Define a RACI matrix for a cross-functional project

RACI Matrix Skill

This skill produces a complete RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix for a project, product launch, or ongoing process. Output is ready to share with teams to clarify ownership, reduce decision bottlenecks, and eliminate duplication of effort.

Required Inputs

Ask the user for these if not provided:

• Project or process name
• Key activities or decisions to map (or the user can describe the project and the skill will derive them)
• Teams or roles involved (list team names and key individuals if helpful)
• Primary purpose — clarifying launch ownership / onboarding a new team / reducing bottlenecks / governance documentation
• RACI variant — standard RACI, or RASCI (adds Supportive), or DACI (Driver, Approver, Contributors, Informed)?

Output Structure

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RACI Matrix: [Project / Process Name]

Version: [1.0] Owner: [Programme lead / PM] Date: [Date] Teams involved: [List teams]

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1. Role Definitions

Before reading the matrix, agree on what each letter means for this project:

Letter	Role	Definition	Rules
R	Responsible	Does the work. One or more people actually execute the task.	Multiple Rs are allowed — but if there are many, consider splitting the task
A	Accountable	Owns the outcome. Signs off on decisions. Answers if something goes wrong.	There must be exactly one A per row. Never two. Never zero.
C	Consulted	Provides expertise or input before work is done. Two-way communication.	Consulted parties must be engaged — not just available. Cap at 3 per row or it becomes noise
I	Informed	Notified of progress or outcomes. One-way communication.	Informed only — they don't review or approve

Golden rules:

• Every row has exactly one A
• The same person or team should not be A for more than [X] rows — spreads accountability too thin
• C is expensive — consulting someone means they must respond. Use it intentionally
• If someone is R they cannot also be A for the same task unless they are the decision-maker (common in small teams)

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2. RACI Matrix

Columns = teams or roles. Rows = activities or decisions.

Activity / Decision	[Role 1]	[Role 2]	[Role 3]	[Role 4]	[Role 5]	Notes
[Phase 1: Discovery]
Define project scope and objectives	A/R	C	I	I	—	PM leads; engineering consulted on technical feasibility
Conduct user research	R	A	C	I	—	UX researcher executes; PM accountable
Approve discovery findings	C	A	I	R	—
[Phase 2: Design]
Define solution approach	A	R	C	I	I
Design system / UI designs	C	A/R	I	I	—
Design review and sign-off	C	R	A	I	—
Accessibility review	I	R	A	C	—
[Phase 3: Build]
Technical architecture decision	C	C	A/R	I	—
Sprint planning	A	C	R	I	I
Code review and merge	I	C	R	A	—
Security review	I	C	C	A/R	—
[Phase 4: Launch]
Launch go / no-go decision	A	C	C	R	I	PM holds final authority
Release to production	C	I	A/R	I	—
Customer communications	A/R	I	I	I	C
Post-launch monitoring	C	I	R	A	—
[Ongoing / BAU]
Incident response	I	C	R	A	—
Feature prioritisation	A/R	C	C	I	I
Stakeholder reporting	A/R	I	I	I	C

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3. Decision Map

For high-stakes decisions, document the decision type, who holds authority, and how disagreements are resolved:

Decision	Authority (A)	Must consult (C)	Escalation path if disagreed
Scope change >20% effort	[Exec sponsor / Programme lead]	[PM, Engineering lead]	[Steering committee]
Budget overrun >10%	[Finance / Exec]	[PM, Programme lead]	[CFO / Board]
Architecture pattern change	[Engineering lead]	[Tech lead, Security]	[CTO]
Go-live date change	[PM]	[Engineering, Comms, CS]	[Programme sponsor]
Feature cut from scope	[PM]	[Product, UX, Engineering]	[CPO]

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4. Common RACI Anti-Patterns — and Fixes

Review the completed matrix against these failure modes:

Anti-pattern	Symptom	Fix
Multiple As	Two teams both think they own an outcome	Agree one A; the other becomes C or I
No A	Decisions stall; no one feels responsible	Assign the most senior stakeholder as A
Everyone is C	Every decision goes to a committee	Audit each C — does this person actually provide input that changes outcomes? If not, move to I
R without A	Work gets done but no one owns quality	Add an A; usually the manager of the R
A without R	Accountability without execution — manager is disconnected	Add an R from the team; or combine A/R if appropriate
Too many Rs	Diffusion of responsibility	Split the task into sub-tasks, each with one clear R
Key team missing from matrix	They're affected but not in the RACI	Add them; assign at minimum I for relevant rows

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5. Communication Template

Once the RACI is agreed, use this template to communicate it to all involved teams:

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Subject: [Project Name] — Roles and Responsibilities Agreed

We've finalised the RACI matrix for [Project Name]. Here's what it means for you:

[Role 1 team]: You are Accountable for [X, Y, Z activities]. This means you make the final call on those decisions and answer if outcomes are not met.

[Role 2 team]: You are Responsible for [A, B, C]. You execute the work. For [D], you are Consulted — we need your input before decisions are finalised.

[Role 3 team]: You are Informed on [E, F] — we'll send you updates at [weekly / milestone / launch]. No action required unless you see something that needs escalation.

Please review the full matrix here: [Link]. Raise any concerns by [Date] — after that, we'll treat it as agreed.

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6. RACI Review Cadence

Trigger	Action
New team member joins	Review rows relevant to their role — update R as needed
Phase change (e.g. discovery → delivery)	Review full matrix — some Rs and As will shift
Escalation or confusion about ownership	Use the matrix to diagnose — find the missing A
3 months into a long programme	Full RACI review — roles drift over time
Team restructure or reorganisation	Full rebuild — ownership assumptions change

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Quality Checks

• Every row has exactly one A
• No individual or team is A for more than their realistic sphere of authority
• C columns are sparse — consulting everyone dilutes the process
• Matrix was reviewed and agreed by at least one representative from each role column
• A communication plan exists to share the RACI with all involved parties
• Decision map covers the top 5–10 highest-stakes decisions in the project

Anti-Patterns

• Do not assign more than one Accountable per task — shared accountability means no accountability
• Do not create a RACI with more than 5–6 roles — it becomes unreadable and unenforceable
• Do not include tasks so broad that the RACI cannot be acted upon — break down to decision-level granularity
• Do not skip the conflict resolution process — RACI matrices without a process for disputes are unused after the first disagreement
• Do not confuse Responsible with Accountable — document the distinction clearly for each role

Example Trigger Phrases

• "Build a RACI matrix for our product launch"
• "Create a responsibility matrix for our new cross-functional project"
• "Who owns what on this initiative? Help me build a RACI"
• "Map out decision rights for our engineering and product teams"
• "Generate a RACI for a [migration / launch / process] involving [teams]"