responsibility assignment matrix product

Popular Insights:

Best Project Management Software

Mind Mapping Software

What Is a RACI Matrix?

Share this Article:

Our content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click links to our partners. Learn more in our Editorial & Advertising Policy .

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.

Featured Partners

{{ POSITION }}. {{ TITLE }}

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

Join our newsletter

Subscribe to Project Management Insider for best practices, reviews and resources.

By clicking the button you agree of the privacy policy

You should also read.

Essential Project Management Guidelines & Rules to Follow

5 Ethical Issues in Project Management & How to Handle Them

Senior Project Manager Job Description and Responsibilities

Get the Newsletter

Vertical vs Horizontal Project Management

How to Delegate for Project Management: Step-by-Step Guide

Creating Project Timelines: Step-by-Step Guide for 2024

Advisory boards aren’t only for executives. Join the LogRocket Content Advisory Board today →

Product Management
Solve User-Reported Issues
Find Issues Faster
Optimize Conversion and Adoption

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.

responsibility assignment matrix product

Over 200k developers and product managers use LogRocket to create better digital experiences

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.

Featured image source: IconScout

LogRocket generates product insights that lead to meaningful action

Get your teams on the same page — try LogRocket today.

Stop guessing about your digital experience with LogRocket

Burnup charts: A guide for product managers

Burnup charts are heavily underappreciated and forgotten tools, and that’s because agile literature falsely assumes that the scope of the sprint doesn’t change much.

Data maturity levels in organizations

Bettering data maturity is a must for any PM — it’s how you turn gut feelings into solid insights, making your products smarter and your team more effective.

Feedback management tools and strategies

Feedback management refers to a structured process for gathering and analyzing feedback to improve products, services, or processes.

An overview of feature-driven development (FDD)

FDD is an agile framework for software development that emphasizes incremental and iterative progress on product features development.

Ultimate guide to Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) in 2024

One of the most important tools involved in project management is the Responsibility Assignment Matrix. It assists in indicating duties and task delegation among the workers a feature that enhances efficient tasks and resources. RACI is an abbreviation of the roles that the people play within a project: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. This matrix plays a key role in the planning of resources for a project, especially in organizations that have a structure, which supports cross-functional teams that require a very clear definition of accountabilities. Separating the tasks in terms of those to which the individual members of the project team are responsible or to which they are accountable will allow the project manager to avoid confusion after coordinating the implementation of a project successfully.

Introduction to Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

A RAM which is often referred to as a RACI matrix is an essential tool applied in project management to define and describe responsibilities.

This identifies cross-functional teams for a project and assigns each a RACI matrix of responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each team member. This assignment matrix is very important in the planning of resources in any project because it aids in the management of tasks and resources. Reduction of possibilities of conflict and misunderstanding due to clear identification of roles appears to be the strength of the RACI matrix and helps the project manager steer the project to success.

Definition and purpose of RAM

RAM is an acronym for Responsibility Assignment Matrix and is widely employed in the field of project management to provide details of the allocation of responsibilities of different members. It is used to give a physical representation of the jobs given to each member of the team, discourages slacking, and enhances cross-functionality. RAM is equally applied in project resource planning, management of resources, and management of tasks.

The most widespread is the RACI model, which is an acronym for the activities performed the following: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. This matrix specifies project manager and team members' tasks, with each task allocated to the person who is: This matrix specifies project manager and team members' tasks, with each task allocated to the person who is:

Answerable for the accomplishment of the task
Responsible for its success
This should be sought before making any particular decision or implementing any action.
Is informed of the progress of the decision.

Importance of RAM in project management

RAM or Responsibility Assignment Matrix is extensively used in project management to define responsibilities which are even more useful in the case of cross-functional teams. Also referred to as a RACI Matrix, this tool is very useful for resource management in construction projects and resource planning for a project in general. The framework defines who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed at every stage of the process, and facilitates the tasks.

These assignment matrices help to reduce confusion and increase the understanding of the team members. RAM can assist the project manager in communicating quite effectively what and when tasks should be done, avoiding overworking valuable resources during the project and responding to possible voids in the project delivery plan.

Components of a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

The RACI matrix frequently known as the Responsibility Assignment Matrix is one of the significant tools in project management. In particular, it contributes to accomplishing goals because it defines how responsibilities are distributed among cross-functional teams. A RACI matrix categorizes team members into four categories: A RACI matrix categorizes team members into four categories:

Responsible: immediately execute the task
Accountable: supervises the task's performance
Consulted: can suggest the task
Informed: is enlightened on the status of the given task

Task management and resource scheduling for a project can highly be determined by an efficient and correctly developed assignment of a task matrix.

Roles in RAM

RAM or the Responsibility Assignment Matrix is one of the most important factors that are expected to be put into consideration within the course of the project. The application of RACI makes it easier to determine the roles and responsibilities of each team member, thus providing great value in resource management and practical resource planning. RACI is an acronym that defines Responsible as the person who performs the work, the person who makes the decision is Accountable, the persons consulted are those people who are involved in decision making but do not take the final decision, while persons informed are people who are informed about the process and results. These solutions align cross-functional groups and help to manage the work of teams in the RAM environment. This saves the confusion of the team members on what is expected of them and the project manager is in a position to track the progress of the project.

Tasks in RAM

In project management, the RACI matrix is information useful managed by project managers for the task, and to define responsibility regarding roles for subordinates. It is an acronym that is made up of RACI, with R standing for Responsible, A for Accountable, C for Consulted, and I for Informed, all of which describe the level of responsibility of an individual about a specific task. Two of the resource management aspects are that of project resource planning and project resource allocation. Overall, when the RACI matrix is appropriately implemented, cross-functional teams will not have confusion as to do what. Thus, the general management and coordinated execution of projects are optimized and enhanced.

Responsibility levels in RAM

In project management, the RACI matrix is one of the techniques that is used in the determination of relationships and accountability in task management. This assignment matrix is generally applied to identify and specify the degree of accountability of team members across teams most commonly cross-function ones. Specifically, it aids in identifying who is Responsible for a function, who is Accountable for a function, who should be Consulted, and who should be Informed. Providing allocation of these roles assists in project resource planning and also in the management of available resources. The project manager has a duty of establishing the RACI matrix and making sure that all the team members understand the responsibility levels for various tasks as well as guaranteeing the adequate designation and tracking of duties in the teams.

Types of Responsibility Assignment Matrix

RAM is an integral tool of project management and specifically defines and assigns duties concerning task management and control. One of the more well-known types of matrices is the RACI matrix (also known as ‘Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed’) frequently used by multi-disciplinary teams. RACI defines the level of involvement of each team member particularly as responsible (who does the work), accountable (who makes the decision, authorizes, and confirms), consulted (who is informed and whose opinion may be sought), and informed (who may just observe what is going on). Another form of RAM used in support of resource management and project resource planning in project management is the RACI-VS matrix, which adds versus and sign-off roles to the roles defined previously. Hence, the project manager can better coordinate and manage the responsibilities, thus increasing the project’s flow rate.

RACI Matrix

A RACI matrix is defined and it is a valuable project management tool that helps in calling precise roles and responsibilities. It helps in the management of resources and resource planning for a project since it defines RACI – Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed – for each task, therefore it is also called the assignment matrix. This tool is very useful when working with cross-functional teams as it keeps all members informed of their roles and responsibilities and to whom they report. The project manager is responsible for deploying the RACI matrix for enhanced task management to achieve success in the project.

RASCI Matrix

The RASC-I matrix is a useful tool in project management that is an extension of the RACI matrix and involves responsibility, accountability, support, consultation, and information. It is very useful in clarifying the roles of members of the team; that is, everybody will know what is expected of them. The matrix determines decision-makers, doers, informees, and consultants. The clear separation of tasks enhances cross-functional teams and task and resource management. In the course of project resource planning, the assignment matrix aids in the presentation of tasks for members of the project team, thereby promoting effectiveness and understanding. The use of the RASCI matrix enhances understanding, and delegation of responsibility and offloads the project manager hence leading to managed projects.

Linear Responsibility Chart (LRC)

A Linear Responsibility Chart (LRC), commonly known as the RACI matrix, is a graphical tool, that is applied in project management to define the responsibilities of members of cross-functional teams. It uses the RACI matrix which stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed to determine who is charged with the responsibility of delivering a particular activity, who takes accountability for the success of the activity, who should be consulted in the process of delivering the activity and who should just be informed of the process. It is one of the most important tools for project resource allocation as well as the scheduling of tasks to be accomplished. When an LRC is used for the management of resources, there is no confusion as to who will do what. The work and tasks of the team members are well-defined, and the project manager has good control over the project and its advancement. This leads to the enhancement of coordination and thus the success of the project.

Creating a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

The Responsibility Assignment Matrix also referred to as a RACI matrix is one of the most significant tools in project management. This matrix helps in categorizing and delegating responsibilities to the members who are part of the cross-functional teams. It plays a role facilitating in efficient task and resource management which are other important aspects of resource planning in a project. The acronym RACI in the RACI matrix refers to the following: These keywords specify the very identity of an individual assignment matrix – who does the task, who is responsible for the result, who consulted, and who is informed. The RACI matrix is created by the project manager and he or she makes sure that all the team members are aware of their responsibilities.

Identifying tasks and roles

In project management, role clarity is considered a key success factor because everyone on the team needs to know what is expected of them. It is in these cases that the RACI matrix, for instance, becomes very handy. It plays a role in task coordination since it shows who is responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed (RACI) for a particular task. The primary role of project managers is to manage cross-functional teams and therefore resource management is crucial. RACI matrix makes project resource schedules easy to plan as all the member gets to understand their role and what is expected of them. Thus, RACI is not merely an assignment matrix, but it is a tool that helps to improve the communication between the team members and to minimize misunderstandings.

Assigning responsibilities

As for the organizational aspect, the activities in the area of assignment of roles and responsibilities become critical for the project's success in terms of task management and resource management. The tool commonly employed for this is the RACI matrix. RACI a shorthand for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, can help a project manager to define the responsibilities of the team. In particular, the RACI matrix is used in the context of project resource allocation wherein, the project manager identifies who is responsible for which task, who is accountable for the overall project, who should be consulted, and who should be informed. It is also useful in the governance of cross-functional teams as it draws out everyone’s role and makes things clear. When everyone knows what they are supposed to do, then not only can the work be done effectively but also cohesively and this takes the project to its intended conclusion.

Finalizing the Matrix

In project management, the completion of the RACI matrix is a way of concretizing the roles and responsibilities of the individuals involved. It helps in effectively coordinating activities as it defines the reports that are responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each of the activities. This is especially helpful to cross-functional teams as it leads to understanding and no confusion. It improves the control that project managers get over the resources they use and project resource planning. In the assignment matrix, roles and responsibilities are well defined, and all members of the group know what is expected of them hence enhancing the efficiency in the implementation of projects.

Benefits of using a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

The RAM, or RACI matrix, is one of the most useful tools available to a project manager . They include; role definition, responsibilities, handling of tasks, and resource utilization among others. The RACI chart gives a clear picture of who is responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed for which task, which is helpful in the resource allocation plan of the project. The use of the RACI matrix is a good practice since it enhances teamwork and coordination among different departments. They make sure the members of the team are well informed on what is expected of them thus minimizing instances of repetition or overlooking of certain tasks. Also, it is useful for the project manager in terms of allocation of tasks, control of the work, and achieving high usage of resources.

Improved communication and transparency

Communication and openness of the members of the project team constitute one of the key success factors in the management of projects. The usage of the RACI matrix for the assignment of roles and responsibilities can positively impact the tasks and resources that would be used. This approach gives out precise directions to the teams working on cross functions about who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for which duty.

Resource management is therefore vital in the achievement of any project and the project manager has a central role in ensuring the success of resource planning in a project. With the help of the provided RACI methodology, team members gain clear guidance on how to enhance the communication and transparency of the project and its management.

Efficient resource allocation

Resource management is among the most critical components of project management where the project manager has the most responsibility regarding project resources. When the task is properly managed, the members of the team know what they are supposed to do and what is expected of them hence improving resource utilization.

A RACI matrix also called an assignment matrix, is a powerful tool used in this process and defines who is responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed for each task. Appropriate resource management enables improved cross-functional team performance because all team members know their tasks within the project. With the help of the RACI matrix, the managers can properly allocate the resources by taking into consideration the roles and responsibilities of different people in connection with the given project.

Conflict resolution

An important component of project management is conflict solving. It involves proper utilisation of resources, and knowing well about the responsibilities using matrices like RACI. The project manager has the overall responsibility of managing the assignment of people and resources in the project. This entails the coordination of the cross-functional teams and making sure that all the team members are informed about their responsibilities.

The RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) chart serves as a practical tool in the process of managing tasks to establish how every role relates to conflict-solving. Hence, efficient resource management and drawn role responsibilities with the help of the RACI matrix help to enhance project outcomes and minimize possible conflicts.

Common challenges in implementing RAM and how to overcome them

The following are some of the challenges that are associated with the implementation of RAM: Lack of effective communication down the line regarding the delegation of tasks and responsibilities is quite prevalent which might cause a problem in the management of projects and tasks. Other challenges may include the integration of responsibility across function teams. To overcome these, the following use of matrix that is RACI matrix can be very important. This tool assists in defining the responsibilities of each team member, identifying who is responsible for, accountable to, consulted with, and informed of the activities across the stages. The other problem is the poor management of available resources in projects. The RAM can be avoided by the project manager updating the same often and also balancing the resources used.

Dealing with overlapping Responsibilities

It is common in project management, particularly for teams that are formed from different departments or organizations, to find that there is an overlap of authority. To prevent this one of the most effective ways is to use a RACI matrix that helps to explain the roles and responsibilities of each member of the team.

RACI is a short form that is used in the management of tasks and resource planning and in project management; R – Responsible A – Accountable C – Consulted– Informed. Here’s how it works:

Responsible: Individual who undertakes a task
Accountable: A person who signs off an activity
Consulted: Refers to people who contribute inputs to an activity without necessarily participating in the activity.
Informed: Persons who have to be informed of the status of an activity.

Consequently, the project manager is safeguarded by the fact that he or she can manage the resources in such a way that would eliminate cross-over of duties.

Managing changes in roles and responsibilities

In project management, the definition and management of roles and responsibilities is one of the most efficient ways of managing tasks. One of the best ways of explaining these is through the RACI matrix in which each of the team members is assigned to be responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed. This assignment matrix is a valuable tool that defines the direction for resource planning in a project.

RACI also helps ensure effective communication between cross-functional teams and therefore improves the management of organizational resources. The project manager can easily monitor and assess the progress identify any issues that may arise and make changes in the workflow thus, increasing the chances of success.

Using software tools for RAM

RAM or Responsibility Assignment Matrix requires the use of project management software. These are for instance the RACI matrix that can be used in identifying the roles and responsibilities of project teams. It categorizes team members into four roles: These four keys are RAI: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. This helps in reducing the encumbrance of duties and wrong allocation of responsibilities or resources thus enhancing resource and task accountability.

Moreover, the programs help in the management of resources in a project, especially in a multi-disciplinary team setting where things need to be clear. These tools can be used by the project manager to prioritize and monitor the workload and distribute tasks in a manner that the individual members of the team understand that they are part of a project and that everyone has a role to play.

Microsoft project

Microsoft Project is essential in project management since it assists in the management of the project, the management of tasks, the management of resources, and the planning of project resources. This software enables project managers to categorize roles and responsibilities of the project through the use of the RACI matrix. In this context, it is possible to identify what role every team member plays within a given process or activity: is he or she responsible for it, is he or she held accountable for it, was consulted on it, or was informed of it only?

It is especially useful in cross-functional teams as it assists in aligning every member of the team and following the same goal. Describing the responsibilities by an assignment matrix in the Project in Microsoft Project helps to complete the tasks on schedule on a project timeline.

Smartsheet is also a very flexible tool that can be helpful in project management, especially in assigning roles and responsibilities with the help of the RACI matrix. The RACI model which stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed is quite effective and useful in cross-functional teams. This makes it easier to manage resources and tasks in any given project that one is undertaking.

Key points include:

Streamlining project resource planning,
Providing role clarity to the team members so that they can be in a position to understand what their specific responsibilities are and what the general responsibilities of the team are.
Enhancing overall project performance.

This is because with Smartsheet a project manager is allowed to monitor all aspects of the project to ensure they are well coordinated.

Wrike is a very effective tool for project managers to organize tasks, resources responsibilities, and duties of employees. The feature of the RACI matrix is useful to define the accountability regarding the cross-functional team members for a specific task.

In Wrike, RACI acronyms Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, compose the RACI matrix. It makes sure that each team member is conversant with his or her roles and responsibilities in the project hence making resource planning for the project less of a challenge. It is a versatile tool that offers the best solutions to tasks that are crucial for the success of projects.

Conclusion: Enhancing project management with RAM

Improving RAM like the RACI matrix can make a difference in responsibility assignment, tasks, and resource management across projects and cross-functional teams. They provide a clear guide to the identification of the resources required for the project and how the human resources in the project team will contribute to the achievement of the project goals and objectives. The RACI shows who is responsible for what and when, as well as who should be consulted, and ensures that everyone knows what is going on. In this respect, the application of RAM in managing projects not only increases productivity but also helps the project manager manage his/her team to deliver the project successfully.

Unlock the power of KPI tools. Learn how to create dashboards, track key metrics, and generate insightful reports to drive business success.

Learn how to avoid common project management mistakes that lead to delays and failures. Discover solutions to ensure successful project outcomes.

Discover the key differences between Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. Learn how each approach can optimize your processes for efficiency and quality.

Contact sales

Start free trial

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.

Click here to browse ProjectManager's free templates

Deliver your projects on time and on budget

Start planning your projects.

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!

Filter by Keywords

Project Management

9 raci chart examples for project management.

September 7, 2023

Start using ClickUp today

Manage all your work in one place
Collaborate with your team
Use ClickUp for FREE—forever

Not having project roles and responsibilities set in place leads to a myriad of project management-related issues—schedule delays, scaling costs, and lower performance, just to name a few.

That’s when the RACI matrix, also known as the RACI diagram or responsibility assignment matrix, comes into the picture. 🖼️

The RACI model helps with mapping all of the stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities, bringing structure and clarity, and engaging everyone from the team in the successful project delivery so that miscalculations are out of the question.

Here’s why many people from the corporate world across various industries, from healthcare to construction, swear by RACI charts . 🙏

What is a RACI Matrix Chart?

Advantages of the raci chart model, when to use the raci chart model, how to create a raci chart model, clickup examples, miro examples.

Coda Examples

Who Benefits From Using a RACI Chart?

Raci is the way to go.

RACI matrix is a simple approach to defining project roles and responsibilities that help produce desired outcomes.

This term is an acronym that stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. RACI essentially describes the different roles assigned to team members involved in the project and details who does what.

Responsible : As you can already suggest, this person is responsible for taking action and ensuring that tasks on the project are being worked on.

Typically, this is a team member or a project manager that reports to an A. You can have more Rs in a RACI, and some of them can also be involved in the decision-making process .

However, it is highly advisable not to blow things up out of proportion and over-assign the number of Responsibles in your responsibility assignment matrix.

Accountable : That’s someone who ensures all the responsibilities are assigned properly, approves or rejects work or decisions (basically, this person is a decision maker), and ensures that everything is successfully and timely delivered. According to the RACI matrix, there should be only one A.

Consulted : This is the person the team consults about various topics and actions, an expert. This person, or multiple persons, provides feedback and evaluates so tasks can be performed.

Informed : Someone who should be updated on progress once everything is done and dusted but isn’t directly involved in the process. This person doesn’t contribute to making decisions or delivering tasks nor is consulted on any matter.

We know project management teams love abbreviations : PMP, KPI, SOW, and SME. The list goes on and on, but the RACI matrix chart makes it a breeze to scheme out key decisions, tasks, milestones , and roles.

When it comes to large project management teams, where team members are distributed across multiple departments and reliant on other teams, it is kind of natural to suffer from role confusion.

In a situation like this, it’s up to a project manager or the leading project team to step up and make sure that every member of every team is well aware of what’s expected from them. Things can get even more challenging if the work is remotely managed and done. However, that’s when the RACI matrix comes to the rescue! 🚀

The RACI chart model provides a myriad of benefits in this regard :

It eliminates role confusion and confusion about who makes decisions (it could be that the Accountable or Responsible party is the decision-maker, so it should be made clear from the beginning)
It encourages teamwork and communication between everyone involved in the project, which leads to setting expectations straight
It prevents over and under-allocation of resources of a team member and ensures a smooth reallocation of resources when needed
It can guarantee that even in case of resource reallocation, no task is overlooked
By using it, you’ll streamline communications, eliminate conflict resolution, instill trust and ensure a high level of engagement
Ultimately, it improves project efficiency and saves time

It’s worth mentioning that the RACI chart can ensure that every relationship is managed appropriately, whether it be with customers, sponsors, VIP clients, internal users, suppliers, investors, executives, analysts, or government regulators.

That’s why this model ticks all of the boxes for both B2B and B2C businesses. ✅

RACI matrix can be used for all-things-project-management, from clarifying team member roles and tasks to eliminating any sort of confusion and stalled processes.

The great thing is that it is unbelievably flexible, and you can use it no matter which industry you are in. 🤩

Here are some of the examples of when the RACI chart model can be helpful :

Role confusion typically gets in the way of progress and bogs down the approval process or when decisions are made seemingly arbitrarily, again, because of the lack of transparency around the roles
When authority, responsibilities, roles, and tasks are not clearly defined
When there is no clarity on who should be performing tasks, which either results in multiple people working on the same task or none of them working on the project tasks they should be working on

As an example, any project manager or product owner is somehow (wrongfully) seen as responsible for every little detail and the success of a project team in general.

The RACI chart takes the burden of these roles. It allows developers and designers to be responsible for their scope of work .

However, note that RACI is not the one-size-fits-all solution.

It works wonders with larger, complex projects that involve multiple stakeholders. On the other hand, it simply doesn’t cut the mustard for smaller project management teams and fast-moving projects since it can only slow down the decision-making process and the project as a whole.

Before you actually start creating a RACI chart, take these factors into account :

Ideally, one person should have only one type of responsibility
The Accountable person should have the authority and be able to provide guidance and help with completing tasks
Assign a single Accountable party per deliverable
Every task should be associated with Responsible and Accountable roles while it is not mandatory to ask for outside input if the task is not overly complex
Stakeholders should be informed even about minor changes and updates on the project

Now, here’s how to create a RACI chart:

1. define deliverables.

Define and list the main project tasks that need to be completed and list them all on the left side of the RACI chart, one under another.

Do not include all of the project deliverables in the chart, or else you’ll go too granular and make it too complex to use and understand.

2. Identify project roles

Identify members of the project team and their roles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed ) and add them to the top of the chart, one next to another.

For instance, you can go for something like this: project executive, project manager, business analyst, technical architect , and application developer.

Alternatively, you can specify roles by name. This is particularly useful since it clarifies who does what and if multiple stakeholders are assigned similar roles.

3. Connect the dots

Now is the time to connect tasks and roles. ♻️

Assigning Responsible and Accountable per task is a must, while you should also think carefully about who needs to be Consulted and who is Informed about the deliverables.

4. Resolve any conflicts if they occur

Ideally, one team member should be assigned to only a few responsibilities (two to three maxi).

If there are many empty cells, try reallocating resources (change Responsible to Consulted).

Also, if there are too many Accountable roles, this could slow down the decision-making process, so aim to have just one Accountable person per task.

Too many Cs can also cause delays for project managers since some under the consultant role can often be switched to Informed. Having no C and I roles usually points to a lack of communication within the team.

RACI Matrix Examples and Use Cases

For our first batch examples, we’ll be using our beloved tool, ClickUp . You can customize every part of the platform, making it easier than ever to create your ideal RACI matrix. When you need inspiration or guidance, take advantage of the ready-to-use and editable RACI Planning Template in ClickUp to help get you started.

Let’s see how much flexibility we can have when creating RACI charts in ClickUp.

Simple RACI Chart in Doc View

Here’s a perfect example of what we’ve explained above. ClickUp’s Doc view can be used for making a RACI chart without overcomplicating things.

Stakeholders to the left, roles to the top and right. Jack, Sabrina, and Selena are Responsible for program management , Caroll is Accountable, Samatha is Consulted, and Ahmed is Informed.

It’s a great thing that there’s only one responsible person who holds the role of Accountable when it comes to program management. That’s the thing with campaign marketing , design, product marketing , data analysis, brand marketing, and customer success, too!

It’s also easy to spot that no resources are over-allocated. Jack is the Responsible person for program management, brand marketing, and customer success while he is Accountable for campaign marketing, Informed for product marketing , and Consulted for Data Analysis.

Color-Coded RACI Matrix in List View

Color-coded RACI Matrix in ClickUp's List view

ClickUp’s List view lets us go more into detail with the RACI chart. It also allows you to bring a pop of color to the whole concept to make sometimes dull project management more refreshing. 🌈

You can actually choose between various role colors. We used blue for Responsible, green for Accountable, and so on. It’s totally up to you to customize the table and roles to your liking.

Here, we also have slightly different positioning of roles and tasks. Project tasks are listed on the left, one under another, while names and responsibilities are located on the top and to the right (if you prefer this kind of visualization, that’s totally cool).

You can also see priority flags that can give everyone direction and point out tasks that need to be taken care of ASAP and the ones that can wait a little bit. 🚩

RACI Model in Table View

The Table view allows getting more nitty-gritty with your RACI chart. Aside from seeing roles, tasks, and priorities, you can also track the status of each task from the chart. Statuses are fully customizable; this is just an example of how you can name and color each.

RACI Chart Example Grouped by Status

Within the Table view, ClickUp also lets you filter and group tasks by name, role, status, priority, etc. This allows you to get more into the nitty-gritty details of your RACI chart and see which tasks are in progress, which ones are yet to be worked on, and which ones are completed.

Finally, as already known, ClickUp views , and the Whiteboard is among our favorites! 😍

RACI Roles in Whiteboard View

The ClickUp Whiteboard makes it easy to visualize tasks, roles, and roles separately, all with a touch of color. It ensures that everyone works as a team. This leaves practically no room for conflicts or low morale.

Next up is the infamous mind mapping tool, Miro . Let’s see what kind of RACI magic we can come up with.

RACI Stakeholder Map

Miro is another excellent tool you can use for assigning roles, responsibilities, and tasks. In this particular example, Miro shows you can easily create a RACI stakeholders matrix for service design teams.

Can you tell that there’s something different here? 🤔

Exactly! Instead of sticking with the regular RACI chart, Miro decided to take a new approach and have everything from roles and responsibilities to tasks neatly organized using the Map view. 🗺️

You can see the stakeholders and tasks on the left, their roles (decision maker, heavy influencers, manage closely) visualized below, and all of them together within a circular-shaped map.

You can see that roles are layered in circles, going from the ones with, let’s say, less responsibility (e.g., Informed) to Responsible.

I don’t know about you, but we love digital sticky notes! The names of everyone on the team are written on these sticky notes, while their roles are indicated by using emojis.

Bonus: Stakeholder Mapping Templates

RACI Marketing Team Model

This RACI chart is specifically built for the needs of marketing teams. Project management, campaign, product, and brand marketing, as well as customer success, a.k.a deliverables, are positioned on the left.

Responsibilities and roles are clearly defined per task, while team members are grouped and arranged accordingly, so everyone knows what they are doing, and what everyone else is doing.

There’s a single Accountable person for each task, while the number of Responsible persons is relatively balanced.

Coda Example s

Last but not least in the tools lineup, we have the new kid in the project management block, Coda . Let’s see how it stacks up against our previous RACI templates.

Bonus: Perceptual map templates !

RACI Matrix Example by Task Breakdown

Coda gives a practical example of what it looks like to create and use a RACI chart, even if you are not necessarily working on an overly complex project.

All of the tasks are clearly defined, as well as all of the roles (CEO, CTO, VP of product, product manager, UI designer, content writer, and financial analyst) and responsibilities that are displayed in vivid colors. This allows for better visibility and differentiation, and we can also integrate it with third-party software to schedule consultancies or even track the progress of each project.

RACI Chart Example by Task Status

Coda also lets you track the status of each task (not started, in progress, done) on the RACI chart, color-code each status, and add notes to clarify who is working on which task and how many resources are available.

Instead of starting from scratch, you can choose among several other absolutely rocking RACI chart templates that will save you valuable time and set your team up to speed from the very first second!

Bonus: Matrix Templates & Matrix Organizational Structure Examples

Project Managers: A RACI chart is a useful tool for project managers who need to track the various tasks and roles associated with a project. By tracking these roles, it helps to ensure that everyone involved in the project is held accountable for their individual tasks.

Project Management RACI Chart
Project Deliverables RACI Chart
Construction Project RACI Chart
Agile Projects RACI Chart

Business Leaders: A RACI chart is also useful for business leaders who need to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This chart can also be used to identify gaps in roles and responsibilities and help develop an effective plan for allocating resources accordingly.

Executives RACI Chart
Change Management RACI Chart
Stakeholders RACI Chart

RACI is not a project plan but rather a document used for defining roles and responsibilities—it provides more than a clear outline, so your job is to ensure that work and responsibilities are fairly allocated. It also describes the project tasks that need to be completed in advance to eliminate confusion and bottlenecks.

Now that you know more about the RACI Matrix, it’s your turn to try it for yourself! Load one of the templates like the ClickUp RACI template , for example, customize it to your liking, and start delegate tasks and responsibilities more effectively.

Good luck! 😊

Guest writer :

Alladdine Djaidani is a digital marketer and the founder of HustlerEthos.com .

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

Free training & 24-hour support
Serious about security & privacy
99.99% uptime the last 12 months

Product overview
All features
Latest feature release
App integrations

CAPABILITIES

project icon Project management
Project views
Custom fields
Status updates
goal icon Goals and reporting
Reporting dashboards
workflow icon Workflows and automation
portfolio icon Resource management
Capacity planning
Time tracking
my-task icon Admin and security
Admin console
asana-intelligence icon Asana AI
list icon Personal
premium icon Starter
briefcase icon Advanced
Goal management
Organizational planning
Campaign management
Creative production
Content calendars
Marketing strategic planning
Resource planning
Project intake
Product launches
Employee onboarding
View all uses arrow-right icon
Project plans
Team goals & objectives
Team continuity
Meeting agenda
View all templates arrow-right icon
Work management resources Discover best practices, watch webinars, get insights
Customer stories See how the world's best organizations drive work innovation with Asana
Help Center Get lots of tips, tricks, and advice to get the most from Asana
Asana Academy Sign up for interactive courses and webinars to learn Asana
Developers Learn more about building apps on the Asana platform
Community programs Connect with and learn from Asana customers around the world
Events Find out about upcoming events near you
Partners Learn more about our partner programs
Asana for nonprofits Get more information on our nonprofit discount program, and apply.

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

New site openings: How to reduce costs and delays

8 steps to write an effective project status report

Provider onboarding software: Simplify your hiring process

Inventory management software: How to control your stock

A Comprehensive Project Management Guide for Everything RACI

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

Share on Facebook
Share on LinkedIn

Link copied

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.

Watch the Demo

Discover a more collaborative way to manage projects.

Contact sales
Get started Get started for free

Figma Design

Design and prototype in one place

Collaborate with a digital whiteboard

Translate designs into code

Figma Slides

Co-create presentations

Explore all Figma AI features

Get the desktop, mobile, and font installer apps

See the latest features and releases

Design systems
Prototyping
Wireframing
Online whiteboard
Team meetings
Strategic planning
Brainstorming
Diagramming
Product development
Web development
Design handoff
Engineering
Product managers

Organizations

Creator fund

Build and sell what you love

User groups

Join a local Friends of Figma group

Learn best practices at virtual events

Customer stories

Read about leading product teams

Shortcut: The Figma blog

Stories about how products take shape—and shape our world

Get started

Developer docs
Best practices
Reports & insights
Resource library
Help center

What is a RACI matrix? (with examples)

Say your team is asked to design a new product feature. Exciting news—but you'll need more information before you get cracking. Who's approving the project, building it, and managing the timeline? The quickest way to collect and communicate that information is a RACI matrix, a diagram that shows who's doing what on your project.

With this guide, you'll discover:

What a RACI matrix is, and how it assists with project management
How to improve your project plan with a responsibility matrix
How to build your own RACI diagram with FigJam's RACI chart template

What is a RACI matrix?

A RACI matrix—often called a RACI chart or responsibility assignment matrix (RAM)—is a project management tool that captures the roles and responsibilities of project stakeholders. Team members can see who does what at a glance, clarifying different roles across complex projects. The acronym RACI stands for:

Responsible refers to the individual or group performing a particular task. For example, the UX team might be tapped as the responsible party for mapping out specific product design features. Make sure each task has at least one responsible person.
Accountable refers to the person who ensures a task is completed successfully. To avoid confusion, make sure teach task has only one accountable role. This is usually filled by a manager or a high-level team member with the authority to delegate project tasks.
Consulted describes individuals whose feedback factors into project workflows, but aren't involved in day-to-day tasks. This includes subject matter experts or decision makers who are consulted for input or sign-off on project milestones. For example, a business analyst may be consulted about competitive research to inform design decisions.
Informed describes anyone who needs updates on task progress across project phases, but isn't necessarily involved in task execution. For example, developers building design features may need real-time updates on design task completion or setbacks to plan their work.

In this matrix example , the UI designer is responsible for creating the design and the product owner is accountable for making sure that design gets done. The content writer may be consulted, and the CEO is informed about project milestones.

4 key benefits of a RACI matrix

The RACI matrix is commonly used in agile and scrum methodologies because it helps keep complex projects moving toward successful completion in four key ways:

1. Role clarity

By clearly defining Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed roles, a RACI matrix minimizes confusion, ambiguity, and overlap. This ensures that everyone involved in the project is on the same page and understands what is expected of them.

2. Communication

A RACI matrix outlines who should be consulted and informed at every stage of the project. This invites open and consistent communication—the lifeblood of any team project.

3. Efficiency

Outlining distinct roles and responsibilities with a RACI chart helps streamline team efforts and clarify project tasks, helping your project run smoother and faster.

4. Accountability

When you put your RACI matrix on your project dashboard, everyone can see who's responsible for which tasks and project deliverables. This establishes shared accountability, fostering teamwork and ownership among team members.

How to build a RACI matrix in 5 steps

You can create a RACI matrix for effective project management in five steps using this RACI matrix template in FIgJam.

Outline all tasks. Start by listing all the tasks or deliverables for the project. In the first column of your table, prioritize and arrange tasks in the order they must be accomplished.
Identify project team members. Name all team members or stakeholders involved in the project. List them across the top row.
Assign project roles. For each specific task, assign RACI roles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) to the appropriate team member. Make sure to assign one accountable person per task, to keep project progress on track.
Review and revise. Double check that each project task is identified and every team member's role is represented. Leaving out tasks or roles can create confusion and leave project gaps. Plan regular reviews to update the matrix with ongoing changes, like completed tasks, role shifts, or new tasks.
Communicate and implement. Whenever possible, involve the whole team in the creation of the RACI matrix. To build buy-in and understanding. Once project team members and stakeholders sign off on the matrix, incorporate the tasks into your project management process.

3 alternative approaches to RACI charts

While the RACI model is widely used, this exhaustive list provides alternatives. These three may be more suitable depending on a project's or organization's needs:

RAPID : This methodology created by Bain & Company coordinates decision-making in five steps: Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, Decide.
DACI : This framework aids group decision-making by assigning specific roles: Driver, Approver, Contributor and Informed.
RASCI : This variation of the RACI model acronym includes an additional "S" for Supportive team members.

Jumpstart your RACI matrix with FigJam

To make your own RACI matrix, try the free FigJam RACI matrix template . Then finesse your matrix with these pro tips:

To get your team involved with your RACI, use FigJam's collaborative features like stamps, stickers, emotes, and high-fives .
Transform tasks and deliverables into actionable to-dos with FigJam's task management widgets, project management integrations, and Gantt chart maker .
Customize your matrix with brand elements from your company's Figma brand library.
For more inspiration, browse the library of RACI matrix templates shared by the Figma design community.

Ready to assign project roles and responsibilities?

Keep reading

How to create a flow chart

Having a flow chart can help visually represent actions or people in a complex situation.

How to create a project status report

Whether you’re developing a new product or launching a marketing campaign, your company’s success hinges on keeping your project on track

How to run great daily standups

How do you make sure everyone's on board, on task, and on track for a productive day ahead?

Transform teamwork with Confluence. See why Confluence is the content collaboration hub for all teams. Get it free

The Workstream
Project management

How to use RACI charts for project management

Browse topics.

Effective project management is essential for the success of any project, but the complexities involved can often lead to confusion and inefficiencies. One common challenge is the lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities, which can cause delays and errors. Ultimately, project managers must strive for a process where everyone knows what is expected of them and by whom, leading to a streamlined and efficient workflow.

This vision can become a reality using a RACI framework or RASCI matrix. In this guide, we’ll explore the components of a RACI chart, the steps to create one, and best practices for implementing it in the project management process.

What is a RACI chart?

A RACI chart, or responsibility assignment matrix, is a project management tool that defines and clarifies roles and responsibilities within a project team. It helps establish clear communication, improve decision-making, and ensure accountability for tasks or deliverables. A RACI chart stands for:

R esponsible: The responsible individual is delegated a responsibility from the accountable person and must complete that responsibility within agreed-upon parameters and an agreed-upon deadline. A task may have more than one responsible individual.
A ccountable: The accountable individual ensures that all the responsible members complete the task. Accountabilities should not be delegated; it is best to assign the task to a single individual who can serve as the decision-maker and guide.
C onsulted: The consulted individual is the team's knowledge-holder. They’re available for help, extra context, and advice on the task. Identify these people early on so you can incorporate them into the project and its workflow.
I nformed: The informed party is typically a stakeholder, leadership team, or approver who wants and needs information about the team’s project. Ensuring there is an informed party promotes internal transparency, team alignment, and accurate project timelines.

You can use RACI charts in conjunction with other project planning tools, such as flowcharts , Gantt charts , agile project management frameworks, project scheduling software , and project roadmaps to provide a comprehensive view of roles and responsibilities across project phases .

RAPID vs DACI vs RACI

The RACI matrix is separate from similar-sounding models RAPID and DACI. Teams use these models to guide them through decision-making before taking action on a project, but they don't clarify team members' roles and responsibilities. These are the main distinctions:

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

When to use a RACI framework

Understanding when and how to use a RACI chart can significantly boost project efficiency and clarity. Below are vital times to use a RACI framework.

At the start of a project : Defining who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed from the outset sets clear expectations and communication channels. This clarity helps prevent issues by ensuring everyone understands their roles, fostering collaboration, reducing ambiguity, and increasing the likelihood of meeting deadlines.

For complex projects with many team members : With multiple stakeholders, the risk of overlapping responsibilities and miscommunication rises. A RACI chart simplifies these complexities by outlining specific duties and communication pathways for smooth coordination and reduced confusion.

During organizational changes : A RACI chart keeps roles clear during restructuring or personnel shifts. It provides stability, aligns new team members with project goals , and is an effective onboarding tool by outlining responsibilities and integration into the project roadmap.

During agile transitions : A RACI chart clarifies roles and processes during agile transitions. It defines responsibilities for scrum roles , such as product owner and scrum master , and outlines participation in events such as sprint planning and code reviews . This clarity eases the agile transition by providing structure.

During project reviews , a RACI chart maintains accountability and responsibility and helps identify bottlenecks or deviations. Regular updates allow for role reassignment as necessary to address challenges or changes in scope. This process supports a structured, responsive project management approach, contributing to success.

The benefits of RACI charts

RACI charts offer many benefits to businesses, including:

Enhanced clarity in roles and responsibilities : RACI charts clarify roles by identifying who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each task, minimizing confusion and overlap.
Centralized communication : RACI charts are a central hub for role-related information and streamlining communication.
Increased accountability : RACI charts clarify accountability by assigning a specific party for each task and subtask.
Better project planning and management : Clear roles and responsibilities help create realistic timelines and allocate resources effectively. Knowing who is responsible for each project part allows managers to address potential bottlenecks proactively.

The limitations of RACI charts

While RACI charts offer many benefits, they do have some limitations.

Teams may rely too much on them, neglecting other crucial communication and project management aspects.
RACI charts clarify task involvement but don't offer guidance on performing tasks, resulting in inconsistencies caused by varied interpretations of responsibilities.
RACI charts outline responsibilities but don't account for the dynamic nature of projects.

To address these limitations, you should use RACI charts with other agile practices , such as daily standups , retrospectives , and continuous improvement . You can supplement them with detailed process documentation or RACI templates for specific project phases or deliverables.

Creating a RACI Chart

Creating a RACI chart involves steps to accurately reflect each team member's roles and responsibilities. Follow the steps below to boost your project efficiency and team clarity.

Step 1: Identify tasks and workload

First, outline the core tasks. Let's picture a scenario where a team is launching a new website. This first step might involve designing a homepage wireframe, creating graphics and animations, identifying SEO keywords, setting up the domain and server, and writing homepage copy.

You should work with your team to identify subtasks to avoid issues that could disrupt your workflow and delay deliverables.

Step 2: Identify roles

Discuss the role and responsibilities with your team collaboratively. A roles and responsibilities template can simplify this process.

In the website scenario, graphic design tasks might include:

Creating graphics and animations (Ariel)
Designing a website hero image (Natalie)
Reviewing and approving a hero image (Tessa)
Animating the hero image and converting it to .mp4 (Anji)
Integrating the finalized hero image into the wireframe (Ariel)

For these specific tasks, Natalie and Anji focus on contributing to the design and animation, Tessa makes sure the initial image aligns with brand guidelines, and Ariel oversees the project, ensuring the final product fits the wireframe.

Step 3: Build your chart

With a clear understanding of each person's responsibilities, you can organize these tasks and roles into a chart to properly communicate with the team and track your progress.

Step 4: Analyze your chart and identify gaps

Conduct a session with your team to identify gaps or overlaps in the chart. This prevents duplicative work and catches any roadblocks before they happen. Follow general guidelines for your RACI model, from identifying gaps and overlaps to analyzing the balance between assignees.

Expect some overlaps and dependencies, and ensure there is always one accountable individual per task. This person acts as the task-level "project lead," driving the process to avoid having more than one person in charge.

Limit the number of both responsible and consulted individuals. Too many Rs can create confusion, leading to neglected tasks. Too many Cs can result in conflicting opinions, so ensure responsible individuals receive clear directives.

Conversely, having too few “I”s suggests a lack of upward communication and transparency, so ensure leadership and stakeholders are fully informed and supportive to facilitate smooth approval and implementation.

Using a RACI chart in Confluence

Integrating your RACI matrix into Confluence documents enhances 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.
Choose the number of rows and columns necessary for your RACI chart in the table dialog box. For example, for a project with four tasks, set up a table with five rows and five columns.
The first row should include the following headers: Task , Responsible , Accountable , Consulted , and Informed .
Fill in the table with the relevant information. Assign the appropriate RACI code to each team member for each task or activity. You can use this table on any pertinent project Confluence page, such as project charters and kick-off agendas , or by adding the page as a Trello card or within a Jira issue .

RACI chart best practices

RACI matrix best practices include keeping your chart simple, involving team members in the process, regularly reviewing your chart, documenting changes, and ensuring consistency.

Keep it simple

The RACI chart should be straightforward and user-friendly. To enhance accessibility, use visual aids such as colors or symbols in Confluence. Keep the chart concise, highlighting only crucial tasks and responsibilities—track subtasks using Trello or Jira.

Include team members in the process

Tag all team members involved in the project when updating the chart so everyone is aware of changes and understands their roles. Use comments in Confluence or direct messages to communicate updates asynchronously.

Review and update regularly

Regularly review and update your RACI charts to reflect the project’s current state. Verify that roles are current, tasks are completed, and dependencies are clear. Schedule reviews and updates using Confluence and assign a team member to oversee the process.

Document changes

Document changes to the RACI chart in Confluence, including the date, the person responsible, and the reason for the change to keep everyone informed and aware of the rationale behind updates.

Ensure consistency

Ensure your charts and assignments are consistent. Establish clear guidelines for chart usage and ensure all team members understand them. Use Marketplace add-ons , templates , or macros in Confluence to maintain consistency across projects and teams.

Enhance team efficiency with RACI charts

RACI charts streamline project management, foster clear communication, and enhance team accountability. Simplify charts, involve team members, review progress regularly, and document changes meticulously to ensure a seamless workflow and successful project outcomes.

To boost your project management capabilities, consider using Confluence , which offers the following:

Centralized documentation : Store RACI charts so all team members can easily access the latest version.
Collaboration and transparency : Collaborate on creating and updating the RACI chart to keep everyone aligned.
Integration with Jira : Link tasks and issues directly to the RACI chart for better context and traceability.
Customization and templates : Use customizable templates and macros, like the Page Properties macro, for clear and appealing RACI charts.
Version control : Track changes over time and revert to previous versions if necessary.
Accessibility and sharing : Easily share RACI charts with team members, stakeholders, and external parties.

Create and maintain RACI charts more efficiently, clarify roles and responsibilities , improve communication, and increase project success. Make a RACI chart in Confluence for free .

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

	You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website.

What Is A RACI Chart? How This Project Management Tool Can Boost Your Productivity

Updated: Jun 4, 2024, 2:46pm

What Is A RACI Chart? How This Project Management Tool Can Boost Your Productivity

The RACI chart has long been a popular tool amongst project managers around the world. Also referred to as the RACI matrix, it’s used to clarify employee roles and responsibilities for each task, milestone and decision that takes place throughout a project.

The chart is designed to ensure clear communication and smooth workflows across all parts of a team. RACI charts can help prevent that sinking feeling when a major decision-maker comes at the end of a project and complicates things with a large number of changes because they weren’t consulted throughout the project.

Featured Partners

From $8 monthly per user

Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more

On monday.com's Website

Yes, for unlimited members

$7 per month

Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more

On ClickUp's Website

$9.80 per user per month

Salesforce, Adobe, Miro, Netsuite, Quickbooks, SAP

On Wrike's Website

Yes, for one user and two editors

$9 per user per month

Google Drive, Slack, Tableau, Miro, Zapier and more

On Smartsheet's Website

What Is a RACI Chart?

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 a project and their level involvement in each task, denoted with the letters R, A, C or I. Once these roles are defined, assignments can be attributed to the roles and work can begin.

R, A, C, I stands for:

Responsible

Accountable.

Here’s what each designation means:

Responsible designates the task as assigned directly to this person (or group of people). The responsible person is the one who does the work to complete the task or create the deliverable. Every task should have at least one responsible person and could have several.

Responsible parties are typically on the project team and are usually developers or other creators.

The accountable person in the RACI equation delegates and reviews the work involved in a project. Their job is to make sure the responsible person or team knows the expectations of the project and completes work on time. Every task should have only one accountable person and no more.

Accountable parties are typically on the project team, usually in a leadership or management role.

Consulted people provide input and feedback on the work being done in a project. They have a stake in the outcomes of a project because it could affect their current or future work.

Project managers and teams should consult these stakeholders ahead of starting a task to get input on their needs, and again throughout the work and at the completion of a task to get feedback on the outcome.

Not every task or milestone needs a consulted party, but the project manager should consider all possible stakeholders when creating the RACI chart and include as many consulted parties as is appropriate. You should limit this to only necessary input, however. For example, one consulted party per affected team is generally considered best practice to avoid clogging the process with too much input.

Consulted parties may be individuals on the project team who aren’t working on a given task but whose work will be affected by the outcome. They’re also often teammates outside of the project team—even in different departments—whose work will be affected by the outcomes of the project.

Informed folks need to be looped into the progress of a project but not consulted or overwhelmed with the details of every task. They need to know what’s going on because it could affect their work, but they’re not decision makers in the process.

Informed parties are usually outside of the project team and often in different departments. They might include heads or directors of affected teams and senior leadership in a company.

When Should You Use a RACI Matrix?

The framework of a RACI chart is useful for almost any project, although some teams might find it more useful than others

For example, I know in creating this article that I’m the responsible party, because I’m doing the work of writing. My editor is accountable for assigning and reviewing the work. And they likely have consulted and informed others around them, such as a managing editor and an SEO specialist.

But this project is fairly simple. It only takes a few steps and includes a handful of stakeholders. A formal RACI chart comes in handy for complex and long-lasting projects that include lots of stakeholders, tasks and milestones, especially if work is overlapping.

For example, a company’s website redesign would require design, copy and development teams to work on tasks concurrently. Each task would affect work in sales, marketing, finance and business development. Structural changes, timelines and major costs would require input and approval from senior management.

Needs are easily overlooked and requirements dropped in such complex projects.

A project manager typically creates a RACI chart to avoid missing those important details and ensure clear communication throughout the project.

Using RACI with Other Project Management Methodologies

Agile is a very popular type of project management, especially for tech workers. While RACI is applicable to agile project management, schools of thought vary on whether it is necessary for an agile context.

Additionally, the Scrum and Scrumban project management methodologies build project ownership (accountability) into their framework and are designed to facilitate regular communication among project teams and outside stakeholders. That makes a RACI chart seem redundant for this method and possibly a poor use of a project manager’s time.

However, additional communication and clarification—in a systematic fashion—tend to be more of a benefit than a drawback for any project, so some SCRUM project managers find RACI useful for clarifying roles for individual projects or their overall process.

Example RACI Chart (and How To Use It)

To create a RACI chart, list all of a project’s tasks down the left-hand column and stakeholders across the top row. For each task, enter an R, A, C or I to assign a level of involvement for each stakeholder in each task.

For example, in the matrix above:

The senior analyst is responsible for completing the work in the econometric model.
The SVP finance is accountable for that task—they assign it to the senior analyst and review the work.
The team will consult the SEO lead for input before and feedback after the task.
The team will inform the project manager, head of design, sales director and senior management of the project’s progress.

Color coding tasks can be useful to see at a glance whether any team member is responsible for too many tasks within a project and to make sure you’ve assigned at least one Responsible and one Accountable party for each task.

Breaking the chart down by project phases also lets you see how many tasks anyone is responsible for within a certain timeframe, which can help distribute work evenly and avoid overwhelm.

Pros and Cons of RACI

From a project management perspective, things like more organization and clearer communication are generally better, so the benefits of using a RACI chart on a project far outweigh the drawbacks in most cases. With that in mind, teams should be cognizant of the initial time investment of creating a RACI chart and the rigidity of the roles.

Maintain clear and open communication with all stakeholders.
Avoid overwhelming team members with tasks or unnecessary information.
Avoid “too many cooks” offering input on any task.
Help stakeholders prepare for a project’s future impact on their work.
You might spend time unnecessarily creating the chart for simple projects.
Roles are rigid and might not fully illustrate a team member’s stake in a project.

You might see additional drawbacks using a RACI chart for your project if your team succumbs to some common pitfalls, including:

Stakeholders will be confused if they don’t understand the differences among the terms, especially Responsible versus Accountable and Consulted versus Informed.
It’s a formality and a waste of time if no one references it after approval.

RACI Matrix Alternatives

Some teams find the roles designated through the RACI model aren’t the right fit for their projects. You might find better options in these less common alternatives—all use a chart with tasks and stakeholders like RACI, but they use different terms in an attempt to more clearly define roles.

This alternative to RACI uses the RACI model plus S for Supportive. This is someone who participates in doing the work of a task by supporting the responsible parties.

This model designates stakeholders as:

Communicate: These are the consulted and informed parties.
Approve: This is the decision maker.
Responsible: This person does the work.
Support: These parties support the responsible person in doing the work.

This model simplifies CARS with just the Responsible, Approve and Support roles. It eliminates communication outside the project team, which would need to be accounted for another way in the project management method.

This model includes these roles similar to RACI:

Drivers: The people who do the work.
Approvers: The decision makers.
Contributor: People who are consulted on the task.
Informed: People who are informed of the project’s progress.

In this model, stakeholders are assigned these actions:

Contribute: People who are consulted and who do the work.
Lead: People who delegate work and manage a task.
Approve: Decision makers.
Monitor: People who are kept in the loop on a project’s progress.

Bottom Line

Projects can be complex, confusing and chaotic. That’s why we rely on team members with the project management skills necessary to reign in the disparate pieces of a project and focus directly on keeping them organized as a project progresses.

A RACI chart is one tool that helps project managers keep a project on track.

By listing all stakeholders and assigning a level of involvement for each task, the chart helps teams communicate clearly and keep the right people in the loop.

Best Project Management Software
Best Construction Project Management Software
Best Project Portfolio Management Software
Best Gantt Chart Software
Best Task Management Software
Best Free Project Management Software
Best Enterprise Project Management Software
Best Kanban Software
Best Scrum Software
Asana Review
Trello Review
monday.com Review
Smartsheet Review
Wrike Review
Todoist Review
Basecamp Review
Confluence Review
Airtable Review
ClickUp Review
Monday vs. Asana
Clickup vs. Asana
Asana vs. Trello
Asana vs. Jira
Trello vs. Jira
Monday vs. Trello
Clickup vs. Trello
Asana vs. Wrike
What Is Project Management
Project Management Methodologies
10 Essential Project Management Skills
SMART Goals: Ultimate Guide
What is a Gantt Chart?
What is a Kanban Board?
What is Gap Analysis?
Work Breakdown Structure Guide
Agile vs. Waterfall Methodology
What is a Stakeholder Analysis
What Is An OKR?

What Is SNMP? Simple Network Management Protocol Explained

What Is A Single-Member LLC? Definition, Pros And Cons

What Is Penetration Testing? Definition & Best Practices

What Is Network Access Control (NAC)?

What Is Network Segmentation?

How To Start A Business In Louisiana (2024 Guide)

Dana Miranda is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® who's been writing about money management and small business operations for more than a decade. She writes the newsletter Healthy Rich about how capitalism impacts the ways we think, teach and talk about money. She's the author of YOU DON'T NEED A BUDGET (Little, Brown Spark, 2024).

With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.

Creative & Design
See all teams

For industries

Manufacturing
Professional Services
Consumer Goods
Financial Services
See all industries
Resource Management
Project Management
Workflow Management
Task Management
See all use cases

Explore Wrike

Book a Demo
Take a Product Tour
ROI Calculator
Customer Stories
Start with Templates
Gantt Charts
Custom Item Types
Project Resource Planning
Project Views
Kanban Boards
Dynamic Request Forms
Cross-Tagging
See all features
Integrations
Mobile & Desktop Apps
Resource Hub
Educational Guides

Upskill and Connect

Training & Certifications
Help Center
Wrike's Community
Premium Support Packages
Wrike Professional Services

What Is a RACI Chart? Definition, Template, and Examples

July 5, 2023 - 10 min read

Whenever you undertake a major project , there’s the risk of misunderstandings, miscommunications, and other misdemeanors throwing you off course.

To navigate the obstacles that inevitably arise with most projects, it’s best to have a reliable system to lean on that clearly outlines roles, responsibilities, and processes. The RACI chart does exactly that.

So, what is RACI?

The RACI definition is an acronym that stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. The RACI chart is a way of proactively combating potential project issues before they arise.

This guide will act as a primer to the RACI diagram, covering everything from the basics of the system to how you can make your own. We’ll provide a template and examples to help you down the way. We’ve even included alternatives if the RACI diagram doesn’t suit your project needs.

What is RACI? A definition

As mentioned, the acronym RACI stands for r esponsible, a ccountable, c onsulted, and i nformed.

Responsible : Who is responsible for a task or decision
Accountable : Who is accountable for the overall project
Consulted : Who must be consulted for their input on tasks or the overall project
Informed : Who should be informed of the ongoing status of the project

With a RACI chart, you can define all the roles and related responsibilities pertaining to a project. It’s a common tool for project managers who want to start off on the right foot with each project and ensure there’s little to no space for confusion from the outset.

What are the benefits of a RACI matrix?

A RACI matrix is used to determine every detail of a project before it’s underway, but it also helps keep communication lines open during the work process.

If you’re about to start a complex project, the RACI matrix can be your north star. The RACI chart can guide your progress as a robust blueprint — something you can reference throughout the project to get clarity on roles and responsibilities.

Here are the top three reasons to use a RACI chart:

1. Clearly define roles and expectations

At the start of any new project, there are a lot of moving pieces up in the air.

Common questions you might ask yourself could include:

Who will be in charge of executing each task in the work breakdown structure ?
How much work should each team member get done in a day?
What will the deadline be and are there milestones to reach along the way?

A RACI chart will help clear up all these questions. The chart makes the project management process easier by promoting full transparency from day one.

With a RACI matrix, also known as a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) , every team member will know exactly what they should be doing at all times.

2. Streamline communication

For project harmony, you need effective communication lines between team members.

There’s nothing worse than lengthy email threads where you lose sight of relevant project information. Likewise, instant messages can be equally ineffective as you can get caught up in endless back and forth with your coworkers.

So what’s the solution to haphazard communication?

A RACI chart can help you plan out project details with streamlined approval systems, context-specific communication, and clearly outlined roles.

If you use a RACI chart with a project management platform such as Wrike, you can set up custom approval requests to make sure relevant team members are notified upon taking certain actions. You can also tag coworkers with comments and update the project status.

3. Distribute workloads evenly

In addition to setting up the conditions for project success, RACI charts can also help leadership reduce the risk of individual employee burnout .

Seeing every team member’s responsibilities in a RACI chart can provide workload information at a glance. It can show just how much work each team member has on their plate, which makes it easier to balance the workload. That way, you won’t end up in a situation where silos develop and a few individuals bear the burden of most of the work.

In light of the recent quiet quitting movement , a form of labor protest where employees “work their worth,” it’s important to make sure each individual has a manageable workload. If stress levels soar due to rising workloads, the risk of disengagement increases, which can lead to burnout.

What are the disadvantages of a RACI matrix?

One of the primary limitations of the RACI matrix is that it can create more problems than it solves in some cases.

Assigning all stakeholders with a tag such as “responsible” or “consulted” can lead to a situation where you have input coming from all directions on the smallest of decisions. Too many voices can slow down the decision making process and ultimately delay your progress with the project.

Plus, if you’re about to take on a complex project, you also need to consider how often you’ll want to solicit input from key stakeholders. Will it be for every minor decision along the way or just the major ones? And if it’s the latter, how do you determine which are the most important decisions?

Spending too much time thinking about these questions can prevent you from getting a quick start on your project and leave you bogged down in the planning process.

Finally, when using a RACI matrix, you run the risk of creating a convoluted approval process whereby every stakeholder has to give up a lot of their time to leave feedback and push the project along.

How to make a RACI chart

At this point, you now know why you might need a RACI chart, so you’re probably wondering how to make your own. If you’re looking for a head start, try the Wrike RACI template to set up your matrix in record time.

Creating your own RACI chart is a straightforward process too, and you can do so with the following five steps:

1. Identify all project roles

The first step is to compile a list of everyone involved in the project.

This can include:

Team members
Department heads
Stakeholders

When you come up with this list, think about every stage of the project so that you don’t leave any roles out. It isn’t limited to internal team members either so if you plan on working with subcontractors, it’s worth including them for full transparency.

When it comes to project roles, there are various ways of labeling them depending on what the specific project requires.

For example, you may have “project manager” listed as a role, which suggests that whoever holds that position will execute the project manager’s responsibilities. Alternatively, you could make a list of the names of the people involved in the project if their responsibilities are more nuanced.

When you use individuals’ names instead of job titles, you can help them feel a greater sense of ownership of their work. It also makes it easier for every team member to instantly identify their roles whenever they glance at the RACI chart.

Once you have all the roles, you’ll plot each one out along the horizontal axis of your RACI chart.

2. Identify all project tasks

Now that you have all the roles (or the individuals responsible for various tasks) it’s time to list the tasks themselves.

Tasks can be broken down into any of the following:

Deliverables
Important decisions

All tasks you identify will go down the vertical axis of your RACI chart so that you can easily connect them to the various roles you’ve laid out.

It can be tempting to create a lengthy list covering every single task imaginable but sometimes, less is more with a RACI chart. Try to think of the broad strategic objectives and milestones so as not to get too bogged down in the minutiae, which can make your chart hard to digest quickly.

Again, it’s important to be as thorough as possible, so nothing falls through the cracks.

3. Create a chart with a column for each role and a row for each task

Now, put the structure of your chart together using the vertical and horizontal axes to visualize all roles, responsibilities, and tasks.

One way to plot out your RACI chart is with Microsoft Excel since it will provide you with all the rows and columns you could ever need. Yet it can be more beneficial to set one up with a work management tool , and we’ll explain why later.

Once it’s all set up, you can edit it to fit your expectations. For example, you might like to color-code roles and responsibilities, add additional information, or leave a space at the bottom for relevant notes and comments.

4. Assign RACI to each role and task

When the RACI chart looks exactly how you want it, the next step is to assign the RACI to each role and task.

That means identifying who is:

Responsible
Accountable
To be consulted
To be informed
Deliverable

In practical terms, this means adding the letters R, A, C, and I into your chart where it makes sense to do so.

For example, if your head of marketing has to be informed when you publish a blog post, find the head of marketing’s name on the top row and the task “publish blog post” on the left-hand column, then add the letter I in the corresponding box between them.

Bear in mind that not every task will require every letter. For instance, some may only require you to specify who’s responsible and accountable.

Typically, you should only have one person accountable for each task. If others are involved, then they should be consulted or informed.

5. Review with your team and all involved stakeholders

Finally, check in with your team and any involved stakeholders to go over your RACI chart. Review all the roles and tasks and make sure everything is on the same page.

This is a great opportunity to call a meeting and make sure you haven’t accidentally missed anything — or anyone. Ask your team and each member individually if they’re satisfied that the information is correct and that they know exactly what is expected of them.

As for any external stakeholders, meet with them and see if they have any input on how you’ve planned the project before you get underway. It’s best to get any feedback they have on board before you start the work since you can implement any suggestions they have without disrupting anything.

Make a point to set up a cadence for checking in with the RACI chart. It could be that you ask each team member to review the chart at least once a week if it’s a major project that will take several months.

The last thing to do will be to share access to the RACI chart so that everyone can view it. If you all work in the same office, you could even print out a copy and put it up on the wall for quick referencing.

RACI matrix rules and best practices

If you want to make sure you create the best RACI matrix possible for the upcoming project and your team, there are some best practices you can follow:

Establish project scope: When creating a RACI matrix, it’s important that you outline the scope of the project. With a clearly defined project scope, you can avoid scope creep and easily identify what the key tasks and activities will be.
Use clear descriptions: If you want your RACI matrix to limit the potential for confusion and miscommunications, it starts with your descriptions. Leave no room for misinterpretation with your task and role outlines, so everyone is on the same page.
Assign roles based on team experience: When assigning roles within a RACI matrix, factor in team expertise, skills, and overall experience. This will help ensure everything goes to plan.

RACI responsible vs. accountable

Since responsible and accountable imply a similar role, it’s important to distinguish the two and have it clear in your mind what each term means within the context of your RACI matrix.

Here’s a brief overview of each:

Responsible: Apply the responsible tag to team members who have to achieve a specific outcome such as completing a task
Accountable: Apply the accountable tag to a single team member whose job it is to report to stakeholders with an update about a specific task

To summarize, you’re responsible if you have a task to complete, and you’re accountable if you have to check in with stakeholders with a progress update.

RACI chart example

If you’re still a little unclear on what a RACI chart should look like, here’s a visual:

The RACI chart in this example is color-coded, which makes it easy for everyone to see what’s expected of them. This helps project managers visualize workload balance, so they can see if any team member has too much — or too little — on their plate.

RACI charts are just one tool project managers and PMOs can use to streamline project planning. If you’re curious about what other resources are out there for simplifying task management and execution, you can start your two-week free trial of Wrike’s project management solution today!

RACI chart real-life examples

To give you a clear idea of what the RACI chart looks like in action, let’s take a look at two RACI examples.

Writing a white paper

Let’s say the project in question is writing a white paper to outline your product’s features and how it can be used to solve a particular problem your customers may have.

With a RACI chart, you can plot out the whole process, from outlining to publishing the white paper.

The main roles for this project would be:

SEO specialist/agency

And the responsibilities would most likely include:

Carrying out research and putting together an initial white paper draft
Editing the draft to make sure it’s in line with your editorial standards
Learning which keywords can help boost the white paper in search engine rankings
Publishing the white paper

Now let’s see how the RACI chart would come together:

R : The writer is responsible for writing the white paper
A : The editor is accountable for making sure the white paper is fact-checked, error-free, and ready to publish
C : The SEO specialist or agency is consulted to target particular keywords and boost the search engine ranking as much as possible
I : The CMO is informed as to the status of the white paper and when it’s ready for publishing

Developing a software application

In our second example, we’re going to explore a more complex project: developing a new software application.

Let’s examine how you might use a RACI chart to develop a new software application.

Here are some likely roles:

Project manager
UI/UX designer
Developers
Testers
DevOps engineer
Technical writer

And responsibilities within the project:

Establishing app requirements
Designing the user interface
Executing both frontend and backend software development
Carrying out testing and quality assurance
Deploying the software
Writing up technical documentation

Your RACI chart would look something like this:

R: The project manager and their team outline the core requirements for the app, so that the development process goes smoothly
A: The developers are accountable for the frontend and backend app development
C: Quality assurance experts and testers are consulted to ascertain how the software could be better
I: The project manager and any stakeholders are informed once the app is ready to launch and the technical documentation has been drafted

RACI template: Streamline your project management

Creating a RACI chart or one of the several alternatives is one thing, but putting all the moving pieces together and setting up a reliable system for ongoing project success is another.

If you want to take your company-wide project planning and execution to the next level, it’s worth seeking out support in the form of a powerful project management solution.

Introducing Wrike: a versatile and robust project management tool that can help you find clarity in your projects and ensure every team member is on the same page at all times.

So how exactly can you use Wrike’s features to implement and get the most out of RACI charts in your projects?

Assign and delegate roles

With a RACI chart in a spreadsheet or a sheet of grid paper, you have a snapshot of everyone involved in the project, their roles, and the tasks they’re responsible for.

What you don’t get is a system of assigning tasks that you can pull up along with notes and comments whenever you need, notifications that let you know when deadlines are approaching, and communication tools that allow team members to support each other and solicit information.

Wrike provides all of these features and much more.

From the moment you set up your RACI chart, you can assign the roles and responsibilities in Wrike and delegate tasks so that each team member knows what they should be working on at every moment.

Sync RACI with task management

Once your project is underway, project management can give way to task management . The process of managing individual tasks can be incredibly challenging if you don’t have a system in place to support you.

With Wrike, you can set up individual tasks that correspond with the activities your team identified when you made your RACI chart.

Wrike’s task management features break down your project into digestible tasks and notify you as they move through the custom statuses you assign. This also makes Wrike an excellent option for the RACI alternatives that include an approver role since they’ll have a straightforward way of approving and moving tasks along.

Plus, with Wrike’s 360-degree visibility, your project will be completely transparent, meaning external stakeholders can stay up to date.

Use the RACI model template

Finally, Wrike makes it effortless to set up a RACI chart, even if you have no experience with them.

The Wrike RACI model template allows you to kick-start your project the right way and prepare accordingly.

Here’s what you can do with the Wrike RACI model template:

Identify roles and relationships

The Wrike RACI model template allows you to clearly outline all roles and responsibilities so that you can meet your project and timeline expectations every time.

To further clarify the project details, you can use the template to:

Set up dashboards to promote full project visibility from the outset
View reports to summarize tasks and their statuses
Speed up the approval process with built-in automation

Ensure even workload distribution

One of the most significant challenges with any major project is ensuring an even workload across the board. The last thing you want is to pile undue pressure on a few individuals as they pick up the slack of others.

With the Wrike RACI model template, you can quickly and easily determine whether any team member has more than their fair share of work to complete and address the inequality accordingly.

Communicate and collaborate effectively

Finally, you can use Wrike’s RACI model template to streamline communication, as every project detail is clearly visualized for all team members. This helps create a coherent structure for each project you take on — one in which everyone understands the part they play.

The RACI chart is a popular tool in project management, as it helps project managers clarify roles and responsibilities. Yet it’s arguably even more useful in Agile processes, where there’s a need for cross-functional collaboration and it can be easy to get confused about who should be doing what.

Considering that Agile processes such as sprints require a lot of effort in a short space of time, you want to make sure everyone is moving in the same direction from the start. That’s where the RACI chart comes in.

Some teams will benefit more from the RACI project management chart than others, though, since it’s an extra element in the process that can slow down progress and potentially create more confusion. One of the disadvantages of the RACI matrix is that project progress can halt after every small milestone reached — for example, to check in with accountable parties — which might prove counterproductive.

What is the difference between a project plan and RACI?

In short, a project plan is the roadmap for completing a project, whereas a RACI chart simply clarifies what each team member should do at every step of the way.

With a project plan template , you would consider factors such as:

Strategic alignment
Tasks to complete
Team member involvement

Then, with a project schedule template , you would map out the timeline for your project and consider due dates, milestones, and other important factors.

With a RACI chart, you’re thinking more about how each team member fits into your project plan and schedule. Consider who will be responsible for the completion of individual tasks, who will be held to account, who you need to consult, and who needs to be informed along the way.

RACI chart alternatives

Not every team or project type is well suited to the RACI chart and, as such, it’s a good idea to have a few alternatives at the ready.

Here are three RACI chart alternatives that serve a similar purpose but suit different needs:

The CARS model stands for:

Communicate: Anyone who should be consulted or informed
Approve: Anyone who approves requests and makes key decisions
Responsible: Anyone who carries out the work
Support : Anyone who supports the responsible individual in completing the tasks

The CARS model is different from the RACI chart in that it breaks everything down further, making it easier to differentiate and identify the nuance in various roles and responsibilities. The inclusion of the support category allows you to identify mentor-type roles or highlight small teams or individuals that will work closely together.

With CARS, you could also argue that you forego any redundancy that the RACI chart model potentially creates. For example, it wraps the Consulted and Informed categories into one, assuming they convey a similar meaning.

Best for: Highlighting close working relationships where one party supports another

The DACI chart stands for:

Driver : Anyone who does the work
Approver : Anyone who approves requests
Contributor : Anyone who contributes to or is consulted on a task
Informed: Anyone who should be informed about the project’s ongoing status

If you’re looking for a more action-based model that outlines the main drivers of progress and the decision makers in the form of approvers, then the DACI chart might be a better fit than the RACI model.

Best for: Projects where someone will take the lead and guide the action forward, deliberately supported by approvers and contributors

RASCI matrix

The RASCI matrix stands for:

Responsible: Anyone responsible for completing tasks
Accountable: Anyone who is accountable for the project
Supportive: Anyone who can lend a hand to the responsible team members
Consulted: Anyone who should be consulted
Informed: Anyone who should be informed about project progress

Similar to the CARS model, the RASCI model takes a similar approach to RACI but adds space for supportive roles. For some projects, it’s important that someone is waiting in the wings, ready to jump in and support a responsible team member when they’re required.

The supportive role could be anything from a proofreader or editor who can co-author an article alongside the responsible writer, to an external agency that will provide resources or materials to assist the responsible team member.

This model accommodates that supportive role, thus going a step further than the standard RACI chart.

Best for: Standard projects that involve additional internal or external support

Wrike has all the features you need

Still undecided? Here are a few more ways you can use Wrike to create an effective RACI chart:

Cross-tagging: With cross-tagging, you can avoid confusion between team members as everyone can see how their tasks align with your overall strategic objectives. This allows all team members to visualize the process, and who to report to at every stage.
Dashboards: Real-time dashboards allow project managers and stakeholders to track project progress and check that the RACI matrix is being used as planned.
Automation: Task automation and triggers allow for a frictionless project management experience . Team members can pass completed tasks onto the accountable, consulted, or informed parties with the simple click of a button.

With the aforementioned RACI chart template and the above powerful work management features, Wrike has everything you need to simplify the process of creating your own matrix. And the best news? You can try Wrike for free for 2 weeks!

Try our RACI template

Samuel Christopher Dixon

Samuel is a freelance writer who specializes in SaaS and e-commerce.

PERT Charts vs. Gantt Charts — What Are the Differences?

Pert vs Gantt chart format – which is right for your project? Both PERT and Gantt charts are incredibly useful in project management. But which type could work best for your company? Find out with Wrike.

How to Leverage Team Data for Big Projects

Big data in project management helps leaders make informed decisions. Find out how to leverage your team data to help streamline and propel some of your biggest projects.

How to Eliminate Stress with Perfect Project Delivery

Developing an efficient project delivery strategy is the key meeting deliverables and reducing the stress of completing a project. Find out how to eliminate project management stress with Wrike.

Get weekly updates in your inbox!

You are now subscribed to wrike news and updates.

Let us know what marketing emails you are interested in by updating your email preferences here .

Sorry, this content is unavailable due to your privacy settings. To view this content, click the “Cookie Preferences” button and accept Advertising Cookies there.

PM-Training

40+ Free RACI Matrix Templates (Google Sheets, Excel, PDF)

by Shane Drumm · March 6, 2024

The Responsibility Assignment Matrix, also known as the RACI Matrix, is considered one of the best ways to track roles and responsibilities within a project. To save time, project managers use a RACI matrix template.

Table of Contents

It is essential for anyone in the IT profession because it creates the opportunity for what I think is the best way to ensure great success and participation in a project. Delegating tasks and bringing everyone on board with the decision-making process make a significant difference in the long run.

Recently, I spoke about how I used the RACI matrix at my current position in a startup to help me with stakeholder management, where I held a roles and responsibilities session where the output was a RACI chart.

For example, we need user guides. Ideally, we would have a technical content creator or product marketer who could oversee this piece of work.

We had no such person, but the task had to be done. Instead, it would fall to the Product Owner, Designer, Team Lead, and Digital Lead. It was just not clear who was ultimately responsible for the success of delivering this output.

The session helped us a lot. We ensured every task had at least one stakeholder Responsible for it.

No tasks had more than one stakeholder Accountable.

What does the RACI Matrix stand for?

The term RACI is formulated by stakeholders who will hold one of the following responsibilities:

Responsible: People who do the work
Accountable: People who are interested in the result
Consulted: People who can help with the work
Informed: People interested in the result and how the work is progressing.

In the PMP exam approach for the RACI Matrix, sometimes one person may hold multiple roles in the project. For example, the person assigned to an Accountable task may also complete a Responsible task.

Having a RACI Matrix is beneficial because it allows for an organized method of communication. Still, it also limits the number of people working on a project. It established a clear expectation for everyone involved. Having a team involved creates better precision, and team members will feel they have an increased ownership of assignments. This type of connection towards the project leads to a higher level of commitment and participation

Creating a RACI Matrix Template can bring on a variety of questions like:

Why do you need to use a template?
Who is responsible for creating and managing?
When should you use a template in an agile environment?

We’re here to answer those questions and give the right tools to create the best possible template.

5 RACI Matrix Rules

When adhering to these RACI Matrix Rules, you will find yourself more easily assigning tasks and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

There are a few guidelines to consider when making a RACI Matrix Template.

Identify all of the tasks that are needed to be completed
Identify all of the project participants
Identify who has responsibility, accountability as well as who will be consulted and informed for the necessary tasks
Make sure that every task has someone responsible for it
Discuss tasks with everyone within the project to ensure agreement

3 Steps on How to Create a RACI Template

Tasks within any project are defined into multiple steps. When creating the template, it is important to specify each step, its task, and who is responsible for the Project.

Step 1 – Identify Roles

First, it is important to identify the roles needed within the specific task. If the budget isn’t limited, specify as many as necessary for completion.

Step 2 – List Stakeholders

In the next step, list every stakeholder across the top of the RACI table.

Step 3 – Specify Roles

After the stakeholders are listed, fill in the cells to determine who is responsible and accountable for this task and who will be consulted and informed. It is important that every task has at least one responsible stakeholder. Ensure that you do not have more than one stakeholder accountable as well.

Here is a RACI Example that will best give you an idea of how it is formatted. Referencing this RACI Example is one of many other templates that can be utilized when making your own.

27 RACI Matrix Templates in Google Sheets

Utilizing Google allows multiple people to access and adjust the template as necessary. It is free to use and allows for collaboration to occur in real-time, which is perfect when you want group involvement.

This is why we have migrated the following from the free Excel templates listed below on other websites.

RACI Chart (Roles and Responsibilities Matrix)
RACI Chart Example
RACI Matrix Example
Project Management RACI Matrix Example
Project RACI Matrix Example
Factory RACI Chart Example
Organizational Project Management RACI Matrix Example
Basic RACI Blank Chart and Example 1
Basic RACI Blank Chart and Example 2
Project Manager RACI Blank Chart and Example
Stakeholders RACI Chart Example
Sales Force RACI Chart Example
27 – Blank RACI Chart and Example
IT Department RACI Chart Example
Project Planning RACI Chart Example
Task Distribution RACI Matrix Example
Project Management RACI Blank Chart Example
Simple Company Activities RACI Chart Example
Blank Team RACI Chart
Tasks RACI Blank Chart
Project Manager RACI Chart Example
Project Manager RACI Matrix Blank and Example
Project Management Service RACI Matrix Example
Project Deliverable or Activities Blank RACI Matrix
Basic Project RACI Example

RACI Templates in Excel

Excel has pioneered itself as one of the best platforms for creating charts. With this in mind, it comes with many options and the ability to correctly make rules for each part of the chart. The downfall of using Excel is that it can get messy when utilizing and sending files between team members, as it is not a format built for live editing. Files can go missing pretty quickly, and it can also create a form of a bottleneck.

TemplateLab – 21 Free RACI Templates
Word Templates – 12+ Free RACI Templates
Stakeholdermap.com RACI Template
RACI Chart RACI Template
UIT Stanford RACI Diagram
Tactical Project Manager RACI Template
Sample Templates RACI
Sinnaps RACI Matrix Template
Hubspot RACI Chart Template
PMO RACI Chart

RACI Templates in PDF

This is the best platform for your charts if you need to send documents to members and want to preserve their format. PDFs have the option to be interactive and can be imported into platforms like Excel and Word. It is best served as a final document as it is not ideal to use when you want to send it to others to have things changed.

Stakeholdermap.com RACI Template in PDF
Sample Templates RACI Template in PDF

RACI Templates in PowerPoint

Slideteam.net RACI Charts in Powerpoint

RACI Templates in Word

There are some similarities between using Word and Google Docs. It has the option of creating charts, and it can transfer between platforms like Excel and PDF. Word is a standard platform for many people to have on their computers. The challenge with Word is that it comes with a difficult format. It also creates a bottleneck with files as you cannot edit in real time

Corped Group RACI Template
RACI Matrix Template
Sample Templates RACI Chart Template in Word

RACI Template Online Software / Tools

There are a couple of options when it comes to software. My recommendation is to don’t overthink it. If you are using these tools already, they can create some advanced graphics and can have a digital RACI matrix session with stakeholders.

Miro – Track responsibilities and ensure you have the right conversations with the right people with the RACI Template.
Ayoa – registration needed
Sinnaps – registration needed
Creately – registration needed
Monday – registration needed

Conclusion on using RACI Matrix

We hope we can answer all of your questions about RACI Matrixes in this tutorial. It is a handy tool to help align stakeholders and ensure everybody knows what is expected of them.

If you are more of a video person, RACI 101 has an excellent explainer video below to help you further understand all things RACI matrices:

Delegating tasks and involving everyone in the decision-making process make a significant difference in the long run. We hope you enjoyed this. Share your thoughts about these in the comments!

FAQ on RACI Matrix’s

How do i create a raci.

Choose software to create the RACI matrix, like Google Sheets. To build the RACI matrix, Step 1 – Identify Roles, Step 2 – List Stakeholders, Step 3 – Specify Roles

What does RACI stand for?

Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed

Is RACI used in Agile?

Yes, it can be used in Agile when you have a situation where stakeholders are unclear about their roles. It is commonly used in the working agreement stage as the team begins working together.

Shane Drumm

Shane Drumm, holding certifications in PMP®, PMI-ACP®, CSM, and LPM, is the author behind numerous articles featured here. Hailing from County Cork, Ireland, his expertise lies in implementing Agile methodologies with geographically dispersed teams for software development projects. In his leisure, he dedicates time to web development and Ironman triathlon training. Find out more about Shane on shanedrumm.com and please reach out and connect with Shane on LinkedIn.

Next story 11 Free Stakeholder Engagement Planning Templates
Previous story 13 Free Stakeholder Map Templates

Program Management

Definition: A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) describes the role and responsibilities of various people and/or organizations in completing specific tasks for a project.

Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) Matrix

Benefit of utilizing a responsibility assignment matrix (ram), responsibility assignment matrix (ram) goal in project management, responsibility assignment matrix (ram) tutorial, responsibility assignment matrix (ram) standard format, responsibility assignment matrix (ram) template, template: responsibility assignment matrix (ram) (excel), 6 steps to developing a responsibility assignment matrix (ram), developing responsibility assignment matrix (ram) matrix best practices, responsibility assignment matrix (ram) lessons learned, difference between a responsibility assignment matrix (rma) and a responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed (raci) matrix, acqlinks and references:, leave a reply.

Responsibility Assignment Matrix Techniques for Agile World

25.02.2016 – 10:54 Uhr by Gabriella Martin

Agile practitioners feel RACI must be tweaked for Scrum

Table of Contents

While Responsibility Assignment Matrices (RAM) techniques are usually employed in a waterfall-style project management, Scrum projects do not usually require explicitly creating RAM artifacts. However, when things go wrong, and sometimes they do, Product Owners (PO), Scrum Masters (SM) and eventually other stakeholders look back and ask: “Do we have a RACI matrix for this project?”

There are Scrum practitioners that think RACI cannot be applied as is in a Scrum project management practice. Although many variations of RACI exist, some practitioners feel the urge to add new Scrum specific roles (like “ F =Facilitator/Coach” ), new Scrum specific activities and responsibilities (like “ ensure consistency of Scrum practices across teams or remove impediments” ), or new job positions and roles (like “ Scrum Team” ) to the matrix like shown in the illustration below.

And no doubt these thoughts – rightfully – spur discussion. Some of these discussions are mostly concerned with the technical aspects of this matrix while others are of more essence and go to the core of the Agile/Scrum principles and pillars, as defined by the Agile Manifesto , and Scrum Guide .

If needed, how should the new Scrum-based RACI Matrix Template look like?

When talking Scrum activities and responsibilities, one should ask why in the above matrix there are activities and responsibilities like “ ensure consistency of Scrum practices across teams or remove impediments” , and not activities like “ protecting team from interruption”, or “ keeping the stakeholders informed” . There is a list of more than fifty activities and responsibilities that are split among the new roles Scrum promotes. A RACI matrix template should be consistent and list all the Scrum specific activities and responsibilities, and more. Once the RACI template has been communicated to the Sprint Team, there should be clear areas of concern defined and we should clearly understand how much responsibility the Product Owner (for instance) should retain, and how much from the PO’s accountable responsibilities should be delegated to the team.

Then it is about the new job positions and roles advocated in Scrum. In the illustration above, typical Scrum roles like stakeholders and development team are missing, while others are filled in, like project and functional managers. To be consistent to Scrum, we would have to put at least all the missing Scrum roles in.

Explicit RACI attributes assignments in Scrum

It is true that both the Agile Manifesto and the Scrum Guide are just frameworks, and not full-blown project management methodologies. It is also true that the Agile Manifesto is now over 15 years old. However, when crafting the Scrum-RACI Matrix Template we should re-read creatively these documents and only “improve” where it is really necessary. When reading the Scrum Guide we find that:

The Product Owner is the sole person responsible for managing the Product Backlog. [The Scrum Guide, p5]

The Product Owner may do the above work, or have the Development Team do it. However, the Product Owner remains accountable. [The Scrum Guide, p5]

From reading the text, it should be clear that the PO is actually both responsible and accountable for the product/project backlog management, looking at it from a RACI perspective. Yet, the PO can delegate some of his work to the Development Team, and therefore an R should be also placed in the Development Team column for the delegated PO activities.

By reading the fourth principle of the Agile Manifesto we learn that:

Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project. [Agile Manifesto]

According to this principle stakeholders are also accountable and even responsible at least for providing feedback to the Scrum Team.

Implicit RACI in Scrum

Both Agile and Scrum frameworks promote a series of principles, concepts and values that depart from the previous paradigms of project management. According to these values and principles we can depict implicit responsibilities and accountabilities in Scrum.

Team work is much emphasized over individual heroics. The Development Team is a self-organizing cross-functional entity and holds the overall accountability for the Sprint increment. While individual tasks are assigned to individuals, who are therefore responsible for tasks completion, the accountability belongs to the whole team .

Scrum encourages transparency, inspection and adaptation. Scrum ceremonies are specifically built to make these values shine. The Daily Scrum is the place where the Scrum Team gets together and learns about the state of the sprint. Everyone is therefore implicitly informed at least once a day.

Scrum is also promoting communication, proactivity, and courage. You don’t need to be on a list of consulted people. All the team can be consulted, and as a matter of fact, the Daily Scrum is a great place to speak up and provide (short) feedbacks to your coworkers when needed.

With all these insights into Scrum-flavored RACI, a PM/PO can build a RACI Matrix Template that can be communicated, and eventually debated, in the same kickoff meeting where the Scrum Team is setting and agreeing upon the project’s Definition of Done.

How about having a Scrum-RACI Matrix mapping actual tasks to real Sprint Team members, like in the waterfall-style?

Well, such a Scrum-RACI matrix should have listed as horizontal rows only activities for which we define actual tasks in the Sprint backlog. In Scrum, tasks are assigned to people, and every decent Scrum software ( Allegra included) usually provides a digital Task Board View where you can clearly depict all peoples’ current responsibilities for all the tasks taken into the Sprint. In cases when the Development Team needs to reorganize itself, and shuffles the tasks around among its developers, the task board view should be updated, to reflect the new responsibilities of every developer in the team.

Additional resources: http:// https://www.toolshero.com/project-management/responsibility-assignment-matrix/

Back to overview

Alltena GmbH uses cookies for various purposes

When you visit a website, it may retrieve or store information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences, or your device and is typically used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information usually does not directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we can offer.

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be disabled in your systems. Usually, these cookies are set only in response to actions you take that amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling out forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the website will not work then. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Schützt vor Cross-Site-Request-Forgery Angriffen.

Speichert die aktuelle PHP-Session.

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our website. They help us answer questions about which pages are the most popular, which are the least used, and how visitors move around the site. All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies, we will not know when you have visited our website.

Description

Detailed Description

These cookies may be set through our website by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant ads on other sites. They do not directly store personal data, but are based on a unique identification of your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

This is a tag management system. Through the Google Tag Manager, tags can be centrally integrated via a user interface. Tags are small code snippets that can track activities. The Google Tag Manager integrates script codes from other tools. The Tag Manager allows control over when a specific tag is triggered.

Tag Management
Website Tags
Aggregated data about tag triggering
Art. 6(1)(1)(f) GDPR
European Union
Alphabet Inc., Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited
Advertising
Remarketing
Cookie ID</

Project Management

Responsibility Assignment Matrix: Template, Example & Benefits

Home Blog Project Management Responsibility Assignment Matrix: Template, Example & Benefits

Your team is the most crucial resource in completing a job. They must adhere to the project's schedule and budget. Controlling the project requires everyone involved to understand their roles and duties when carrying out tasks and accomplishing project objectives. How can all the participants in a project be coordinated so that they are aware of what they are doing and do not prevent others from carrying out their tasks? An assignment of responsibility matrix can be useful.

Your project will have a productive crew thanks to an assignment matrix. You can take an online PMP course to learn the details included in RAM, Responsibility Assignment Matrix in project management, and Responsibility Assignment Matrix example, to advance your career.

What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix in Project Management?

So, what is the responsibility assignment matrix? A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), sometimes referred to as a RACI chart or RACI matrix, in project management identifies all relevant stakeholders and specifies roles for cross-functional teams and their level of involvement in a project. Each letter in the acronym RACI, which stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, refers to a different team member in the Responsibility Assignment Matrix in Project Management.

1. Responsible

The team member that oversees finishing the assignment is the person responsible for the RAM, Responsibility Assignment Matrix. The person in charge may be tasked with gathering all the visual and data assets required to put together the presentation if your team is working on a pitch deck (Responsible for executing the task).

2. Accountable

The responsible team member distributes the tasks to the other team members and ensures that they are finished accurately and on time. This team member oversees making sure the project is completed on schedule and that the tasks are fairly distributed among the accountable parties (Has governing & directing authority).

3. Consulted

A responsible party in Responsibility Assignment Matrix Project Management may frequently need to consult an expert, who serves as the consulted person, to finish certain responsibilities. A professional analysis of the consulted party is required when someone is tasked with gathering marketing statistics for a presentation. They also need to ensure that the data the responsible party is required to submit is accurate (Provide insights, analysis or expert judgment).

4. Informed

The informed party needs to be aware of when the major project components are finished even though they may not be directly involved in all the steps to ensure that everything is running smoothly. The informed team member must be aware of any delays or stalls in the project as they must complete their tasks (Updated with project information and outcome).

Responsibility Assignment Matrix in Project Management

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Goal in Project Management

The goal of the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is to clearly define roles and responsibilities of everyone on a project team. This ensures that everyone understands their role and how it fits into the bigger picture. RAM also allows for quick identification of whom to contact when an issue arises. It might also be applied within a working group to establish authority levels, roles, and duties for tasks.

The matrix format displays each person's associated actions and each person's associated people. To avoid confusion, this makes sure that there is only one person responsible for each task. It is also important to outline the dates and reminders for each participant, so that they are aware of their deliverables/plans to fulfill the deliverables. The best Project Management Certification programs online will teach you how to make efficient decisions and effectively use RAM.

How to Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix?

A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a table that shows the tasks needed to be completed as part of a project, who is responsible for each task, and when the task needs to be completed. Making a matrix to distribute responsibilities is not as challenging as getting everyone on board with their respective jobs and responsibilities.

You should therefore involve your staff in the process, receive their feedback, and eventually secure their buy-in without expending excessive time and effort on it. You will have a successful responsibility assignment if you follow these instructions to ensure that everyone is on the same page. 

List every person involved in the project, including the team, stakeholders, and everyone in between.
 List each project deliverable that you can think of. To make sure you do not overlook any, use a work breakdown framework. 
 To discuss how to carry out the tasks and produce the deliverables, meet with the team members. The duty and authority of the team for each assignment must be discussed.
 Utilizing a table with the project tasks specified in the left-hand column, create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix. Print the names of everyone involved in the project across the top.
Assign whether a project team member is liable, accountable, consulted, or informed where the tasks meet them. 
 Share the completed Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template Word with the project team and stakeholders. If necessary, conduct a meeting to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities for the project. Print a copy, and if you are working in a common location, post it.

Developing Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Best Practices

The best practices for developing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) will vary depending on the specific project and organization. However, some tips on how to develop a RAM matrix effectively include the following:

Define the project scope and objectives clearly, so that all stakeholders understand the parameters of the project and what is expected to be accomplished.
Assign clear roles and responsibilities to individuals and teams so that everyone knows who is responsible for what aspect of the project.
Make sure that the Responsibility Assignment Matrix PMP is kept up to date as the project progresses so that everyone is aware of any changes in roles and responsibilities.
Use the RAM matrix as a tool to help identify potential risks and issues related to the project so that they can be addressed early on.
One stakeholder leads a task.
The lesser number of people are accountable, the better.
Act efficiently with meetings.
Continuous communication.
Stakeholder agreement on final RAM.

Responsibility Assignment Matrix Examples and Templates

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI) 
RACI-VS (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed- “V”erification and “S”ign off)
RASCI (Responsible, Accountable, Support, Consulted, Informed)
RAC (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted)
ARCI (Accountable, Responsible, Consulted, Informed)
RATSI (Responsibility, Authority, Task, Support, Informed)
PACSI (Perform, Accountable, Control, Suggest, Informed)
RACIQ (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed, Quality Review)
DACI (Driver, Approver, Contributors, Informed)
CAIRO (Consulted, Accountable, Informed, Responsible, Omitted)

sample responsible assignment matrix - RACI

Downloadable Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template Excel

Download the Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template (xlsx) here!

This Responsibility Assignment Matrix template is available for free in both Excel and OpenDocument Spreadsheet formats. The template can be completely modified using Microsoft Excel and adjusted to meet the needs of your project. To make it simple to understand what is required of each worker on each task, the template employs conditional formatting to change the color of each cell.

Download a Printable Responsibility Assignment Matrix PDF

Download the Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template (PDF) here!

If you intend to design a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), you may require samples and templates to use as a guide, regardless of whether you are managing an event, a construction project, or a restaurant. Some of the templates are-

Responsibility Assignment Matrix Sample
Responsibility Assignment Matrix for Construction Project Template
Basic Responsibility Assignment Matrix Sample
Responsibility Assignment Matrix in PDF

Benefits of Responsibility Assignment Matrix

There are many benefits of the Responsibility Assignment Matrix. One benefit is that it helps to ensure that everyone on a project team understands their roles and responsibilities. This can help to prevent misunderstandings and conflict between team members. Another benefit of using RAM is that it can help to improve communication between team members.

By clearly defining roles and responsibilities, team members will know whom to go to for specific information or tasks. This can help to avoid confusion and delays. Lastly, RAM can help to improve project management by providing a clear overview of who is responsible for what. This can help project managers to identify potential problems or areas where there may be a lack of resources.

Top Cities where Knowledgehut Conduct Project Management Certification Training Course Online

Unlock your potential as a Scrum Master with our game-changing certified scrum master course . Acquire the skills, knowledge, and confidence to effectively lead agile teams. Join us now and pave your way to success!

A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a tool used to identify and define the roles and responsibilities of individuals and groups within an organization. It is a means of clarifying who is responsible for what and ensuring that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. RAM can be used to create accountability and ownership for tasks and projects, and to identify potential areas of conflict.

It is a valuable tool for effective project management and can help to ensure that everyone involved in a project is aware of their roles and responsibilities. It can also help to identify potential areas of conflict and ensure that tasks are properly assigned. The KnowledgeHut online PMP course will give you an insight into the Responsibility Assignment Matrix and can be a helpful tool for any project manager.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. what is included in a responsibility assignment matrix.

A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a tool used to help define and assign roles and responsibilities for a project or process. The matrix typically includes a list of tasks or deliverables and the people or groups responsible for each.

2. What can a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) eliminate?

RAM eliminates ambiguity and confusion over who is responsible for what on a project. It also provides a clear overview of who is responsible for each task, making it easier to hold team members accountable.

3. What does a Responsibility Assignment Matrix not show?

The duty assignment matrix links resources to the tasks or work packages they must do, but it does not indicate when they will be required to do their work.

Kevin D.Davis

Kevin D. Davis is a seasoned and results-driven Program/Project Management Professional with a Master's Certificate in Advanced Project Management. With expertise in leading multi-million dollar projects, strategic planning, and sales operations, Kevin excels in maximizing solutions and building business cases. He possesses a deep understanding of methodologies such as PMBOK, Lean Six Sigma, and TQM to achieve business/technology alignment. With over 100 instructional training sessions and extensive experience as a PMP Exam Prep Instructor at KnowledgeHut, Kevin has a proven track record in project management training and consulting. His expertise has helped in driving successful project outcomes and fostering organizational growth.

Avail your free 1:1 mentorship session.

Something went wrong

Upcoming Project Management Batches & Dates

Name	Date	Fee	Know more

Responsibility Assignment Matrix

The Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a project management tool that the project team normally uses to delegate responsibilities. This matrix is a visual representation of the responsibilities of each person leaving no margin for misunderstanding and misinterpretation. In other words, if someone doesn’t know his/her responsibility or needs to know the responsibilities of a given person, can easily, find the answer on this matrix.

When developing the RAM, the team can delegate responsibilities to a role or a person. In other words, the responsibility can be assigned to the project manager , team members, and so on, or John, Sara, and so on. Since the team assigns the responsibility considering each activity, it will be very clear not only the person but also the activity and his/her involvement. For example, John, the project manager is responsible for controlling the costs, but Sara, a team member, is responsible for planning the costs of the project.

Project Management Quiz

Test your knowledge with project management quizzes, project management courses.

European Certified Project Manager (EC-PM®)

PRINCE2 Foundation

Prince2 practitioner, project management course, what is a raci chart.

The variety id conventions that the Responsability assignment matrix can follow is endless. One of the most used is the RACI – Responsible (R), Accountable (A), Consulted (C), and Informed (I). Following, let’s see each one in more detail:

Responsible

Responsible is the person who develops the work to deliver the activity or work package. In other words, is the active part. Since the size of each activity or work package can change, there can be more than one person responsible. However, the number of people should be limited and manageable.

Accountable

Accountable is the person who has the role of guaranteeing that the person responsible for the activity or work package did his job and that the activity meets the requirements. For the sake of the project, only one person should have this responsibility for each activity. This person can have the responsibility of approving the work but is not mandatory. However, this person will be de main decision-maker.

Consulted is the person that the “responsible” or “accountable” person can go to if they have any questions during the execution of the activity. This person is normally an expert in that activity. Like that, other stakeholders and team members can consult him to help to make decisions, clarify questions, and guide.

Informed is the person who receives the information on how the activity is progressing. This may be because of the person’s interest in the project, even if his involvement in the execution of the activity is not necessary.

Free Project Management Templates

Give wings to your projects with free project management templates, benefits of using a responsibility assignment matrix.

Assigning responsibilities to a person, team member, or another stakeholder has major advantages. One of the main advantages is that communication is much easier. If someone has a question regarding one activity, very easily find the person with responsibility for the activity on the matrix and go directly to her.

Another advantage is the end of ambivalence. If everyone knows his/her responsibility it can focus on doing his work. Also, the team will waste less time in organizing the work or making duplicated work. The RAM, also has the advantage of promoting a bigger involvement of all stakeholders .

The RAM can attribute responsibilities to all stakeholders, not only team members. So, any stakeholder even if is not part of the project team, knows his responsibilities, what needs to do and what is expected from him. Like that, he may focus on this responsibility and don’t lose focus. It will also help him to be informed and involved in the activities that are in progress. Since many times they are not fully allocated to the project, they could lose track of when his help and work are necessary.

Since the RACI is a visual board representing all the stakeholders and the activities, is very easy to see if anyone has an amount of work that is not doable. Like that, is very easy to take off responsibilities from someone with excess of responsibilities. And move for another person with less responsibilities.

Finally, if everyone knows their job and responsibility early in the project can not be taken by surprise in the middle of project development. It will also help to prevent 2 persons from having the same responsibility when they shouldn’t.

Free webinars

Save your seat in free agile and project management webinars, develop a responsibility assignment matrix.

The team can develop the RAM using many different approaches. An example of an approach is:

Break the deliverables in work packages
Then, work those work packages in activities
The next task should be to delegate each activity to a role or person
To be sure, that no misinterpretations, the responsibility attributed to a given person or role should be clarified
The team members and stakeholders should have the possibility to validate the responsibility. Imagine that a person is responsible for a work package and doesn’t have the qualifications for that. This way it will avoid these problems.
Finally, but equally important. The project manager should include the RAM in the project management plan and communicate it to everyone.

Finally, to assign project responsibilities to project team members and other stakeholders the best tool is the Responsibility Assignment Matrix. This visual board that crosses all team members and stakeholders with all work packages will help to clarify who needs to do what. This way is possible to waste time, avoid confusion, conflicts, and other problems.

IMAGES

Responsibility assignment matrix
Responsibility Assignment Matrix
What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) in Project Management?
Responsibility Accountability Assignment Matrix
Responsibility Assignment Matrix
RACI Matrix Template with 3 Formats

VIDEO

Fundamentals of Information Systems -Part 3- Process and RACI with examples
Episode 11: What's the Difference Between a RAM vs RACI
What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix
Clear Stakeholder Responsibility Matrix: Alignment, Accountability and Clarity for Projects
APM PMQ (2024) Resource Management (LO21)
RAM Meaning

COMMENTS

RACI Matrix: Responsibility Assignment Matrix Guide for 2024
Key takeaways. 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 ...
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.
Ultimate guide to Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) in 2024
RAM is an acronym for Responsibility Assignment Matrix and is widely employed in the field of project management to provide details of the allocation of responsibilities of different members. It is used to give a physical representation of the jobs given to each member of the team, discourages slacking, and enhances cross-functionality.
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 ...
Responsibility Assignment Matrix with Excel RACI Template
Assigning RACI roles and responsibilities to TeamGantt tasks. Open your project, and toggle to the RACI tab. This will display all your project tasks in a list format (rows). On the right side of the matrix, you'll see a column for each person currently invited to the project with cells for each task in the project.
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 ...
9 RACI Matrix Examples for Project Management
RACI matrix is a simple approach to defining project roles and responsibilities that help produce desired outcomes. This term is an acronym that stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. RACI essentially describes the different roles assigned to team members involved in the project and details who does what.
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 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.
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:
What Is A RACI Matrix
A RACI matrix—often called a RACI chart or responsibility assignment matrix (RAM)—is a project management tool that captures the roles and responsibilities of project stakeholders. ... In this matrix example, the UI designer is responsible for creating the design and the product owner is accountable for making sure that design gets done.
What is a RACI Chart? Definition & Example
A RACI chart, or responsibility assignment matrix, is a project management tool that defines and clarifies roles and responsibilities within a project team. It helps establish clear communication, improve decision-making, and ensure accountability for tasks or deliverables. ... It defines responsibilities for scrum roles, such as product owner ...
What Is A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)? Everything You Need
Getty. 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 ...
What Is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)?
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 ...
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 ...
What Is a RACI Chart? Definition, Template, and Examples
With a RACI matrix, also known as a responsibility assignment matrix ... Let's say the project in question is writing a white paper to outline your product's features and how it can be used to solve a particular problem your customers may have. With a RACI chart, you can plot out the whole process, from outlining to publishing the white ...
40+ Free RACI Matrix Templates (Google Sheets, Excel, PDF)
The Responsibility Assignment Matrix, also known as the RACI Matrix, is considered one of the best ways to track roles and responsibilities within a project. To save time, project managers use a RACI matrix template. ... Instead, it would fall to the Product Owner, Designer, Team Lead, and Digital Lead. It was just not clear who was ultimately ...
Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
6 Steps to Developing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Below is a list of the 6 (six) most common steps in developing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM). Step 1: List all project tasks and deliverables. Step 2: Identify all project stakeholders. Step 3: Determine the responsibility and accountability level for each task and ...
Responsibility Assignment Matrix Techniques for Agile World
A RACI matrix template should be consistent and list all the Scrum specific activities and responsibilities, and more. Once the RACI template has been communicated to the Sprint Team, there should be clear areas of concern defined and we should clearly understand how much responsibility the Product Owner (for instance) should retain, and how ...
The Significance of Responsibility Assignment Matrix in ...
A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a valuable tool for any business, no matter the size. It is a structured way to ensure that every aspect of a project is assigned to the correct person, thus ensuring that each person knows what is expected of them and helps to keep the project on track. To better navigate all this, opt for a reliable ...
Responsibility Assignment Matrix: Template, Example & Benefits
If you intend to design a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), you may require samples and templates to use as a guide, regardless of whether you are managing an event, a construction project, or a restaurant. Some of the templates are-Responsibility Assignment Matrix Sample; Responsibility Assignment Matrix for Construction Project Template
Responsibility Assignment Matrix
The Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a project management tool that the project team normally uses to delegate responsibilities. This matrix is a visual representation of the responsibilities of each person leaving no margin for misunderstanding and misinterpretation. In other words, if someone doesn't know his/her responsibility or needs to know the responsibilities of a given ...
What is an Agile Roles and Responsibilities Matrix? A Step by ...
A responsibility assignment matrix is a technique for arranging agile team roles. It outlines the responsibilities of each team member by tagging them with one of four labels as follows: R for responsible, A for accountable, C for consulted, and I for informed (RACI). Project managers use RAM to guide scrum teams.

Popular Insights:

What Is a RACI Matrix?

Key takeaways

{{ POSITION }}. {{ TITLE }}

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

Join our newsletter

{{ TITLE }}

Essential Project Management Guidelines & Rules to Follow

5 Ethical Issues in Project Management & How to Handle Them

Senior Project Manager Job Description and Responsibilities

Get the Newsletter

Vertical vs Horizontal Project Management

How to Delegate for Project Management: Step-by-Step Guide

Creating Project Timelines: Step-by-Step Guide for 2024

Advisory boards aren’t only for executives. Join the LogRocket Content Advisory Board today →

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

Over 200k developers and product managers use LogRocket to create better digital experiences

More great articles from LogRocket:

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

LogRocket generates product insights that lead to meaningful action

Share this:

Stop guessing about your digital experience with LogRocket

Burnup charts: A guide for product managers

Data maturity levels in organizations

Feedback management tools and strategies

An overview of feature-driven development (FDD)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Ultimate guide to Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) in 2024

Introduction to Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

Definition and purpose of RAM

Importance of RAM in project management

Components of a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Roles in RAM

Tasks in RAM

Responsibility levels in RAM

Types of Responsibility Assignment Matrix

RACI Matrix

RASCI Matrix

Linear Responsibility Chart (LRC)

Creating a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Identifying tasks and roles

Assigning responsibilities

Finalizing the Matrix

Benefits of using a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Improved communication and transparency

Efficient resource allocation

Conflict resolution

Common challenges in implementing RAM and how to overcome them

Dealing with overlapping Responsibilities