Whether you’re leading a project, team or department, the RACI matrix – or RACI method – is an invaluable management tool.
Regardless of their complexity, the responsibility assignment tool is designed to improve the management of your projects.
RACI: the tool for defining individual roles
The RACI matrix serves to visualise the assignment of roles and responsibilities to each member of a project or team.
What is the RACI matrix?
Beyond its utility with regard to project management, above all, it is a coordination and communication tool for clarifying which roles and actions are assigned to project stakeholders.
In particular, this saves time and helps to avoid the designation of redundant roles and confusion as to individual responsibilities.
RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed.
Each role is assigned to a person, department or business team.
- Responsible: the person with the operational role who completes the action, task or project.
- Accountable: the person who approves and supervises the action implemented by the R.
- Consulted: the people tasked with providing advice, expertise or feedback on the project.
- Informed: the people to keep updated.
In certain cases, the RASCI will be applied – adding the Support role to assist the Responsible stakeholder with their task.
When should you use the RACI matrix?
Upstream or during the project, the RACI matrix is best used to answer the question “Who does what?” and to find out who is responsible for the tasks and actions necessary to the success of the project.
As such, the matrix serves to define and clarify roles, ensuring that responsibilities do not overlap or slip through the cracks.
Available throughout the project, this is a true tool for coordination and communication among every stakeholder.
However, keep in mind that this is not a planning tool. The RACI method is not designed to guarantee the achievement of deadlines or operational activities.
In conjunction with this method, the project IDA can be used to monitor actions and decisions taken during project meetings.
How do you construct the RACI matrix?
It is highly straightforward.
In a double-entry table, enter all of the tasks related to the project in the left-hand column, and the project stakeholders along the top row.
For every task, identify the role of each project stakeholder: R, A, C or I.
Follow these simple rules to apply the method correctly:
- each task can only have one Accountable at a time. The A can also double up as Responsible.
- there is at least one Responsible per activity. The A supervises and approves the activity of the R.
- the Cs are consulted but do not hold decision-making authority, which always falls to the A.
- the Informed must be kept updated as they are impacted by the task.
Example of a RACI matrix:
Let’s take the example of a project team designing a roadmap for the evolution of a product.
Creating a RACI matrix with Beekast
Why create the RACI matrix on Beekast?
With Beekast, the whole group is invited to participate in designing the RACI.
Using the Board activity, you can create a RACI matrix live during your kick-off meetings.
Participants can discuss their responsibilities and establish their individual roles as a group to ensure the success of the project.
You can make the RACI a participatory and collaborative exercise, involving the group with ease from the start of the project and defining the role of each stakeholder together.
This gives everyone the opportunity to grasp their responsibilities from the outset, avoiding confusion or ambiguity.
How do you create a RACI with Beekast?
- Launch a Board activity
- Create a “legend” column, a “tasks” column and one column for each person or team involved in the project
- List one task per card in the associated column
- As a group, assign tasks to the relevant people
After designating the roles, launch the Actions/Decisions feature and assign one action to each Responsible stakeholder.
All that remains is to create your first collaborative RACI matrix with Beekast by logging in today.
