A RACI chart is a matrix used to assign roles and responsibilities for tasks or deliverables in a project. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. Here’s what each role means:
- Responsible: The person or role who performs the task. They’re the “doers” of the work.
- Accountable: The person or role who is ultimately accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the task. This must be one person and is often a project manager or higher-level stakeholder.
- Consulted: The person or role who needs to provide input before the work can be done and approved. They’re “in the loop” and active participants.
- Informed: The person or role who needs to be kept informed of progress and decisions, but does not need to be formally consulted. They’re “kept in the picture” but are not necessarily active participants.
The RACI chart itself is usually a table with tasks listed down the left side and the team roles or individual team member names across the top. The applicable RACI roles (R, A, C, I) are then placed in the cells where the task and role intersect.
Here’s a simple example:
| Project Manager | Developer | Tester | Client | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | A | R | C | I |
| Task 2 | A | C | R | I |
| Task 3 | A | I | I | R |
In this example:
- For Task 1, the Developer is Responsible for doing the work, the Project Manager is Accountable for the task, the Tester is Consulted, and the Client is Informed.
- For Task 2, the Tester is Responsible for doing the work, the Project Manager is Accountable for the task, the Developer is Consulted, and the Client is Informed.
- For Task 3, the Client is Responsible for doing the work, the Project Manager is Accountable for the task, and both the Developer and Tester are Informed.
A RACI chart can help clarify roles and responsibilities in cross-functional projects and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
