How To Use A RACI Matrix

Submitted by mauzenne on Mon, 03/26/2012 - 03:55.
in

This guidance describes how to use a RACI [Responsible, Accountable, Consult, Inform] Matrix when determining project responsibilities.

When you’re starting a project, there are all kinds of people with fingers in the pie. There are people who want to be on the team. There are people who are affected by the work. There are people who aren’t affected by the project but whose budget IS. There are people who don’t want the project to succeed, but will only privately work against it. There are people who need to know stuff…but other people who WANT to know stuff.

How do we help project managers – or how do WE as project managers – keep track of who’s responsible for what? We use a responsibility matrix. The best one is called the RACI – pronounced Ray-See.


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gnewby's picture
Submitted by gnewby on Wed, 03/28/2012 - 14:47.

Another great cast

This follows another rule that M&M have mentioned in the past: There are two parts to completing a task .... the doing of the task and the reporting on the completion of the task.

The RACI matrix just puts this on paper.

Happy project managing!

cim44's picture
Submitted by cim44 on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 10:01.

"Consult"

I liked this cast.

In my experience there are two types of consult:

Where you are looking for ideas (eg. consultation in the true nature of the word)

Where you generally have the solution worked out and are looking for showstoppers.

I only point this out because frustration can occur if someone thinks they're being engaged to do the former when its really the latter.  Of course the former takes more time therefore costs more.

mjvangilst's picture
Submitted by mjvangilst on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 22:24.

Racing Matrix (of the Toyota variety)

So I'm listening to this with my three year old son, while making supper.  When he heard what you were talking about, he asked me "Is that you're Matrix? Does it go fast?"  

Not sure he's quite ready for the 1st law of project management!

Hope this makes somebody else chuckle too!

:)

R_hardy057's picture
Submitted by R_hardy057 on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 14:42.

Actually I'm sure that

Actually I'm sure that choosing team members should be done personally by a manager without any matrix and so on. I used to work in outsourcing and value good workers and freelancers with opened hard and sharp mind. The nest workers in my practice were from Comindware http://www.comindware.com/task-management/ and I 'm pleased to work with them.

dougp01's picture
Submitted by dougp01 on Mon, 06/25/2012 - 16:50.

RACI vs "echo" system

In the podcast you mentioned the "echo" system.  Is this something like an acronym with meanings for each letter or do you simply mean "echo" as in "query - response" as in daily status update meetings?

Thanks again for a great podcast.

-doug