assignment Matrix

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Responsibility assignment matrix
Responsibility assignment matrix. In business and project management, a responsibility assignment matrix [1] ( RAM ), also known as RACI matrix [2] ( / ˈreɪsi /) or linear responsibility chart [3] ( LRC ), is a model that describes the participation by various roles in completing tasks or deliverables [4] for a project or business process.
RACI Matrix: Responsibility Assignment Matrix Guide for 2024
RACI is a project management acronym for the different responsibility types within a project: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. The RACI matrix clarifies the roles named individuals or groups will play in the successful delivery of the project. Accurate RACI matrices can help ensure a project's success before it even begins.
RACI Matrix
The RACI Matrix is also referred to as Responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) [1] First introduced in the 1950s, RACI was originally called the "Decision Rights Matrix" and is also known as "Responsibility Charting.". Responsible: This refers to those individuals responsible for performing the task and making sure the work is done.
What is a RACI chart and how to use it (with template)
The RACI chart, or responsibility assignment matrix, is a tool that helps to communicate and clarify the roles and responsibilities of people working together. In product management, it adds support for alignment and communication in the product development process: Responsible. This team member is the one responsible for performing the task.
How to Make a Responsibility Assignment Matrix ...
Draft the responsibility assignment matrix using a table with the project tasks listed on the left-hand column. Across the top add the name of everyone in the project. Where the tasks meet the project team member, assign whether they're responsible, accountable, consulted or informed. When completed, share the responsibility assignment matrix ...
What Is a RACI Chart? Practical Examples & Project Uses
A RACI chart—also known as a responsibility assignment matrix—is a diagram used in project management to define team roles across 4 categories: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. It helps clarify who does the work, who calls the shots, whose opinion matters, and who needs to stay in the loop for each task, milestone, or ...
The RACI Matrix
The RACI Matrix is a system that brings structure and clarity to assigning the roles people play within a team. It's a simple grid system that you can use to clarify people's responsibilities and ensure that everything the team needs to do is taken care of. The acronym RACI stands for: R = Responsible. A = Accountable.
A Project Management Guide for Everything RACI
So basically the RACI matrix is a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), designed to assign tasks, activities, responsibilities, accountability, decision making, support to team members of a process/project, and clarify expectations on the level of their participation." Here is an example of a RACI matrix:
RACI Charts
A RACI chart (sometimes called a Responsibility Assignment Matrix) is a way to identify your project teams' roles and responsibilities for any task, milestone, or project deliverable. By following the RACI acronym, you can clarify responsibility and reduce confusion. RACI stands for: Responsible. This person is directly in charge of the work.
Mastering the RACI Matrix: The Ultimate Guide to Responsibility
A RACI matrix, also known as a responsibility assignment matrix (mention responsibility assignment matrix term 8 more times) or RACI chart (mention raci chart term 9 more times), is a simple yet powerful way to map out who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for key activities in a project.
Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a project management tool used to define and assign roles and responsibilities to team members in a project or an organization. It helps to clarify expectations, enhance communication, and ensure that all tasks are assigned to the appropriate individuals. RAM is particularly useful in large, complex projects where multiple stakeholders are involved.
RACI Chart: Definitions, Uses And Examples For Project ...
A RACI chart, also called a RACI matrix, is a type of responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) in project management. In practice, it's a simple spreadsheet or table that lists all stakeholders on ...
How to Create and Use a RACI Chart in Confluence
Here's how to add a RACI matrix in Confluence: Click "Insert" on the top toolbar and select "Table" from the dropdown menu. In the table dialog box, select the number of rows and columns you need for your RACI chart. For example, if you want to create a RACI chart for a project with four tasks, you can create a table with five rows and five ...
Understanding the RACI Matrix: A Framework for Effective Project Management
A RACI matrix, also known as a Responsibility Assignment Matrix, is a project management tool that helps define and clarify roles and responsibilities for tasks and activities within a project or business process. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, which are the key roles assigned to individuals or groups ...
Complete RACI Chart Guide for 2024 [Examples & Templates]
A RACI chart — also known as the RACI matrix or a responsibility assignment matrix — is a visual tool that displays project roles and responsibilities of team members for specific tasks.
What Is A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)? Everything You Need
The responsibility assignment matrix is a project management style with four main roles: responsible, accountable, consulted and informed (this is also referred to as a RACI matrix).
What Is a RACI Chart?
A RACI chart helps you keep track of team member and stakeholder roles and responsibilities by mapping them out in one place. RACI is an acronym for: Using a RACI chart helps with decision-making and reduces hold-ups when waiting for approvals. It is particularly useful if you have team members or stakeholders with multiple roles to keep track of.
What Is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)?
Introduction to Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Project management is a complex process that involves multiple stakeholders, tasks, and resources. To ensure the success of a project, it is crucial to assign clear roles and responsibilities to team members and accurately define their tasks. One tool that can help project managers achieve ...
The Ultimate Guide to Responsibility Assignment Matrix
A Responsibility Assignment Matrix is a visual representation of the roles and responsibilities within a project or a team. It provides clear guidelines on who is accountable, who should be consulted, who must be informed, and who is responsible for each task or activity. By using a RAM, you can eliminate confusion, prevent role overlaps, and ...
Responsibility assignment matrix
A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is one way of showing some of the roles and responsibilities in the project. It is usually a table with the staff (by role or name) crossed by the responsibility (by work package or activity). The intersections in the table formed by these categories in the rows and columns, identify the level of participation in the activity. The example given in the ...
Responsibility assignment matrix
ISBN 978--470-44458-. In business and project management, a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), also known as RACI matrix (/ˈreɪsi/) or linear responsibility chart (LRC), is a model that describes the participation by various roles in completing tasks or deliverables for a project or business process. RACI is an acro.
What Is the RACI Model? A Complete Guide for Project Success
Project managers worldwide use the responsibility assignment matrix instills model to clearly lay out team member roles and responsibilities for each task, milestone, or decision during a project lifecycle. The idea behind using a RACI chart is to smoothen your workflows and enhance communication between teams as well as stakeholders.
Roles, responsibilities, and resources
Another useful tool is the Responsibility Assignment Matrix, often called a RACI Chart (RACI stands for "Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed"). This chart spells out the roles of all stakeholders, both within and outside the client company, from all participating departments (PMI, 2004, p. 206). The RACI chart also serves as ...

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What Is a RACI Matrix?

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How Does a RACI Chart Help Project Managers?

RACI Matrix Definitions

Accountable

Why Are RACI Roles Important?

How to Create a RACI Matrix

Examples of a RACI Matrix

Our FREE Downloadable RACI Matrix Template

Common Mistakes When Creating a RACI Matrix

Frequently Asked Questions

As you implement the RACI matrix…

For “Responsible” Parties:

For “Accountable” Parties:

For Consulted and Informed Parties:

RACI Matrix Pros & Cons

Free RACI Matrix Templates

Colorful RACI Chart Template

Pastel Colored RACI Matrix Template

Simple RACI Chart from Clickup

Detailed RACI Matrix Template

Excel-Based RACI Chart Template

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What is a RACI chart and how to use it (with template)

What is a RACI chart?

Responsible

Accountable

Applying the RACI chart to the product development process

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Benefits of using a RACI Chart

Accountability

Consistency

Common pitfalls to avoid

Forgetting about it and not updating it regularly

Not utilizing its potential for transparency

Overlapping roles

Unbalanced responsibilities

RACI template

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How to Make a Responsibility Assignment Matrix for a Project (Template Included)

What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix in Project Management?

Why Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix?

When Should a Responsibility Assignment Matrix Be Created?

How to Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Free Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template

Best Practices

How ProjectManager Helps You Manage Projects Better

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What Is a RACI Chart? How to Use RACI to Assign Project Roles

What is a RACI chart?

When to use or skip a RACI chart for your project

R = Responsible

Examples of people you might assign to the Responsible role:

A = Accountable

Examples of people you might assign to the Accountable role:

C = Consulted

Examples of people you might assign to the Consulted role:

I = Informed

Examples of people you might assign to the Informed role:

Responsible vs Accountable meanings in RACI

RACI chart examples: Practical application in the real world