RACI Matrix
Contents |
Abstract
This article focuses on the RACI project management matrix. RACI being a synonym for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. [1]
Successful project organizations are the result of careful planning and collaboration of project team members. [1][2] Having clear roles and responsibilities is a crucial success factor for any kind of project. [1] Therefore, 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. [3]
The RACI matrix brings structure and clarity to describing the roles that stakeholders play within a project. [1][3] 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. [4] A RACI matrix can be implemented at any time after a project has been conceived or is underway. [3]
The following article is going to describe what the RACI matrix is, what RACI roles are, what the overall benefits of RACI are, 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.
The RACI Matrix
Definition of the RACI Matrix
The RACI matrix is a popular type of a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM). RAM being a grid that shows the project resources assigned to each work package to illustrate the connection between work packages or activities and project team members. At a high-level, RAM defines all responsible of a project team group or unit within each component of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), while low-level RAMs are used within a group to designate roles, responsibilities, and levels of authority for specific activities. [1]
A WBS can be the underlying foundation for a RACI matrix as a WBS divides a project into its elements that need to be planned and controlled. [5] Therefore, the RACI matrix can be used to divide the project into subtasks and work packages as part of the structuring process. “Activities (tasks), roles and activities are basic elements of a process." [6] The RACI matrix is most useful for multiple people or groups assigned to a certain project activity. The matrix shows key activities as rows and participating parties as columns. For each participating party, the RACI matrix indicates the responsible, accountable, consulted or informed. [7]
“The RACI matrix serves as the baseline of the communications plan by stipulating who receives information, how frequently, and at what level of detail.” The RACI matrix should be established by the end of the planning phase of a project or being used to get stuck projects in the execution phase moving again. As soon as a RACI matrix has been created, it should be and published in the Project Charter document. [8]
The following figure is going to illustrate such a simplified RACI matrix by referring to a conventional project team structure within an IT project:
Roles of the RACI Matrix
The acronym RACI stands for the four roles that shareholders might play in any project: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. [1]
| Responsible | The person is assigned to get the work done. May delegate work or may be supported by others. Only one person is responsible, think of the lead or manager of the project. |
| Accountable | The person who will sign- off on work- packages/deliverables. Ultimately only one person, but often includes others (e.g. a sign-off document requiring signatures of multiple approvers). |
| Consulted | Those people who contribute to the work by providing information (consultancy), either by providing information or directly working at the direction of the person responsible. |
| Informed | Those people who need to be informed, but not contributing (i.e. do not have active role). |
Assigning RACI roles to an example project
When creating a RACI matrix, it is important to assign the correct RACI roles to the correct and corresponding project team roles. In the following section, the project roles and their indicators from Figure 1 are going to be highlighted in more detail.
As a general guideline, as shown in figure 1, the project executive and project manager are often assigned the role of the accountable as they are held responsible for the planning, procurement, and execution of a project. At the same time, a project executive also assumes the role of the consulted, since project executives have a wealth of experience that can serve the project to be managed. In addition to the role of the accountable, the project manager, often assumes the role of the informed, as a project manager has to compile all project related information.
The RACI matrix in figure 1 highlights the roles of the project analyst and technical architect as the project executives. These two positions are responsible for the implementation of the individual work packages. Also, both roles include some consulting as well as informing activities.
In figure 1, the application developers only have the role of the informed assigned. That means that the developers do not have to contribute to the project but must be informed about definite activities.
In some cases, the project manager can also assume the role of a responsible. However, this is not advisable as project managers cover multiple positions in a project and tend to have a heavy burden.
Benefits of the RACI Matrix Model
Application of the RACI Matrix
How to use and create a RACI Matix
Considerations and Rules to create a RACI Matrix
Extension of the RACI matrix
Limitations of the RACI matrix
Annotated Bibliography
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Project Management Institute, Inc.. (2017). Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). 6th Edition. Newtown Square: Independent Publishers Group.
- ↑ Züst R. and Troxler P. (2006) No More Muddling Through: Mastering Complex Projects in Engineering and Management. 2nd Edition. Zürich: Orell Füssli Verlag.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kantor, B. (2028). The RACI matrix: Your blueprint for project success [online]. Available at: https://www.cio.com/article/2395825/project-management-how-to-design-a-successful-raci-project-plan.html (Accessed: 02/08/2021)
- ↑ Chung, E. (2017). RACI vs RAM for PMP Exam [online]. Available: https://edward-designer.com/web/raci-vs-ram-for-pmp-exam/ (Accessed: 02/05/2021)
- ↑ Racichart.org. (2021). WBS [online]. Available: https://racichart.org/wbs/ (Accessed: 02/07/2021)
- ↑ Ying L., Lijun X. and Wei S. (2009). Configuration Management Process Design and Implementation [online]. Sanya: ISECS International Colloquium on Computing, Communication, Control, and Management. Available at: https://ieeexplore-ieee-org.proxy.findit.dtu.dk/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5268166 (Accessed: 02/08/2021).
- ↑ Averdunk, I. (2021). Clarify roles and responsibilities by using a RACI matrix [online]. Available: https://www.ibm.com/garage/method/practices/manage/raci-matrix/ (Accessed: 02/08/2021).
- ↑ Friedman, S. (2008). Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources: Best Practices in Managing People [online]. Available at: https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/best-practices-managing-people-quality-management-7012 (Accessed: 02/08/2021).
