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Responsibility assignment matrix

lastmod 2026-05-14created 2026-05-142 edits

A responsibility assignment matrix, RACI matrix (responsible, accountable, consulted and informed matrix; /ˈreɪsi/) or linear responsibility chart, is a project management technique that describes the responsibilities of various stakeholders in completing tasks or deliverables. The matrix assigns one of four responsibilities to each stakeholder in executing a deliverable: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.

What is a RACI chart?

A RACI chart, or responsibility assignment matrix, is a project management tool that defines and clarifies roles and responsibilities within a project team. A RACI chart classifies roles into four: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. Using a RACI chart helps you establish clear communication, improve decision-making, and ensure accountability for tasks or deliverables.

  • Responsible: The responsible person is delegated responsibility by the accountable person and must complete it within the agreed parameters and deadline. A task can have more than one responsible person.
  • Accountable: The accountable person is the one who ensures that all responsible members complete the task. This duty must not be delegated. It is best to assign the task to a single individual who can act as decision-maker and guide.
  • Consulted: Consulted people are the team's knowledge holders. They can provide help, additional context, and advice on the task. Consulted people should be identified early and integrated into the project and workflow.
  • Informed: Informed people are mainly stakeholders, the leadership team, or approvers who want and need information about the team's project. Having informed people promotes internal transparency, team alignment, and accurate project timelines.

Use a RACI chart in your project planning process. You can then flesh out project milestones and a project roadmap or Gantt chart to comprehensively show roles and responsibilities across the project phases.

Key takeaways

  • A RACI chart is a responsibility assignment matrix that clarifies, for every project task, who is responsible, who approves, who is consulted, and who must be informed.
  • This framework establishes clear ownership and communication paths for the whole team, minimizing confusion and duplicated work.
  • Implementing this matrix in the planning phase lets you identify potential bottlenecks and involve stakeholders appropriately.
  • Analyze the completed matrix to confirm that each task has exactly one accountable person, to prevent leadership conflicts.

Effective project management is essential to the success of any project, but the complexity involved can often lead to confusion and inefficiency. One common problem is that unclear roles and responsibilities can cause delays and errors. Ultimately, project managers should strive to have a process in which every team member knows what they need to do and who is responsible. This streamlines workflows and increases efficiency.

A RACI framework or RACI matrix can turn this vision into reality. This guide looks at the components of a RACI chart, the steps to create one, and best practices for implementing RACI charts in your project management process.

RACI model

Alternatives

There are a number of alternatives to the RACI model, including:

  • DACI: Driver, Approvers, Contributors, Informed
  • PARIS: Participant, Accountable, Review required, Input required, Sign-off required
  • RACI + F: includes Facilitation in Scrum projects
  • RACIS/RASCI/RASIC/RASI: includes Support
  • RACIO/CAIRO: includes Omitted (or Out-of-the-loop)
  • RACIQ: includes Quality review
  • RACI-VSL includes Verifier and Signatory

Charting

Responsibility assignment matrices are charted with the vertical axis representing tasks or deliverables and the horizontal axis representing roles.

Example RACI chart

Tasks

Maintenance supervisors

Maintenance analyst

Maintenance planner

Maintenance technician

Maintenance support

Rel specialist

CMMS project engineer

Inputting failure data

A

C

I

R

C

C

Work order completion

R

C

C

C

A

I

I

Work order closeout

C

R

C

I

I

A

QA of failure data input

C

R

I

C

I

C

A

Analyze failure reports

C

C

I

C

A

R

I

Maintenance strategy adjustments

C

I

I

C

A

R

R

Implementing new strategies

R

I

R

C

A

I

I

See also

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