RACI-matrix
Sorting out responsibilities
Overview
The RACI-matrix stands for: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed. It is a useful methodology to sort out the different responsibilities of all the stakeholders involved in a process.
How to use it
- Define responsibilities (inside a department or across departments)
- Visualize the responsibilities / roles / tasks of the different stakeholders in a project
- Identify problems with the existing process / project
- Remove ambiguities with regard to activities / responsibilities
How to apply it
Start:
Present a project / situation and ask the group to sort out the different responsibilities and roles of the stakeholders, using the matrix. Roles are written on the vertical ax and stakeholders are written on the horizontal one. The RACI-matrix can also be started by collectively identifying the stakeholders involved (through a stakeholder analysis for example).
Setting:
After establishing the stakeholders and different roles / tasks of the project. The participants are divided in groups of maximum 6 members. Together they try to fill in the RACI-matrix. They determine the kind of responsibility for a specific stakeholder and role. The responsibilities are:
- R: Responsible
- A: Accountable
- C: Consulted
- I: Informed
The facilitator can provide guidance to the participants by asking specific questions or by encouraging them to define a list of roles (e.g. “Project Manager” can be more suitable than using an individual’s name). Afterwards make sure to collectively debrief the exercise to compare and discuss the matrices of the different groups. The exercise takes 1-1.5 hours.
Materials:
- A blank RACI-matrix worksheet
- Pens
How to adapt it
You do not have to stick to the RACI-responsibilities. Be creative and try to identify many more. To fill in the matrix you can use symbols (e.g. a square for the responsibility “Actively Participate”, a triangle for the responsibility “Facilitate” …)
Case study
Title:
Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders
Activity:
Programmes par Pays du Travail Décent (PPTD)
Contact:
G.Mercier@itcilo.org (SDG), T.Wambeke@itcilo.org (DELTA)
Description:
During the PPTD workshop in Benin, one session focused on the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders (and more specific on the steering committee of the programme) in programme implementation. By using the RACI-matrix attention was focused on the different tasks, roles and responsibilities of the committee. While filling in the matrix, the participants reflected on the different aspects of the possible tasks and about the roles and responsibilities that go along with those tasks. Having a completed RACI-matrix provided a clear outline for the future regarding the on-going responsibilities of the steering committee.
Tips
- When doing a stakeholder analysis, write the stakeholders down on post-its. This way they can easily be incorporated into the matrix. It also gives some colour to the matrix.
- Make sure the matrix worksheet is big and clear enough. Visualisation only works when the content is actually visible.
- Make sure that one person is not accountable / responsible for too many roles / tasks. A proper distribution of roles / tasks is advisable.
