RACI - Responsibility Matrix

## What is the RACI matrix of responsibilities Physically, the RACI matrix is a large table consisting of a list of tasks in the first column and listed executors and responsible persons in the horizontal row. At the intersection in the cells are written letters that define a certain role or degree of responsibility in relation to a particular task. These letters correspond to the abbreviation RACI. The letters are deciphered as follows: - **R is short for the word responsible. **It is a direct executor of a certain task. If the task is large, it is broken down into subtasks and for each one a responsible executor is assigned. - **A is an abbreviation of the word accountable. **This is a member of the working group who is responsible for solving the task. At the same time, he/she is not a direct executor. The main thing this person does is to keep track of deadlines and distribute tasks between executors. - **C - the first letter in the word consult. **This representative consults team members on issues that are in his/her area of expertise. He also does not directly perform the task, but provides consulting services, gives valuable recommendations. - **I - abbreviated from informed. **This is a member of the working group who monitors the progress of tasks, is aware of all decisions made in the framework of the project. Considering the scale of the project, there may be more letters (roles) than we have designated in the standard type of matrix. For example, there is S (support), which means help from one participant to another. V (verifier) verifier. This is a specialist who keeps track of the deadline for the completion of tasks Consequently, the raci matrix allows you to quickly analyze a task, rationally distribute all the powers and define responsibilities. It visually reveals how loaded this or that performer is, and allows you to see from whom to demand the result. ## Application of the RACI matrix The main purpose of building and applying the RACI matrix is to organize effective management in the implementation of the project. This table allows you to clearly see who and what performs, for what is responsible, who controls the process and evaluates the result. The matrix is used in almost any work processes. It is most often used in management, in strategic planning, for coordinating the activities of the team, when implementing any changes. And this is only a small part of the possible areas in which the application of the RACI matrix is relevant. Raci responsibility matrix allows you to: 1. Improve communication between project participants. 2. Prevent various organizational problems and conflicts. 3. Speed up the process of making important decisions. 4. Organize information, simplifies its search and provision. 5. Simplify control and [project management process](). ## How to build a RACI responsibility matrix Building a responsibility matrix is usually done at the beginning of the project. The process of building the matrix is a certain sequence. It requires maximum concentration. #### The steps in building a RACI matrix include: 1. Identification of all project tasks. It is necessary to thoroughly go into the essence of the project, define the business processes, clearly formulate the tasks that need to be realized. These data are entered into the first column of the RACI matrix. 2. Identify project participants. This is the next step of RACI construction. Horizontally, team members with their names and positions are entered in the first line. 3. Filling the matrix. Having formed the table, you can start defining the roles of a project participant in relation to a certain task. First of all, the executors (R) and supervisors (A) are defined. Then the rest of the roles are distributed. 4. Harmonization. The prepared RACI matrix should be put up for discussion and adjustments should be made if necessary. Having agreed on all the nuances, the next stage should begin. 5. Dissemination. The RACI-matrix should be distributed among the project participants, and everyone should be familiarized with his/her role. The easiest way is to send the table to everyone by e-mail, or put it in the corporate chat room. 6. Monitoring is the final stage of building the responsibility matrix. During the course of the job, the progress of the RACI tasks should be monitored. Important! When compiling the matrix, formulate tasks in the form of verbs: calculate, make edits, write an article, etc. It is more convenient to make a matrix for each product in the project, so there is less chance of missing important nuances. Also, you should assign only one executor for each task. This is necessary to know exactly who is doing what. Otherwise, the whole meaning of the matrix will be lost. As you can see, it is not difficult to build a RACI matrix and it can be adapted to any business process. ## Mistakes that are most often made when building a RACI responsibility matrix Unfortunately, impeccable analysis and planning, strict adherence to all the stages of building a responsibility matrix does not guarantee the exclusion of errors. We offer you to familiarize yourself with the list of typical mistakes that occur when creating a RACI matrix. These pitfalls will allow you personally to avoid mistakes in RACI development. 1. There are no R and A participants in the matrix. Each task must have an executor and a supervising person. Otherwise, there is a risk of task non-performance. 2. Several R performers are assigned to one task. This leads to the fact that the area of responsibility of each participant is reduced. Ideally, one R-executor should be assigned to one task. If the task is complex, it should be divided into subtasks and each one assigned a responsible executor. Also, several roles should not be grouped in one cell of the matrix. 3. A large number of participants with C and I roles. An excess of consultants and informants can create confusion due to excessive information flow and disrupt communication. 4. Failure to coordinate and familiarize project participants with the matrix. This is a gross mistake. All team members should be familiarized with the presented tasks and roles in advance. This will avoid conflicts, and the RACI tool will work really effectively in this case. 5. Poor monitoring. It is unwise to compile a RACI and leave the matrix unmonitored. Business projects are usually dynamic. Various new tasks may arise and old tasks may change during the course of the project. It is crucial to keep tasks up to date, update roles and areas of responsibility in the matrix. ## Example of RACI matrix To understand exactly how the project responsibility matrix looks and works, let's look at a specific example. A report and visual material should be prepared for an upcoming conference. The following specialists are assigned to do the work: a project manager, a marketer, a copywriter, a designer and a project director. In this case, the RACI matrix will look like this:

	Manager	Marketer	Copywriter	Designer	Director
Prepare project assignment	R	A	I	I	C
Create content	A	C	R	I
Organize slides for presentation		C		R	A
Review the finished material	A	I	C	C	R
Approve the final version of the paper	A	R			I

The easiest way to perform a RACI matrix is in an Excel spreadsheet, but there are also special applications related to business management and planning. ## Advantages of RACI matrices and possible disadvantages of the method The matrix of distribution of responsibilities has simply great advantages. The RACI matrix is indispensable in business, in the management process, especially if the company has a large-scale task. Let's highlight the main advantages of RACI: 1. The matrix allows you to clearly define tasks, and most importantly to designate the roles of each team member. In this case, project participants do not have misunderstandings and disputes. Everyone clearly and coherently do their work for the benefit of the common cause. 2. With the help of responsibility distribution matrix it is easy to coordinate the course of task solution. Thanks to RACI, duplication or overlapping of work is completely eliminated. 3. Increased efficiency of each participant. With RACI, every employee knows exactly what is required of them. A clearly defined and assigned task allows to focus and concentrate on its fulfillment. 4. Transparency of interrelationships. In RACI matrix you can see who is responsible for what and to whom you can address with what question. 5. RACI matrix is good because it is easy to change it under new tasks or newly arisen circumstances. Are there any disadvantages in this method of management, distribution of tasks and responsibilities? Yes, there are. RACI works well if it is detail-oriented. It is difficult to get a comprehensive view of a project from a single matrix. Most likely, one project, particularly a large-scale project, will consist of many matrices. In addition, the matrix tends to grow quickly as new tasks appear, which complicates further management. ## A brief summary of the main points The RACI matrix is a strong planning tool that helps you to efficiently execute various projects and manage your work team. The matrix simplifies communication between project members, speeds up work processes, and provides transparency in the execution of tasks.