A RACI chart creates clear roles and gives direction to each team member and stakeholder. Over your career, you may hear a RACI chart referred to as a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), RACI diagram, or RACI matrix. The ultimate goal of this chart is to clarify each person’s role on your project.
First, let’s break down each of the roles people can be assigned: R: Responsible: who gets the work done A: Accountable: who makes sure the work is done C: Consulted: who gives input or feedback on work I: Informed: who needs to know the outcome
The RACI chart is a valuable tool. It can help you define and document project roles and responsibilities, give direction to each team member and stakeholder, and ensure work gets done efficiently. A RACI chart can also help you analyze and balance the workload of your team. While it may take many revisions to make sure that your team members and stakeholders are being placed into the right roles in your RACI chart, doing this work up front helps save time and prevent miscommunications later on.