What is RACI and how do I use it?

One of the reasons for an operational problem in a company is often a lack of responsibility or clarity in the roles linked to a task. To resolve this issue, RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed), an analysis and communication tool, helps to clearly identify the different roles in operations.

The French acronym stands for Réalisation, Approbateur (the person in charge), Consulté, Informé.

What is RACI?

Definition of RACI

The RACI is a matrix for assigning roles to players in the various tasks of a project or activity. This exercise facilitates a clear understanding of responsibilities and avoids gaps in the picture.

Indeed, lack of clarity in the definition of roles can lead to surprising and often legitimate blockages. For example:

• The person performing the task may know there’s a problem but not know who to report it to.
• While the person in charge of the task expects the director to step up and deal with the problems
• Or that the person actually responsible for the task may legitimately no longer remember that he or she is responsible.
• Etc.

Clearly defining who is responsible for sub-optimization in a company can therefore reduce friction and the lack of reaction to an operational problem.

The letter R stands for Responsible, i.e. Director (and especially not responsible).

This is the most astonishing part of this article on RACI! Admittedly, the translation of the word “Responsible” is “responsable”, but there’s a semantic difference. English speakers use the word responsable for task completion. The most relevant translation is Réalisateur. Oufff, we’ll keep the R in Raci.

If a task is collaborative between several collaborators, with a balanced distribution of achievements, then several R’s should be entered in the RACI matrix. On the other hand, if the distribution of outputs is unbalanced, the majority collaborator will be the R and the others will be Cs (for consulted or contributors).

A from RACI for Accountable, i.e. the real person in charge, otherwise known as the Approver

This is where we determine who is really in charge of the action, who has authority over the task, who must do everything possible to ensure that the task is carried out optimally, and if not, who must implement the necessary improvements.

He’s also the one who’s responsible for the company’s directors. Once the person in charge has been defined, it is his responsibility to ensure that there are no failures, and not that of the director.

For a more efficient and transparent organization, it is generally strongly discouraged that the director be the same person as the approver.

Getting back to semantics, the translation of Accountable is Responsable. But so as not to break the logic of the RACI acronym, French speakers use Approbateur.

The letter C for Consulted or Contributor

In the case of collaborative tasks and heterogeneous projects, several Cs can be placed in the matrix. This role is a one-off contribution to a task, so it’s called consulted or contributor.

Behind this role of the RACI often lies expertise on a specific company subject. He reminds us that it is important to consult this person before making any decision. And that, at the slightest request, the person consulted has the “responsibility” to act by responding to the consultation.

However, just because the “consultee” has a certain responsibility doesn’t mean that reminders and alerts should be omitted. The producer, in the first instance, and the approver in the second, must ensure that the process is carried out correctly.

The letter I in RACI stands for Informed.

These are the employees who have no production to do on the task, but who need to be informed. These teams also have the right to call the A of the task to account if the R fails to do so.

It should be noted that only those employees should be included in the RACI who have a real added value for the customer in having this information. Putting in this loop a feather-brained boss from another department who has nothing to do with it, would be a mistake and would impact the governance of the activity or project.

RACI-VS or RASIC to enrich RACI

For RACI-VS, the letters V and S can be added to specify certain roles:

• V for verifier, e.g. for quality or compliance processes
• S for signatory, e.g. the final validation of a process or the signing of a contract

For RASIC, R,A,I,C correspond to the same concept. The S brings a notion of support in the realization of the task.

How do you carry out a RACI on a project or activity?

A) Defining a RACI leader

As with the various tasks in a RACI, the RACI must be drawn up by a person in charge and validated for the various stakeholders in an activity. This person must then list the collaborators, identify the tasks, define the roles and validate the RACI with the various stakeholders.

B) Perform a mini audit or diagnosis of an activity or project to identify tasks

In order to identify tasks and players, the RACI manager will then have to check the precise sequence of tasks with his colleagues. There are two risks in doing this on your own, without asking others for their daily routine:

• Forgetting tasks and therefore making an incomplete RACI
• Failing to unite teams in the implementation of this new tool and ending up with a rejection of RACI

Building the RACI is therefore a collaborative task, potentially leading to organizational transformation. It is therefore important to set up a change management system.

In addition, touring the teams will enable the RACI manager to identify sub-optimizations and suggestions for improvements or automation.

C) Model operation with a diagram or map

Flowcharts are powerful, collaborative tools for modeling business processes. They provide a visual representation of events, tasks, actors, data flows, conditions, etc. Find out more about modeling

D) Building the RACI matrix

Please note that depending on your context, you can make two types of RACI:

• A fine-mesh one, for operational use, which describes each task very clearly.
• A macro plus for company directors or for various strategic reporting purposes.

Steps to build a RACI matrix :

1. Line by line, list the various tasks. You can break them down by phase, process or task group.
2. Then list the roles involved in an activity or project. For example: Business Manager or Business or Support Manager, Operator, Salesperson, Engineer, Developer, Analyst and even, if necessary, external resources such as service providers, suppliers or customers.
3. Fill in the boxes on the RACI matrix with the letters R, A, C or I. Note that only the letter A must be unique, the others may be multiple.

In addition to this RACI, it may be important to provide other deliverables:

• The list of collaborators for each role. This makes the tool more concrete for teams.
• Formalizing operating rules, even tacit ones.

E) Share and validate with stakeholders

A lack of communication or an authoritarian approach without change management will lead to dysfunction and rejection.

Take the time at each stage of the RACI approach to unite your teams by showing them the benefits and added value for them.

Example of added value for an operator: No more running around to different business support players to find out the status of an order.

Example of added value for the manager: Better anticipation of stock shortages or no longer having to over-control tasks.

Added value for a manager: Reduce delays, avoid shortcomings and errors.

What form and tools for RACI: an Excel spreadsheet or workflow software?

You have two choices in the RACI format:

• Use a “written” document, such as Excel, PDF or a slide presenting the matrix. Handy at the beginning of the process, but likely to be forgotten in a drawer or at the bottom of a file server.
• Use workflow software to digitize RACI and automate certain tasks.

Below is an example of RACI digitized with workflow software:

• Each box represents a stage, assigned to a player (Initiator, Manager, Director, Purchasing Manager, Accountant). At the appropriate moment, each player receives information and a form for entering further information.
• Some tasks are automated, such as notifying “Informés”, updating ERP or business software, sorting invoices…
• Conditions may be set to activate other stages, depending on the case

Step-by-step description of the example

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Now you know all about the RACI matrix. Now it’s your turn! See you soon for more content!