Framework library · Decision making and problem solving
RACI matrix
A RACI chart lists the activities or decisions down the side and the roles across the top, and marks each cell R, A, C or I. Its most useful rule is the simplest: every row has exactly one A. Most of the value comes from the arguments about where that A goes.
Use it when
- Work crosses teams and things fall between them, or two people both think they decide.
- A new project, function or joint venture is being set up and roles need agreeing before work starts.
- Decisions are slow because too many people are consulted.
Avoid it when
- The work sits inside one team with an obvious lead. A RACI there adds paperwork.
- The real problem is capacity, not clarity. A RACI will show the bottleneck but not fix it.
- Roles change weekly. Agree decision rights at a higher level instead.
How to run it
List the activities or decisions
Use verbs: "approve the launch price", "sign the wholesale contract". Ten to twenty rows is usually enough.
List the roles, not the people
Roles survive reorganisations. Add a name in the note if it helps.
Put one A on every row
Accountable means the one person who answers for the outcome and can say yes or no. If two people want it, that is the conversation to have now.
Add the R, C and I
Responsible does the work. Consulted is asked before; Informed is told after. Every C slows the decision, so keep them few.
Read down the columns
A role with many As is a bottleneck; a role with no R is not doing the work it thinks it is. The counts below show both.
Work through it
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Mistakes to avoid
- Two As on a row, which is the problem the chart exists to remove.
- Consulting everyone to avoid offence.
- Writing it and not using it. Put it at the front of the project plan and refer to it when decisions stall.
Where it comes from
No single originator: responsibility charting has been part of project and organisation design practice since at least the 1970s. The Project Management Institute describes RACI as a form of responsibility assignment matrix in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). Source.
Use it with
Further reading
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