RACI Matrix
Framework: RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed)
Use for: Cross-functional clarity — defining who does what for each decision, task, or work area on a project or recurring process.
Time required: 30–60 minutes to draft. Expect at least one round of stakeholder review before locking.
How to use this template
The four roles:
| Role | Meaning | How many per row |
|---|---|---|
| R — Responsible | Does the work; executes the task | One or more |
| A — Accountable | Owns the outcome; signs off; answers if it goes wrong | Exactly one per row |
| C — Consulted | Asked for input before or during; two-way communication | As needed |
| I — Informed | Told after a decision is made or a milestone is reached | As needed |
The cardinal rule: Every row must have exactly one A. Shared accountability is no accountability. If two people are both "accountable," neither is.
Common mistakes:
- Too many Rs and Cs (signals unclear ownership and too many cooks)
- No A (the most dangerous pattern — nothing will ship or decide)
- A and R always on the same person (fine, but consider whether the right people are doing the work)
- Putting everyone in every row (this means you haven't actually made clarity decisions)
Project / process being mapped
Project or process name: _______________
Scope (what period or deliverables does this RACI cover): _______________
Date: _______________
Prepared by: _______________
Stakeholder key
List the people or roles involved. Use short names or initials in the matrix.
| Abbreviation | Full name / role |
|---|---|
RACI Matrix
Instructions: For each task/decision row, enter R / A / C / I in the appropriate column. Every row needs exactly one A.
| Task / Decision / Work Area | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLANNING | ||||||||
| Define project scope and success criteria | ||||||||
| Set timeline and milestones | ||||||||
| Approve budget | ||||||||
| Identify stakeholders | ||||||||
| EXECUTION | ||||||||
| [Add task] | ||||||||
| [Add task] | ||||||||
| [Add task] | ||||||||
| [Add task] | ||||||||
| [Add task] | ||||||||
| DECISIONS | ||||||||
| [Decision area] | ||||||||
| [Decision area] | ||||||||
| [Decision area] | ||||||||
| COMMUNICATION | ||||||||
| Status reporting to leadership | ||||||||
| External stakeholder communication | ||||||||
| Final sign-off / launch approval |
Clarity check
After filling the matrix, run through these questions:
- Does every row have exactly one A? (Fix any rows with zero or multiple As)
- Does every row have at least one R? (Work without an executor won't happen)
- Are there any people who appear in every row as C? (May indicate bottleneck or over-involvement)
- Are there any people who appear in no rows? (They may not need to be in the stakeholder list)
- Does each person's A load seem reasonable? (If one person is accountable for everything, you may have a single-point-of-failure problem)
Issues to resolve before sharing:
RACI is a widely used project management framework with origins in the 1950s and popularized in project management literature. Covered in the Frameworks & Mental Models Guide on biztechprimer.com.