RACI matrix as a liability management tool. RACI: transcript

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

One of the most common causes of unsuccessful projects is the incorrect distribution of functions between team members. Surely you have already encountered this: at the slightest difficulty, the participants begin to look for the guilty and throw responsibility on each other instead of solving the problem. And just to avoid such situations, the RACI matrix was invented - a simple and effective tool for human resource planning.

"Under the microscope": 4 key roles in every project

The distribution of tasks is one of the main responsibilities of a manager. But in practice, everything usually looks different: the manager simply appoints team members with the expectation that the specialists themselves will decide who should do what. But what happens if the deadlines were missed or a low-quality product was released? "I don't do this", "I wasn't told"… And no useful action.

A well-designed RACI Responsibility Matrix can solve many problems. According to this methodology, regardless of the complexity and scope of work, a team member of any project performs one of four roles.

R - Responsible

Translated by Responsiblemeans "performer". This is an employee who is directly responsible for the implementation of a particular area of work. However, in most cases, he does not choose solutions and reports to the project manager.

Competent workers and specialists are appointed to this role - people who know how to do. In RACI, performers perform the following functions:

• determine what exactly needs to be done to implement the project and how long it will take (within the conditions set "from above");
• make a list of needed resources;
• participate in the coordination and approval of technical documentation;
• analyze project progress and intermediate results;
• provide progress reports to the manager.

There can be several such people in the team. In addition, this role can be combined with others. The most common combination is Accountable + Resbonsible (translated as "responsible + executor").

A - Accountable

"Accountable" or "responsible" is the main project manager. It is he who is responsible for ensuring that the tasks are completed on time, with the required level of quality and within the allocated budget. Also, A:

• selects executors and project management team;
• assigns tasks to all participants;
• controls the progress of work;
• distributes resources among performers;
• keeps records of resource usage, andwill also justify to the curator the need to allocate additional funds;
• considers ideas and suggestions from other team members and can approve or reject them.

Typically, the project manager acts as the "link" between the customer or upper management and the team.

C - Consulted

The third role in the RACI matrix is the "consultant" (sometimes also referred to as the "facilitator"). Along with the manager, he takes part in project management, but primarily deals with strategic issues:

• approves any changes in the scope and timing of work;
• allocates the resources needed to implement the project;
• if necessary, agree with the customer on the need to increase the budget;
• receives progress reports from the manager;
• makes decisions in any unforeseen situations, in the event of critical changes that may affect the timing and cost of the project.

The role of consultants is usually assigned to senior managers. It is they who determine the global goals, and then appoint a project manager who already distributes tasks among team members.

I - Informed

In addition to the listed roles, the "informed" ("observer") is indicated in the RACI matrix. He performs the functions of an administrator and is mainly involved in the organization of document management. The observer reports to the project manager, however, unlikeother participants, is not responsible for its results. Instead he:

• collects and organizes all information on the project, resources and plans;
• takes minutes of meetings;
• accepts documentation from project participants to then transfer them to the appropriate structures;
• monitors the deadlines for submission and the correctness of filling out reports.

Note that communication with an observer is predominantly one-way. Its main function is to relieve the manager of the need to waste time on bureaucratic procedures and "unburden" him.

Learning to build a RACI matrix using an example

Let's talk about the practical side of the issue. How to draw up a diagram for the distribution of powers and responsibilities?

1. Compiling to do-list

First of all, you need to write down everything that needs to be done. The level of detail depends on the specific project. Sometimes, for ease of control and management, several matrices are developed. First, list the main blocks of work, and then break each into separate functions and tasks. The list of works is indicated in the table vertically.

Steps
Terms of Reference
Prototype
Design
Program code
Test report
Website presentation

2. Choosing team members

Here you need to answer the question: "Who will be involved in this project?". Horizontally, it is necessary to list all employees and / or departments that are involved in the implementation at all stages - from planning to presentation of results and submission of a report.

Steps	Analyst	Designer	Sys. architect	Developer	Tester	Sys. admin	Project manager
Terms of Reference
Prototype
Design
Program code
Test report
Website presentation

3. Filling in the table

Afterthen you can start to distribute functions. To do this, you need to have a clear understanding of each stage of work and how work works in teams.

Let's take our example as a basis and stop at the "Design" stage. In this case, R - performer - only one. In the process of work, he focuses on a pre-prepared prototype of the site. Therefore, the system architect who developed it, at this stage, acts as a consultant C. Also, the analyst and developer can express their wishes. The finished design is approved with the project manager (A). But the testers and the system administrator at this stage do not make any decisions, but only receive information about how the work is going, and therefore they are assigned the role of the informed - I.

Steps	Analyst	Designer	Sys. architect	Developer	Tester	Sys. admin	Project manager
Terms of Reference	R	I	C	C	I	C	A
Prototype	C	I	R	C	I	I	A
Design	C	R	C	C	I	I	A
Program code	C	I	C	AR	I	I	I
Test report	C	C	C	C	AR	I	I
Website presentation	C	I	C	C	I	AR	I

Model variations

In most cases, you can get by with a standard matrix. However, when working on more complex projects, sometimes there is a need for additional roles. Therefore, in recent years, 2 extended versions of the responsibility diagram have appeared.

RACI-VS

Here two more roles are added to the standard roles:

• Verifies (V) - an employee or a special team that checks whether the result of the implementation of a particular task meets the approved criteria.
• Signs off (S) coordinates the delivery of the project with the customer, conducts a presentation and provides reports. Usually this function is performed by the Accountable, but RACI-VS hires a separate specialist for this.

With increased control and closer contact with the client, this model is ideal for technically complex or large-scale projects that involve dozens (or even hundreds) of people.

RASCI

In this variant, one new role appears in the matrix - Supportive (S). Its key functions are to provide the project with additional resources, that is, support for the manager and performers.

The perfect balance of roles

The RACI matrix is compiled not only to know who to "repress" in case of any problems. Even at the planning stage, using this table, you can seeweaknesses in the organization of the workflow.

Vertical analysis allows you to see the responsibilities and powers of each of the project participants, to objectively assess the level of workload:

• a lot of R - most likely, a person will have to be torn between several tasks, which will negatively affect the speed and results of work;
• a lot A - the employee "gets in the neck" for everyone; it is recommended to distribute responsibility more evenly;
• no cells R and A - reason to think about the appropriateness of this position as such (in fact, you pay a specialist who does nothing);
• no empty cells - again the problem of overload, not everyone is able to perform so many tasks at the same time.

Horizontal analysis, in turn, demonstrates the quality of work organization at each stage. Here, too, problems often arise:

• a lot of R - perhaps there is a duplication of functions, and one of the team members is doing unnecessary work;
• a lot of A - there is a "blurring" of responsibility and confusion in the delivery of projects;
• a lot of C - discussions significantly slow down the workflow (you need to wait until everyone makes their edits and comments, find compromises, etc.);
• no I - can be a signal that too many performers are working on one task, which also slows down the project.

With RACI, a manager can quickly identify overworked or underemployed workers, useless jobs, and areas of work for which no one is responsible. A well-designed matrix can significantly improve the quality of organization and control over the implementation of projects, as well as reduce the number of conflicts between performers (“I don’t do this at all …”, “He should have done this …”, etc.).

Helpful tips

There are a few important things to keep in mind for the RACI matrix to perform its functions and ensure efficient business continuity in the company.

1. When filling out the table, consider the qualifications of employees. So, an accountant should not be appointed as a consultant (C) at the site layout stage, at least because he does not understand this area.
2. There must be only one Accountable (A) per lot. If there is more than one, please specify the conditions. For example, A1 is responsible for testing the desktop version of the site, and A2 is responsible for testing the mobile version.
3. Any task must have Accountable and Responsible (in translation - "Responsible" and "Executor").
4. Try to formulate each task as specifically as possible. Use verbs - "publish", "prepare", "write", "check", "update", etc. It is advisable to immediately indicate the necessary results - not just "Check the site loading speed", but "Make sure the loading speed is site no more than 0.8 sec".
5. Actions should not apply to a specific employee, but to the position as a whole.
6. It is better to compile the RACI matrix in a team, based on the analysisreal work situations. It is important that each participant is aware of their role and the tasks that they face.