Responsibility Chart (RACI)
Decisions stall when no one is sure who owns them. The RACI tool makes decision rights explicit — who is responsible, who approves, who is consulted and who is informed.
Aim
When there is clarity in who makes decisions and when they make those decisions, the organization can accelerate performance. The RACI tool and others like it help define where decision rights reside and who needs to be involved in making decisions, providing input, and being informed after decisions are made.
Results
- Shared understanding of key work activities and decisions.
- Leadership assumptions are unearthed through discussion.
Pro Tips
1. Capture the assumptions discussed to support each decision on the responsibility grid.
2. Resist having more than one person who approves, and as a general rule limit those designated responsible to one.
3. Any of the codes can be combined to clarify responsibility for the decisions.
4. Place a time limit on issues and use a strong default decision-making alternative (a person or persons with power) if necessary.
How do I know I've achieved my aims?
- Your team has agreement and understanding on RACI.
- You'll find your team coming to a shared way of thinking about activities and key decision points.