RACI Chart (Responsibility Assignment Matrix): Rules, Example and Spreadsheet Checks
“I thought you were doing that.” Most projects hear that sentence at least once. A RACI chart prevents it by showing, for every task, who does the work, who is answerable for it, who gives input and who is kept informed. This guide explains the four letters, the rules (and where experts disagree), builds a complete example for a website project, and shows spreadsheet formulas that check your chart for gaps and overloaded people. A template and a list of common mistakes follow.
What a RACI chart is
A RACI chart is a table. Tasks or deliverables run down the side and people or roles run across the top. Each cell holds one letter, or stays blank. Wikipedia’s article on the responsibility assignment matrix describes RACI as a technique for setting out the responsibilities of various stakeholders in completing tasks or deliverables, and notes it is also called a responsibility assignment matrix or linear responsibility chart. The four letters are:
| Letter | Role | Meaning | Question it answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| R | Responsible | Does the work | Who is doing it? |
| A | Accountable | Is ultimately answerable for the result and signs it off | Who decides if it is done? |
| C | Consulted | Gives input before the work is finished or decided; two-way communication | Whose opinion do we need? |
| I | Informed | Is kept up to date; one-way communication | Who needs to know? |
It can be built at the start of a project or used mid-project to find out why a process is stalling. For the wider picture of project roles, read our guide to project team roles and responsibilities, which includes a shorter sample chart. This page goes deeper on the rules and the checks.
The rules, and where sources disagree
Two rules come up everywhere, but sources do not agree on the exact wording. That is worth knowing before you argue about it in a meeting.
| Rule | Wikipedia’s article | The projectmanagement.com RACI page |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible | At least one R per task; others can assist | Only one R per activity, but none missing |
| Accountable | Only one A per task or deliverable (it notes this is required by some project management theories) | No one-A rule stated; the A is typically the sponsor or the project manager with final sign-off |
The page on RACI at projectmanagement.com also warns that the matrix only works if everyone accepts the final version.
The rules we use in this guide are the common-sense overlap of the two:
- Every task has exactly one A. If two people are accountable, nobody is.
- Every task has at least one R. Aim for one when possible. Allow two only when the work is truly shared, and say who leads.
- A and R can be the same person. Write A/R. This is normal for small tasks.
- Keep C and I lists short. Every extra C slows decisions.
- Use roles, then add names. People change; roles last.
A complete example
The tasks and people are made up: a small website project with seven roles. The project manager is shortened to PM. A blank cell means the role is not involved.
| Task | Sponsor | PM | Designer | Developer | Content lead | QA | Finance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Approve charter and budget | A | R | I | I | I | I | C |
| 2. Build plan and schedule | I | A/R | C | C | C | C | I |
| 3. Design the pages | I | A | R | C | C | ||
| 4. Approve the designs | A | R | C | C | C | ||
| 5. Write page content | I | A | C | I | R | ||
| 6. Build the site | I | A | C | R | C | I | |
| 7. Test the site | I | A | C | C | C | R | |
| 8. Approve a budget change | A | R | C | C | |||
| 9. Go-live decision | A | R | I | C | I | C | I |
| 10. Pay vendor invoices | I | C | A/R |
Read it row by row. In task 4 the sponsor is accountable for approving the designs, while the project manager prepares the approval (R) and the designer, developer and content lead give input (C). In task 7 the QA tester does the testing (R) and the project manager owns the outcome (A), so the developer is consulted but does not mark their own work.
Auditing the chart
Row check. Each task has exactly one A and at least one R. All ten rows pass. Now check the columns, which is where charts reveal problems:
| Role | R | A | C | I | Tasks involved in (of 10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| PM | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Designer | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Developer | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
| Content lead | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| QA | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Finance | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Count note: task 2 and task 10 are A/R, so each is counted once under R and once under A. The A column adds to 4 + 5 + 1 = 10, one per task.
What the audit shows (our reading):
- The project manager is a bottleneck. They hold an R or an A on 9 of the 10 tasks. If the PM is away, work stops. Consider making a lead (such as the developer for task 6) accountable for work in their own area, once the sponsor agrees.
- The developer is consulted on 6 tasks. That is a lot of interruption. Batch the questions into set times, or ask whether every C is needed.
- The sponsor is informed on six tasks and accountable on four, all decisions. That looks healthy: the sponsor decides and does not do the work.
A chart shows an organization’s intent. It does not prove people will behave that way, so confirm it in conversation.
Spreadsheet checks
Put tasks in column A (rows 2 to 11) and the seven roles in columns B to H. Add two helper columns, I and J, and a row of counts below. The wildcard formulas below work in Excel and in Google Sheets.
Formulas (for row 2; copy down)
Exactly one A (cell I2): =IF(COUNTIF(B2:H2,"A*")=1,"OK","Fix A")
At least one R (cell J2): =IF(COUNTIF(B2:H2,"*R*")>=1,"OK","No R")
R count for a role (row 12, under column C): =COUNTIF(C2:C11,"*R*")
Tasks a role is involved in (row 13): =COUNTA(C2:C11)
The “A*” pattern counts both A and A/R cells, and “*R*” counts both R and A/R. Add conditional formatting so any “Fix A” or “No R” turns red. Run the check whenever the chart changes.
How to build one in a 45-minute workshop
- Prepare (before). List the deliverables and key decisions from the plan. Aim for 8 to 15 rows. Too many rows will bury the important ones.
- Roles (5 minutes). List the roles across the top. Group small ones, and name real people later.
- Fill A first (10 minutes). Decide the accountable person for each row. Argue about this now, not later.
- Fill R (10 minutes). Who does the work? Check that no row is missing an R.
- Fill C and I (10 minutes). Be stingy with C. Ask: would the work be worse without this person’s input before it is finished?
- Audit (5 minutes). Run the row and column checks. Fix the overloaded person.
- Agree. Everyone named signs off, and the chart goes into the project plan. Review it at each phase, as work and people change.
The projectmanagement.com page recommends the same core process: list activities and roles, fill the cells, check for overlaps and gaps, cross-check that fixes did not break other rows, and get the parties to agree.
Variants: RASCI, DACI and others
Wikipedia lists several variants that add or rename letters. Names and meanings vary between organizations, so define yours at the top of the chart.
| Variant | What it changes |
|---|---|
| RASCI (also RASIC) | Adds S for Support |
| DACI | Driver, Approver, Contributor, Informed. Often used for decisions rather than tasks |
| RACI+F | Adds Facilitation, for Scrum projects |
| RACIO / CAIRO | Adds Omitted, for people deliberately left out of the loop |
| PARIS | Participant, Accountable, Review required, Input required, Sign-off required |
Start with plain RACI. Add a letter only if a real confusion in your project needs it.
When RACI does not fit
- Self-organizing agile teams. Scrum teams share ownership of the work, so a detailed task-by-task chart can fight the method. A RACI still helps at the edges: who decides priorities, who approves a release, who is consulted by other departments. See the roles in agile project management.
- Tiny teams. With three people who talk daily, a chart may be more effort than the problem.
- Fast-changing work. If the chart is out of date within a week, use a shorter list of key decisions.
- Cultures where saying “no” is hard. A chart does not create authority. It only records it.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Two As on one row | Each assumes the other will decide | Choose one. Move the other to C |
| No R | The task has no owner and is not done | Assign the doer |
| Everyone is C | Decisions need endless sign-offs | Keep C for people whose input changes the result |
| A far from the work | The accountable person cannot judge quality | Choose an A who understands the task or has a reviewer |
| Manager is A and R for everything | A bottleneck, as in the audit above | Delegate A for work in others’ areas |
| Made once, never used | Reality drifts from the chart | Review at each phase and when people change |
| Chart not agreed | People ignore it | Get sign-off from everyone named |
Related: scope creep often starts when nobody is clearly accountable for approving a change, and the PMBOK planning process group covers where role planning fits.
Learn more
See our guides on the executing process group, enterprise project management and project management tips. To compare training, read the project management certificates guide.
Online providers such as Coursera and Udemy list project management courses. We may earn a commission if you sign up, at no cost to you. We are not affiliated with any university. Check each syllabus to see whether it covers roles and responsibility planning.
Frequently asked questions
What does RACI stand for?
Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed.
What is the difference between Responsible and Accountable?
Responsible people do the work. The accountable person is answerable for the result and signs it off. They can be the same person on small tasks.
Can there be more than one Responsible person?
Sources differ. Wikipedia says at least one; another common page says one per activity. In practice, use one where you can, and name a lead if two people share the work.
Why only one Accountable?
Because shared accountability usually means no one decides. Wikipedia notes that some project management theories require a single accountable stakeholder per task.
What is the difference between a RACI chart and a responsibility assignment matrix?
The responsibility assignment matrix is the general idea of mapping people to work. RACI is the most common version, with four letters.
What is the difference between Consulted and Informed?
Consulted people give input and communication goes both ways. Informed people receive updates, usually one way.
Can I make a RACI chart in Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. A simple table plus the checks above is enough for most projects.
What is the difference between RACI and RASCI?
RASCI adds an S for Support, for people who help the responsible person.
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