Responsibility charting (RACI)

What Is RACI ?
Responsibility Charting
Is a technique for identifying functional areas, key activities, and decision points where ambiguities exist; differences can be brought into the open and resolved through team effort.

The approach enables management to actively participate in the process of systematically describing activities, decisions that have to be accomplished, and to clarify the responsibility that each plays in relation to those activities and decisions.

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Objectives/Benefits
• Assist natural work teams in charting roles and responsibilities in a consistent manner
• Assist natural work teams with development of implementation tool kits
• Clarify individual/departmental roles and responsibilities
• Identify accountabilities
• Eliminate misunderstandings, encourage teamwork
• Reduce duplication of effort
• Establish “consults” and “informs” resulting in better communication 3

Critical Issue Summary
Opportunity
Roles and Responsibilities

Accountability

• To clarify

Responsibilities

• To identify authority

Job responsibility

• To empower employees with authority to do it

Role of middle manager

• To bring up to speed with organization structure

Approval

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• To better understand
• To improve communications

• To reduce uncertainty of multiple reporting

Guidelines
• Remember new culture philosophy when defining roles and responsibilities ! Eliminate “checkers checking checkers”
! Encourage teamwork
! 100% accuracy not always required

• Place accountability (A) and responsibility (R) at the level closest to the action or knowledge
• There can be only one accountability per activity
• Authority must accompany accountability
• Minimize the number of consultants (C) and informs (I)
• All roles and responsibilities must be documented and communicated

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RACI Stands for:
“A”

“The buck stops here”

“R”

Responsible

“The doer”

“C”

Consult

“In the loop”

“I”

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Accountable

Inform

“Keep in the picture”

Codes
Accountable
Responsible

Position working on the activity

Consult

Position involved prior to decision or action

Inform

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Position with yes/no authority

Position that needs to know of the decision or action

RACI Defined
Accountability
“A”

The individual who is ultimately responsible. Includes yes or no authority and veto power. Only one “A” can be assigned to a function.

Responsibility
“R”

The individual(s) who actually completes the task, the doer. This person is responsible for action/implementation. Responsibility can be shared.
The degree of responsibility is determined by the individual with the “A”.

Consult
“C”
Inform
“I”

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The individual(s) to be consulted prior to a final decision or action. This incorporates two-way communication.
The individual(s) who needs to be informed after a decision or action is taken. This incorporates one-way communication. Process Steps
Responsibility charting is completed in a six step process:
1. Introductory meetings are conducted to inform key management of the purpose and requirements of the process
2. Decision and function lists are developed, analyzed and collated into a master function list.
3. Responsibility workshops are conducted to agree upon function definitions and to assign codes that describe the type of participation each role will have toward each function. The output is a responsibility chart.
4. The responsibility charts are documented and reproduced to distribute to all participants and interfacing organizations.
5. The communication and reinforcement of the new role definitions are accomplished through meetings with all individuals and departments involved. 6. Follow-up is conducted to ensure that relationships defined in the process are being adhered to and to encourage participants to live the roles.

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The Output Matrix
Roles of Participants

Decisions or Activities

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Type or degree of participation RACI Charting
Roles and Responsibilities Analysis
Business
Processes

Functional Roles

R
A
Decisions /
Functions /
Activities

A
R

C
R

C

C

C
C

R

R

R

A

I

C

R

A

I

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C

C

R

C

I

C

R

I

C
A

I
A

R
C

Activity Or Decision List Guidelines
1. Avoid obvious or generic activities, for example, “attend meetings”
2. Each activity or decision should begin with a good action verb.
Examples:
evaluate operate approve publish schedule monitor conduct report write prepare develop review record update inspect authorize determine collect train decide 3. When the action verb implies a judgement or a decision (for example, evaluate, monitor, inspect review), add a phrase to indicate the primary outcome. Examples:
“Monitor phone service handling of customer requests to identify training needs” “Analyze data to locate source of delay”

4. Activities or decisions should be short, concise and apply to a role or need, not to a specific person.

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Definitions
Functional Roles
Decisions /
Functions /
Activities
An action that is one of several sequential steps in the completion of a business process

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A position assigned or assumed to accomplish an activity or sub-activity

R
A

A
R

C
R

C

C

C
C

R

R

R

A

I

C

C

R

C

I

C

R

A

I

C

R

I

C
A

I
A

R
C

RACI Chart Example
Functional Roles

Employee

Secretary

Supervisor

Decisions / Functions
1. Document expenses

AR

2. Complete expense form

AR

C

3. Forward to supervisor

A

4. Review

C

AR

I

AR

5. Approve
6. Forward to Region

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Region
Accounting

R

R

A

Chart Analysis And Review
Vertical Analysis
Functional Roles

R

A

A

C
R

C

C

C
C

R

R

R

A

I

R

A

C
15

C

C

R

C

I

R

I

C
A

I
A

R
C

Vertical Analysis
If You Find:

Then Ask:

Lots of R’s
No empty spaces

Does the individual(s) need to be involved in so many activities? Are they a “gatekeeper” or could management by exception principles be used?
Can C’s be reduced I’s, or left to the individual’s discretion when something needs particular attention?

No R’s or A’s

Should this functional role be eliminated? Have processes changed to a point where resources should be re-utilized?

Too many A’s

Does a proper “segregation of duties” exist? Should other groups be accountable for some of these activities to ensure checks and balances and accurate decision making throughout the process? Is this a
“bottleneck” in the process—is everyone waiting for decisions or direction? Qualifications

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Can or need the individual(s) stay on top of so much? Can the decision/activity be broken into smaller, more manageable functions?

Does the type or degree of participation fit the qualifications of this role?

Chart Analysis And Review
Horizontal analysis

R

A

A

C
R

C

C

I

A

C

C

C

R

C

R
C

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I
I

A

I
R

C
R

C

A

R
C

Horizontal Analysis
If You Find:

Then Ask:

No R’s

Too many R’s

Is this a sign of “over the wall” activities? “Just get it off my desk ASAP!”

No A’s

Why not? There must be an “A.” Accountability should be pushed down to the most appropriate level.

Too many A’s

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Is job getting done? Some roles may be waiting to approve, be consulted, or informed. No one sees their role to take the initiative. Is there confusion? “I though you had it!” It also creates confusion because every person with an “A” has a different view of how it is or should be done.

Horizontal Analysis (Cont.)
If You Find:

Then Ask:

Too few A’s and R’s The process must slow down while the activity is performed

on an “ad hoc” basis. Or the procedure may be outdated and can be streamlined if not needed.

Lots of C’s
Lots of I’s

Do all the roles need to be routinely informed or only in exceptional circumstances?

Every box filled in

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Do all the functional roles really need to be consulted? Are there justifiable benefits in consulting all the roles?

They shouldn’t be. If they are, too many people are involved—usually too many “C’s” and “I’s.”

Get Feedback And Buy-in
• The RACI chart is shown to representative groups of people covering the roles on the chart
• Their builds are captured and the chart is revised as appropriate • The RACI may be validated in conjunction with the other products of the Project Team

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Benefits
•
•
•
•
•
•

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Increased productivity through well defined accountability
Reduced scrap and rework because need specifications are clarified Increased capacity by eliminating overlaps and redundancies Streamlined organization structure by collapsing unneeded layers and placing accountability where it belongs
Better trained people by involving them in workshops where fellow workers discuss all roles and functions
Better planning process because of more participation of team members as a result of building communication interfaces (consult and inform)

The RACI Process Provides a Clear Basis for Defining
Changes to Accountabilities and Structure
Definition

Use

R

Who is RESPONSIBLE?
Who is RESPONSIBLE?

The person who has to do it
(the doer)

A

Who is ACCOUNTABLE?
Who is ACCOUNTABLE?

The person who makes the final decision and has ultimate ownership

Who is CONSULTED?
Who is CONSULTED?

The person who must be consulted before a decision or action is taken

Who is INFORMED?
Who is INFORMED?

The person who must be informed that a decision or action has been taken

C
I

• Project Management—to assign responsibilities and ensure tasks get done
• “As Is” Analysis—to diagnose problems in the organisation
• “To Be” Design—to create a new organisation structure that meets the needs of the “To Be” design
RACI Analysis:

Horizontal
Horizontal

PROCESS: Making a process change Functional Roles
Process
Line
Process
Line
Facilitator Facilitator
Facilitator Facilitator

If you find:

Lots of Rs

Sample RACI Matrix:

If you find:

Too many people involved?

No Rs or As

Why do it? Is the job getting done?

More than one
A

Confusion, indecision?

Lots of Cs

Does everyone consulted add value?
Do they all need to know?

Operator
Operator

Lots of Is

A
A

A
A

II

Lots of Rs

Too much work?

Prepare detail
Prepare detail

C
C

A/R
A/R

II

No empty space Too much work? Too much consultation? Change process documents A
Change process documents A

R
R

No Rs or As

Can the function be eliminated?

Too many As
Perform change
Perform change

A
A

Is accountability at the right level? Is the organisation too hierarchical?

Plan activities
Plan activities

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II

II

II
R
R

R
R

Vertical
Vertical

Setter
Setter

Activities