This article now lives at RACI.
Communication is critical in organizations and on project teams. If I can learn something than improves how a project runs, I’m all for it.
One thing I learned is the RACI method, or RACI matrix. As a communication tool, it allows teams to understand who is responsible for what.
Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed
These are the four roles that a person can play in a project.
- Accountable - Who has the final approval of the project and whether it meets its intended goals. As someone once said, this is the person whose ass is on the line.
- Responsible - Who will do the work. Every project and task must have one person assigned to this. There could be more than one responsible party, but if there are, the project or task should be broken down further.
- Consulted - A person who has information of value to the project will be consulted as-needed to help the project succeed. This could be a subject matter expert or another member in the org with a vested interest in the outcome of the project.
- Informed - Sometimes there are people who do not need to make decisions in the project, but need to know what is happening.
You may have noticed I listed these in “ARCI” order rather than “RACI”. While RACI is easier to say and remember, I sometimes mix up the Accountable and Responsible roles. Putting Accountable first helps me remember that the most senior person is probable the Accountable party - the VP or manager who must make the project work.