Practice knowledge base
RACI matrix
The RACI matrix helps you agree on who carries out a task, who is accountable for the result, who needs to be consulted, and who only needs to be informed.
Documentation sections
What it is
A RACI matrix is a responsibility table for a task, process, or decision. For each important step, it defines four roles: the person doing the work, the person accountable for the result, the participants who should be consulted, and the participants who should be informed. This practice helps remove gray areas between roles, especially when work spans several teams or functions.
When it helps
- Decisions get stuck because several roles believe the final word is not theirs.
- Employees do the same work in parallel or, on the contrary, wait for each other.
- Tasks often move between teams without a clear owner for the next step.
- After meetings, it is unclear who should approve the decision and who only needs to be copied in.
How to start
- 1 Choose one process or type of task where delays and disputes over authority happen most often.
- 2 List the key steps of the process and the roles that are actually involved in each step.
- 3 Assign one person accountable for the result and one or more people to carry out the work for each step.
- 4 Mark who needs to be consulted before the decision and who only needs to be informed after it.
- 5 Test the matrix on the next work task and adjust the roles where confusion comes up again.
Expected effect
The team understands more quickly who moves a task forward and who makes the final decision. It also becomes easier for the manager to spot overloaded roles, unnecessary approvals, and parts of the process with no owner.
Common pitfalls
- Assigning several people as accountable for one result: this brings back ambiguity instead of clarity.
- Trying to describe the whole organization at once instead of one painful process, which makes the table go out of date quickly.
- Confusing consulted participants with informed participants and turning every decision into a large approval process.
- Not reviewing the matrix after changes in roles, teams, or decision-making routes.
Further reading
- Book: Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
- Book: Michael L. George, The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook
- Article: Harvard Business Review, Who Has the D? How Clear Decision Roles Enhance Organizational Performance
FAQ
Who should own the RACI matrix?
It is usually maintained by the process, project, or team manager. What matters is that the owner can bring participants together, document roles, and update the table when the actual agreements change.
Can you start without a consultant?
Yes. To begin, it is enough to choose one problematic process, list its main steps, and agree on roles with the people who take part in this work every day.
What should you do if participants argue over who is accountable?
Look at the specific decision or result: who has the authority to make the final decision, and who bears the practical consequences of the work? If no one has that authority, the issue should be raised to the next level.
How can you tell whether the matrix is working?
Look for everyday signs: fewer repeated approvals, a faster way to identify the owner of the next step, and participants asking less often who should make the decision.