What is a RACI Chart: A Crucial Tool for Effective PM

Project management is about leading people when you’re not the boss.

As a project manager, you are responsible for completing a project within budget and on time. You marshal resources, people, time, and materials; however, you often do not have an official leadership role.

You are not the boss, but you must lead.

With multiple stakeholders, different teams, and conflicting priorities, ensuring everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goal can be complex. You must manage up, down, and sideways.

How do you motivate the manager above you or the contractor working on multiple projects? How do you do it effectively?

I’ve been through this dance many times. I was a project manager for a large oil and gas mining company. I’ve worked on power lines, ditching systems, dykes and roads. I’ve dealt with small week-long projects to large-scale $100M multi-year business critical construction projects with hundreds of employees.

When it works, it feels like orchestrating a symphony; when it doesn’t, everything comes crashing down, and the buck stops with you!

I’ve had successes and failures, which I document on my personal website, under Myk Humphrey. I’ve been stuck holding the bag with a half-complete project, and management has washed its hands and refused to take ownership. Not all of these memories are pleasant.

I’ve also operated several hotels and restaurants, and at the moment, I’m managing Events Hakuba in Japan, which has been quite a change of scenery (pun intended).

Keeping everyone focused can quickly become daunting. But the bigger the project, the more critical it becomes.

You need to know who is accountable for each aspect of your project so that you know who to call when s*** hits the proverbial fan.

The RACI chart is a simple yet powerful tool that can bring clarity, order, and accountability to your next project.

What is a RACI Chart?

A RACI chart is a responsibility assignment matrix. It clarifies the roles and responsibilities within a project. The acronym RACI stands for:

• Responsible: The person or people who perform the task.
• Accountable: The individual who is ultimately answerable for the correct and thorough task completion.
• Consulted: Those whose opinions and input are needed to complete a task.
• Informed: Individuals who need to be kept up-to-date on progress and decisions.

The Benefits of Using a RACI Chart

Below are some of the benefits of using a RACI chart.

Clear accountability

When you assign specific roles like “responsible” and “accountable,” tasks are more likely to get done. Putting roles and responsibilities into a RACI chart together with the stakeholders holds people accountable, keeps the project on track, and ensures that deadlines are met.

Clear communication

One of the most significant benefits of a RACI chart is that it promotes clear communication among team members and stakeholders. Delineating who is responsible for what eliminates ambiguity and ensures everyone knows their roles.

Enhanced efficiency

When everyone knows their responsibilities and who to consult or inform, workflows become more efficient. Team members spend less time figuring out who to talk to and more time doing the actual work.

How to make a RACI Chart

Before making your next RACI chart, here are a few suggestions:

• I recommend using the Work Breakdown Structure numbering throughout all aspects of the project, including the RACI.
• A RACI is a living document. It can change during the project, and you should let it.
• It’s okay if your scope is still in flux. Create a task to define and add the unknown scope to the RACI.

Follow these steps to make a RACI chart.

1. Identify project deliverables

Use your project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to identify the required deliverables for your project.

List the deliverables vertically on the left-hand side of the chart.

2. Determine project roles

Identify all stakeholders and team members involved in the project. List these roles across the top row of your chart.

3. Assign RACI for each task

For each task, assign one of the following roles to each stakeholder:

• R (Responsible): The person doing the work
• A (Accountable): The person overseeing task completion (only one per task)
• C (Consulted): People who provide input or expertise
• I (Informed): People who need to be kept updated on progress

Each task requires at least one responsible and one accountable person. They can be the same person, but no more than one person should be accountable per task.

4. Review and refine

Be sure to review the chart. Check that only one person is accountable for each task. Make sure you have buy-in from all the stakeholders. Signatures can help.

Do a gut check of the workload. Do you need more support for tasks? Do you have enough authority to ensure tasks will be completed?

5. Share and communicate

Distribute your RACI chart to all stakeholders for buy-in and to ensure accountability.

Remember, RACI charts are most valuable for complex projects with multiple stakeholders or when roles may change throughout the project. They help clarify responsibilities, improve communication, and reduce confusion among team members.

When Not to Use a RACI Chart

While RACI charts are incredibly useful, they’re not always necessary. A RACI chart can complicate rather than simplify the process for smaller projects with fewer stakeholders and straightforward tasks.

In Agile frameworks like Scrum, roles and responsibilities are already well-defined. The Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team each have clear roles, making a RACI chart redundant. Read more about project management methodologies here.

Pros and cons of the RACI Chart

Pros

• Promotes clear communication
• Enhances accountability
• Improves efficiency and workflow
• Helps with stakeholder engagement

Cons

• It can be time-consuming to create
• It may seem redundant in small or straightforward projects
• Roles might be too rigid, not reflecting the agile nature of some tasks

RACI Alternatives

RASCI

RASCI adds an “S” for Supportive, including individuals who assist in completing a task but are not directly responsible.

DACI

DACI stands for Driver, Approver, Contributor, and Informed, which provides a slightly different perspective on role assignments.

CLAM

CLAM stands for Contribute, Lead, Approve, and Monitor, focusing on leadership and monitoring in addition to contribution and approval.

Conclusion

When I first started running projects, I got some advice that still resonates with me today:

Good project managers do well when they look relaxed and the project is on track. If you’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off, you screwed up!

The RACI chart is a valuable tool for project managers aiming to maintain clear communication and accountability within complex projects. While it’s not universally necessary, its benefits make it a worthwhile addition to many project management toolkits.

A RACI chart can help avoid the pitfalls of miscommunication and ensure that projects are completed efficiently and effectively by clearly defining roles and responsibilities.

FAQ

What does RACI stand for?

RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. These are the roles that individuals can be assigned to in a project.

What is the main benefit of making a RACI chart?

The main benefit of making a RACI chart is to ensure clear communication and accountability within a project by defining roles and responsibilities. This can help avoid miscommunication and improve project efficiency.  However, it may not be necessary for all projects and should be used as appropriate for each individual project.

What is the difference between accountable and responsible RACI?

In a RACI chart, accountability refers to the person requiring the task to be completed. Often, this is the manager, director, VP, etc. The person responsible is the one who will be doing the work. They may report to the person who is accountable, but they may not. Sometimes, the person responsible and the person accountable are the same.