PeopleMuster

RACI matrix template

A RACI matrix shows, for every task on a project, who does the work (Responsible), who owns the outcome (Accountable), who gives input (Consulted) and who hears the result (Informed). Tasks go down the side and people across the top. Each task gets exactly one A.

Draw one up at the start of any project with more than three people or more than one team, and again when a new client contact joins. It earns its keep the first time two people each think the other one was sending the weekly report.

RACI MATRIX
Project: [PROJECT NAME]
Client: [CLIENT NAME]
Prepared by: [PREPARED BY]
Date: [DATE]

KEY
R = Responsible: does the work
A = Accountable: owns the result and signs it off (one per task)
C = Consulted: asked for input before the work is done
I = Informed: told once it's done

TASK | [PERSON OR ROLE 1] | [PERSON OR ROLE 2] | [PERSON OR ROLE 3] | [PERSON OR ROLE 4] | [PERSON OR ROLE 5]
[PHASE 1 NAME] | | | | |
[TASK] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER]
[TASK] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER]
[TASK] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER]
[PHASE 2 NAME] | | | | |
[TASK] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER]
[TASK] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER]
[TASK] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER] | [RACI LETTER]

CHECKS (one per task row)
Task | Count of A (must be 1) | Count of R (at least 1) | OK?
[TASK] | [A COUNT] | [R COUNT] | [YES OR NO]
[TASK] | [A COUNT] | [R COUNT] | [YES OR NO]

CHECKS (one per person column)
Person or role | Tasks as R | Tasks as A | Load comment
[PERSON OR ROLE 1] | [R TOTAL] | [A TOTAL] | [LOAD COMMENT]
[PERSON OR ROLE 2] | [R TOTAL] | [A TOTAL] | [LOAD COMMENT]

AGREED BY
[NAME] - [ROLE] - [DATE]
[NAME] - [ROLE] - [DATE]

What to put in each blank

[PERSON OR ROLE 1]
Use roles for a template you'll reuse and names for a live project. Include the client's people if they approve or supply anything.
[PHASE 1 NAME]
Group tasks by phase, such as discovery or launch, so the sheet reads in the order the work happens.
[TASK]
Name a deliverable or a decision, not an activity that never ends. Sign off the design is a task; design is not.
[RACI LETTER]
Enter R, A, C or I, or leave the cell blank. One person can be both R and A on a small task; write A/R.
[A COUNT]
Count the A letters in the row. Zero means nobody owns the result, and two means two people will argue about it.
[LOAD COMMENT]
Note anyone who is R on most of the tasks. That person is the project's bottleneck, whatever their job title says.

Before you send it

  • Keep the Consulted list short. Every C is a person whose reply you have to wait for.
  • Walk the finished matrix through with everyone named on it in one meeting. Disagreements about an A are far cheaper to settle now than at the deadline.
  • Put the client in the matrix where they approve something. Most delays on client work trace back to an approval nobody assigned.
  • Revisit the matrix when someone joins or leaves the project, not only at kick-off.

PeopleMuster filters your whole project portfolio by tech lead or project manager, with health, task and setup scores beside every client project.

Questions people ask about this letter

What does RACI stand for?

RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed. Responsible people do the work, one Accountable person owns the result, Consulted people give input before, and Informed people are told after.

Can a task have more than one accountable person?

No. Each task has exactly one A, because shared ownership means nobody makes the final call. You can have several R entries on one task.

What is the difference between responsible and accountable?

Responsible is who does the work; accountable is who answers for the result and signs it off. On a small task one person is often both, written as A/R.

When should you not use a RACI matrix?

Skip it for a two-person task or a one-day job, where the owner is obvious. Use it once a project spans teams, a client, or more than a few weeks.

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