RACI Matrix

Abstract

This article focuses on the RACI project management matrix. RACI being a synonym for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.

Successful project organizations are the result of careful planning and collaboration of project team members. Having clear roles and responsibilities is a crucial success factor for any kind of project.

Role definitions, responsibilities, and accountabilities must be determined to increase productivity, gain better results, and better communication with fewer misunderstandings and disruptions. The RACI matrix addresses this problem while providing a simple and effective tool for defining and documenting project roles and responsibilities. The RACI matrix brings structure and clarity to describing the roles that stakeholders play within a project.

The overall goal of the RACI matrix is to map out every task, milestone or key decision involved in completing a project and assigns which project individuals, as well as stakeholders, are responsible, accountable, consult and inform statuses for different project activities. A RACI matrix can be implemented at any time after a project has been conceived or is underway.

The following article is going to describe what the RACI matrix is, what RACI roles are, what the overall benefits of RACI is, and how the RACI matrix can put into practice. The article also discusses the considerations and rules of RACI and gives alternatives to the conventional RACI matrix. At the end of the article, RACI’s limitations are going to be explained in more detail. Project groups can use this article to identify their team structure, roles, and responsibilities to make team operations more smoothly. Overall, all projects should introduce the RACI matrix to eliminate confusion while at the same time ensuring that all project team members understood their responsibilities.