Define

RACI Matrix

Responsibility Assignment Matrix: roles per activity and stakeholder

Anatomy of a RACI Matrix

The RACI matrix clarifies, for every task or activity in a project, who has which role. The four letters stand for four clearly defined types of responsibility. It prevents duplicated work, responsibility gaps, and unclear decision paths.

R — Responsible: Who actually does the work? Multiple people can be "R" per task but should be rare — otherwise responsibility frays.

A — Accountable: Who is ultimately accountable for the result and makes the final decision? Exactly one person per task — not zero, not two. "A" wears the hat, "R" does the work.

C — Consulted: Who is asked for input before the decision? Two-way communication. Typically subject-matter experts whose knowledge is essential but who do not decide.

I — Informed: Who is informed about the result? One-way communication. Stakeholders who need to know the status but have no active role.

Tasks (rows) and people (columns): The matrix lists tasks or deliverables on the left and roles or people across the top. Each cell carries the letter (R/A/C/I) or remains empty if there is no involvement.

Approach

List tasks or deliverables from the project plan — as rows.
Add involved people or roles as columns.
Assign exactly one "A" per task — the final authority.
At least one "R" per task — the doing hand.
Use "C" sparingly — only when the input is truly needed, otherwise bottlenecks appear.
"I" for everyone who needs to know the result without participating in the decision.
Review the matrix with the team and get sign-off — resolve conflicts before the project runs.

Pitfalls

Multiple "A" per task: When two people are accountable, no one really is. On conflict nothing escalates, on success both fight for credit. Exactly one "A" per row.

No "A": A task without "A" is no-man's land — it will be left alone or done under wrong assumptions. Every row needs a hat wearer.

Too many "C": Having to consult three experts kills speed. Consultation costs time — only involve the truly necessary, the rest are "I".

Confusing "R" and "A": "R" does the work, "A" is accountable for the result. Often the same person, sometimes deliberately not — e.g. an operator does it, a shift lead is accountable.

Matrix is not lived: A RACI matrix in the drawer helps no one. It should be communicated at project start and updated on every role change.

Column choice: person vs. role: People change, roles are more stable. For long-running projects, prefer roles ("shift lead") to names — otherwise the matrix has to be reworked on every staff change.

Examples

This module ships with the following example datasets — load any of them in the app with a single click.

RACI Pizza Delivery — Project template

RACI matrix for 8 activities × 6 roles — who is R(esponsible), A(ccountable), C(onsulted), I(nformed)?

Available in the following cycles

DMAIC: Define
DMADV: Define
8D: D1 — Build the Team