How to Create a RACI Matrix: 7 Steps, Example and Template

What do the four RACI roles mean?

RACI separates doing the work from owning the result. Responsible performs the work; Accountable owns the outcome; Consulted provides necessary input; Informed receives relevant updates.

Responsible versus Accountable

Responsible means carrying out the work. Accountable means owning the final result. One role can hold both assignments, recorded as A/R. Consultation involves two-way communication; informing usually means sharing an update without requesting approval.

How to create a RACI matrix in seven steps

1. Define the scope and the problem

Choose one project or recurring process, such as onboarding, a product launch or quarterly planning. Identify the problem: missed handovers, duplicated work, slow approvals or unclear ownership.

2. List concrete tasks, decisions and deliverables

Place specific work items in the first column. Replace broad labels such as “Recruitment” with “Approve the role requirements”. Separate preparation and approval where they have different owners.

3. Identify the participating roles

List roles across the top. Include people who execute work, own outcomes, provide essential advice or depend on the result. For recurring processes, use role titles and maintain a separate register of current role holders.

4. Assign Accountable and Responsible roles

Give every row exactly one Accountable owner and at least one Responsible contributor. Use A/R when one role holds both. Confirm that the Accountable owner has the authority to accept the outcome.

5. Add Consulted and Informed participants selectively

Add C where input is necessary and I where updates are useful. Leave cells blank when a role has no meaningful involvement. Document mandatory legal or regulatory approvals explicitly rather than assuming C provides sign-off.

6. Validate with the people doing the work

Confirm capacity, authority and acceptance of assignments. Test missed deadlines, disagreements and absent owners. Agree escalation and cover arrangements before publishing.

7. Publish, apply and review

Keep the matrix alongside the team’s work. Reference it in meetings and handovers. Assign a maintenance owner and version date. Review it when staffing, scope or processes change.

RACI matrix example: employee onboarding

This illustrative example is not a client case study. Adapt assignments to your organisation’s authority, policies and approval requirements.

Legend: R = Responsible; A = Accountable; C = Consulted; I = Informed; A/R = both roles; — = no assigned involvement.

Accountability changes with the deliverable. The most senior person is not automatically Accountable for every task.

A practical RACI matrix template

Build a spreadsheet with a task column and one column per participating role. Enter R, A, C, I, A/R or leave the cell blank.

Add acceptance criteria, deadlines, consultation windows and escalation notes where useful. These are operating notes, not additional RACI categories.

How to review your RACI matrix

Read across each row to check ownership, then down each role column to examine workload and decision concentration.

• No R: nobody has accepted execution responsibility.
• No A: no clear owner of the outcome.
• Several As: final ownership remains unresolved.
• Too many Cs: consultation may create a queue.
• Many As in one column: test for overcentralised decisions.
• Many Rs in one column: check capacity.

These are discussion prompts, not automatic proof of a fault. Recurring problems may require a wider review of structure and ways of working through organisation development consulting.

Common mistakes and limitations

Creating assignments without agreement

Participants must understand and accept their roles. A chart cannot resolve expectations that nobody has agreed to fulfil.

Replacing the delivery plan

RACI clarifies participation, not budgets, deadlines or capacity. Use it alongside project planning.

Confusing tasks with outcomes

Completing tasks does not necessarily achieve the desired business result. RACI clarifies participation; OKR implementation connects work to measurable priorities.

Making the chart too large

Start with unclear handovers and decisions. Simple work may need only a task list; complex governance may need additional approval rules.

Publishing once and forgetting it

Update assignments when responsibilities change. Role clarity supports collaboration but does not replace trust and constructive conversations. Explore our guide to building a high-performing team.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is a RACI matrix?

A responsibility assignment chart that maps work to Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed roles.

2. How do you create a RACI matrix?

Define the scope, list the work and identify roles. Assign responsibilities, validate them with participants, then publish and maintain the matrix.

3. Can one person be Responsible and Accountable?

Yes. Record A/R if that is your convention. Preserve independent approval where policy or regulation requires it.

4. Can a task have several Responsible people?

Yes, when contributions are clear. Identify a coordination lead or split the task into smaller rows. Retain one Accountable owner per row.

5. How does RACI differ from an organisational chart?

An organisational chart shows reporting relationships. A RACI matrix shows participation and accountability for specific work across reporting lines.