What is a RACI?

RACI is a framework for identifying and documenting roles and responsibilities in a project or process. It is a simple and effective way to ensure that everyone involved in a project understands their roles and responsibilities.

RACI is an acronym for the four key roles involved in any process:

• Responsible: The individual who is responsible for completing the task.
• Accountable: The individual who is accountable for the task. This person is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the task.
• Consulted: The individual who is consulted for input on the task.
• Informed: The individual who is informed of the task.

Note: The main difference between responsibility and accountability is that responsibility can be shared while accountability cannot. Being accountable not only means being responsible for something but also ultimately being answerable for your actions.

Example of a RACI chart

To build a RACI chart, list every task, milestone, or deliverable for your project. Then, identify who the Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed team members are for each one.

Let’s say you’re updating the homepage on your website. Project stakeholders include:

• Copywriter
• Designer
• Head of website
• Web developer

You want to create a RACI chart for five tasks and deliverables:

• Update homepage CTAs
• Update customer story on homepage
• Revamp website design
• Improve homepage loading speed
• Update homepage design

The RACI chart would look like:

Update homepage CTAs

• Responsible: Copywriter
• Accountable: Web developer
• Consulted: Head of website
• Informed: Designer

 Update customer story on homepage

• Responsible: Copywriter
• Accountable: Web developer
• Consulted: Head of website
• Informed: Designer

Revamp video on homepage

• Responsible: Designer
• Accountable: Web developer
• Consulted: Head of website
• Informed: Copywriter

Improve homepage loading speed

• Responsible: Web developer
• Accountable: Web developer
• Consulted: Head of website
• Informed: Copywriter & Designer

Update homepage design

• Responsible: Designer
• Accountable: Web developer
• Consulted: Head of website
• Informed: Copywriter

Track who’s doing what by when

Clear team roles and responsibilities help you hit your deliverables on time. Tracking different and complex stakeholder responsibilities in a RACI chart can help you do that—but RACI charts are just the beginning.

Implement a RACI overlay across the project tasks, RACI is an accountability and communication tool and ensures everyone has clarity across their role and responsibility within the project including the vendor. See more on RACI Excel template below.

RACI Project template