Projects often require great concentration, a qualified workforce, and unlimited resources. However, before the project commences, you need a platform that allows you to effectively and efficiently define the project, the resources needed, and the responsibilities of all the involved parties. Therefore, a RACI matrix is essential when defining and assigning project roles to the employees.
A RACI matrix plays a crucial role in the success of a large project. It outlines who is to be consulted and who is accountable for what. In addition, it keeps everyone informed and on the same page throughout the process. Note that every team member must be aware of their responsibilities, which increases the overall success rates of the project.
Moreover, a RACI matrix is designed to create harmony among the involved parties; this allows the stakeholders, the project management, and the employees to formulate workable solutions to any issues that might arise during the project. In this article, we will discuss what a RACI matrix is, its importance, and the roles highlighted in it.
What is a RACI Matrix?
A RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) is a chart that allows you to highlight the roles of each team member and assign tasks to your employees.
The RACI matrix is important as it outlines the objectives to be achieved and allows you to bring your team together toward attaining the project’s mission. When handling complex projects, it is important to create a team and involve individuals that will boost the success of the project. The RACI matrix comprehensively outlines who is responsible, accountable, to be consulted, and informed on certain aspects of the project. Therefore, you need a qualified workforce that will be responsible for completing different project phases.
Using a RACI matrix depends on the complexity and the size of the project at hand. Also, it depends of the number of stakeholders and executives actively involved in the project. Therefore, a RACI matrix may not be necessary if you are handling a small project with very few stakeholders. However, a RACI matrix is necessary if you are handling big, complex projects with a large number of stakeholders and workforce. As a result, the project will be completed on time and within the set budget.
Different RACI variations can be used by a project management institute (PMI); these include responsible sponsor informed (RSI), RACIO, RACI-VS, and RASCI.
RACI Matrix Rules and Roles
The RACI matrix is a chart that allows you to have a blueprint that lists the tasks to be completed, the milestones to be achieved, and the decisions to be made for the completion of the project. The RACI matrix helps you assign the responsibilities of each involved party, the personnel accountable, and the individuals to be consulted and informed throughout the project.
Responsible
These individuals are responsible for the commencement and completion of the project. They are responsible for handling the project tasks and making the needed decisions. The stakeholders or workers are responsible for attaining the objectives of the project.
Accountable
The stakeholders or the project owners are usually the people accountable for the whole project. They are responsible for decision-making, assigning, and approving tasks related to the project. In addition, these individuals are required to update the matrix whenever responsibilities related to the project are assigned.
Consulted
The RACI matrix outlines the individuals or stakeholders to be consulted before, during, and after the project. Such personnel are active participants who provide relevant information based on the expected outcome of the project. The consultation is made if any issues arise or changes need to be made as the project progresses.
Informed
These are individuals who need be constantly informed and updated on the progress of the project. They also provide informed feedback if needed. Note that these individuals do not actively or directly participate in consultation or decision-making before, during, and after the completion of the project.
Why and Who Can Use It?
The essence of a RACI matrix is to bring clarity to the project and set attainable and realistic expectations. Below are reasons to use the matrix and who should use it:
Here is why you need to use the RACI matrix:
Helps scale your team
The RACI matrix allows you to assign tasks to the employees with ease. In most cases, all the tasks are outlined in the matrix, along with the individuals responsible for handling them. Therefore, it is easier to train new employees and update them on their roles and responsibilities since they are labeled out in the matrix. As a result, the matrix allows you to scale your workforce; this helps you determine if they will be effective and efficient in completing the assigned tasks.
More engaging
When designing a RACI matrix, it is important to ensure that each employee fits into a category within the matrix. As a result, the employees get a deeper understanding of the project and know what is required from them. This provides the employees with clarification on their responsibilities and the objectives of the project. Therefore, with the RACI matrix in place, the employees can solely focus on their roles, allowing them to engage more with the project.
Reduces conflicts
The RACI matrix accurately outlines and defines the roles and responsibilities of each individual involved in the project. As a result, there are minimum conflicts as the project progresses because everyone understands what is expected of them. Additionally, with the matrix, the project participants know who to report to and consult in case of a problem.
Increases efficiency
The success of the project significantly depends on the efficiency of the workforce and the management. Therefore, the RACI matrix helps increase the efficiency of the employees because there is clear communication between the employees and the management. Furthermore, since every project participant understands their responsibilities, holding meetings with clear agendas and effective communication is easy.
Who can use it?
The RACI matrix should be used by organizations handling complicated and long-term projects. These projects may require multiple parties and individuals to be involved for the project’s success.
Additionally, the matrix can be used by organizations with many employees. This is necessary as it outlines the roles of every employee and reduces conflict and confusion as the project progresses.
Furthermore, the RACI matrix is essential when dealing with projects that need approval and consultation from a large number of executives and managers. This makes it easier for the employees to know who to consult and report to in case of a problem.
How Does it Work?
It is important to use a RACI matrix to assign the project roles and responsibilities effectively. Since this chart is essential, here is how it works and an example you can use when preparing your own RACI matrix:
Enlist the tasks
Once you have your chart, start by enlisting the project tasks in one column. These are the tasks that should be completed during the project to make it a success. You can choose to either break down the tasks into project phases or into a large task list.
List all of your team members and project roles
The next step is to list all of your team members and their project roles. From left to right, add all the team members involved in the project. Identifying each individual using their job title or role instead of actual names is important. For example, product owners, stakeholders, design directors, etc. Using job titles instead of names makes it easier for everyone to understand the matrix.
Assign R, A, C, and I to each task
The third step is to assign R, A, C, and I to each project task you have listed. Ensure that you already know who will be Responsible for working on a particular task, who will be Accountable for ensuring a task is done effectively, the individual to be Consulted or asked for advice in regards to a certain task, and finally, the person who must be Informed on the progress of the task.
Keep in mind that an informed person (I) can choose to share feedback or not, which is different from a consulted individual (C), who must communicate back.
Share the document
The final step is to share the document with the team members to make them aware of their project roles. This way, each individual knows when they are needed at each step of the project. This will make the process easier and more effective, increasing the chances of the project’s success.
For example:
| Steps | Project tasks | Product Owner | Designer | Financial Lead | Stakeholder |
| 1. | Research | C | I | A | R |
| 2. | Design | C | R | C | I |
| 3. | Selection | R | A | I | C |
| 4. | Development | C | R | C | I |
Important: Your RACI matrix must observe the following to ensure you avoid conflicts and ambiguities among the team members:
– At least one stakeholder must be responsible (R) for each task.
– There should be only one stakeholder accountable for each task.
– Always share and discuss the RACI matrix with the stakeholder before starting the project.
RACI Matrix Templates
Preparing a RACI matrix can be challenging, especially when handling a large and complex project. A RACI model should be accurately prepared to ensure that important information is not omitted. You can access and download our RACI matrix templates for free. Our templates are customizable to meet and satisfy your requirements. These templates will allow you to describe in detail the roles and responsibilities of each team member. In addition, it will help you and your team to identify potential problems that may occur during the execution of the project.
Effective Practices ย
To ensure you have an efficient RACI matrix, there are some practices that you should observe. Below are some of those effective practices that will help you create a successful blueprint for your project.
- There should not be too many R’s assigned to the stakeholders. You can change the R to C or I.
- There should be a few empty cells under the stakeholder column to avoid having too many individuals involved in the project. Those involved in the project should be beneficial individuals who are essential to the project.
- Ensure that you have discussed the RACI matrix with the stakeholders so that they can agree to the chosen map of the project.
- There must be an R in each step of your RACI matrix to identify the person responsible for getting that particular task done.
- Ensure that there is an A in each step but not more than one A as this will delay decision making, triggering lots of conflicts among team members.
- Make sure that your RACI matrix does not have a lot of C’s since having too many individual you must consult will delay the progress of the project. Instead, you can turn some of the C’s into I’s.
- The final and most important tip is to ensure that you have included all the required stakeholders/team members to ensure that each task is assigned to the proper individual.
Conclusion
The success of a project heavily depends on the employees, the resources available, the project management tools and methods used, as well as the manner in which tasks are assigned to the involved parties. As a result, it is necessary to use the RACI matrix as it allows you to clarify the roles and responsibilities of all involved parties. The RACI matrix helps you organize tasks and visualize the project at hand. When creating a RACI model, it is necessary to map out a strategic strategy that will guarantee the project’s success. The matrix is essentially meant to help you achieve efficiency in the execution of the project tasks.