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What Is a RACI Chart? How to Use RACI to Assign Project Roles

clear assignment of responsibility

It’s a fact: Complex projects make it easy for teams to lose track of tasks.

You might have an air-tight project plan and a stellar team to back it up. But if you’re not crystal clear about assignments—or even involvement—on a task level, confusion, crankiness, and even demotivation will creep into your project team.

Lucky for you, avoiding those issues is as simple as creating a RACI chart. 

In this article, we’ll explain what RACI stands for and how it’s used in project management. We’ll also share a few practical examples so you can see how to apply the RACI model to different types of projects.

What is a RACI chart?

Raci definitions explained, benefits of the raci model in project management, how to make a raci chart, raci rules and best practices.

  • RACI chart examples

When to use or skip a RACI chart for your project

Common raci pitfalls and how to avoid them.

A RACI chart—also known as a responsibility assignment matrix —is a diagram used in project management to define team roles across 4 categories: Responsible , Accountable , Consulted , and Informed . It helps clarify who does the work, who calls the shots, whose opinion matters, and who needs to stay in the loop for each task, milestone, or decision.

A RACI chart enables you to visualize roles and responsibilities at a more granular level than simple resource assignments. That way team members and stakeholders know what’s expected of them so confusion doesn’t get in the way of project success.

Example of a simple RACI chart

RACI stands for Responsible , Accountable , Consulted , and Informed . Each letter in the acronym represents the level of ownership each person involved in a project will have on an individual deliverable. 

This simple chart gives you an at-a-glance view of RACI meanings and how many people to assign to each role in your RACI matrix .

RACI definitions matrix with meanings for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed

R = Responsible

This team member does the work to complete the task. Every task needs at least one Responsible party, but it’s okay to assign more.

Examples of people you might assign to the Responsible role:

  • Content writer
  • Graphic designer
  • UI/UX designer
  • Software developer
  • Business analyst
  • QA specialist

A = Accountable

This person delegates work and is the last one to review the task or deliverable before it’s deemed complete. On some tasks, the Responsible party may also serve as the Accountable one. Just be sure you only have one Accountable person assigned to each task or deliverable. (Note: It might not be your project manager!)

Examples of people you might assign to the Accountable role:

  • Project manager
  • Product manager
  • Department head

C = Consulted

Every deliverable is strengthened by review and consultation from more than one team member. Consulted parties are typically the people who provide input based on either how it will impact their future project work or their domain of expertise on the deliverable itself.‍

Examples of people you might assign to the Consulted role:

  • Software architect
  • Content editor
  • Creative director
  • Compliance officer
  • Security specialist
  • Legal counsel

I = Informed

Informed stakeholders simply need to be kept in the loop on project progress, rather than roped into the details of every deliverable.

Examples of people you might assign to the Informed role:

  • Executive leadership
  • External clients
  • Team members assigned to dependent tasks
  • Customer support team
  • Administrative staff

Responsible vs Accountable meanings in RACI

The same person can be both Responsible and Accountable for a task in RACI—including a project manager. But they’re not one and the same. So what’s the difference?

  • Responsible is a task-oriented designation that applies to the person (or people) actually completing the work. A whole team can be responsible for the execution of one task. ‍
  • Accountable is an outcome-oriented designation that applies to a single person who reports on the work, whether in status updates or upon delivery. Being Accountable means you must answer for and/or sign off on the deliverable and deal with the consequences if it falls short of goals.

Side-by-side comparison of responsible vs accountable in RACI

At its core, the RACI model helps you set clear expectations about project roles and responsibilities. That way you don’t have multiple people working on the same task or against one another because tasks weren’t clearly defined on the front end.

A RACI chart also encourages team members to take responsibility for their work—or defer to someone else when needed. Essentially, you’ll remove personal judgment and politics from your process and focus on your team’s ability to act responsibly within a framework you’ve created. Sounds pretty sweet, huh?

Building a RACI chart for your project is a relatively simple task. The hardest part is thinking through all the people involved in your project and what role makes the most sense for individuals at each stage of work.

You’ll want to map out a RACI chart for your project during the planning stage. This ensures responsibilities are clearly defined before work begins and gives you time to adjust to avoid any gaps or overlaps in assignments.

Here are the basic steps for making a RACI chart:

  • List key project phases, tasks, and/or milestones in a column down the left side of your chart. You can get as detailed as you want, depending on the complexity of your project (and attention-span of your project team and stakeholders). 
  • Enter the people involved in your project across the top row of your chart. Each individual should serve as the header of a single column. You can use names or job roles—whatever makes sense for your team and project.
  • Go line by line down the chart, and assign each person across the row an R, A, C, or I to indicate the role they’ll play on that particular task.

Once your RACI chart is good to go, you can create a communication plan that aligns with the roles you’ve outlined for project teams and stakeholders.

Want to save time? Download our free RACI Excel template , or see how TeamGantt's built-in RACI feature works.

Using a RACI chart is a whole lot easier when you follow a few simple rules. Once your RACI chart is complete, review it to be sure it meets these criteria:

  • Every task has at least one Responsible person.
  • There’s one (and only one!) Accountable party assigned to each task to allow for clear decision-making.
  • No team members are overloaded with too many Responsible tasks. You can use TeamGantt’s Workloads report to check availability across all your active projects.
  • Every team member has a role on each task. (It’s not uncommon for some folks to be Informed on most tasks.)

These best practices can help you get the most out of RACI:

  • Focus on project tasks, milestones, and decisions in the RACI chart. Avoid generic or administrative to-dos like team meetings or status reports .
  • Align the tasks in your RACI chart with your project plan so there’s no confusion about details and due dates. (TeamGantt does this work for you by tying your RACI chart directly to your plan!)
  • Keep RACI definitions close by because they can be tough to remember sometimes! ‍
  • Assign the Responsible team members to tasks in TeamGantt .

RACI chart examples: Practical application in the real world

Let’s take a closer look at how you might put the RACI model to work on real-life projects. 

Producing a marketing handout

We’ll start with a simple example. Imagine you’re creating a RACI chart for a handout your marketing manager will distribute at an industry conference. 

Basic tasks for this project might include:

  • Write project brief
  • Create content
  • Design handout
  • Review first draft
  • Update handout
  • Approve final
  • Send to printer

In this project example, we’ve assigned RACI roles to 7 key team members:

  • Marketing manager
  • Editorial director

Sample RACI chart for the production of a marketing handout.

Let’s zoom in on the RACI roles we mapped out for the Create content task example so you understand the why behind these assignments. 

  • Responsible : The content writer is listed as Responsible for this task, so that’s who will actively work on content creation.
  • Accountable : The editorial director is listed as Accountable for this task because that’s who is ultimately on the line for content quality and accuracy. Once the content is written, she’s the one who will review it to ensure it meets their company’s editorial standards.
  • Consulted : The marketing manager is listed as Consulted . Since the marketing manager is the subject matter expert for the presentation, the writer can go to them for input or help filling in content gaps along the way.
  • Informed : Several people have been assigned to the Informed role, though for different reasons. Since the Design handout task depends on this one, we want to make sure the writer keeps the creative director and designer informed on the status of content creation. The project manager and CMO are listed as Informed simply because they want to be kept in the loop about how work is progressing.

Developing a new software product

Now let’s look at a more complex project example. 

Developers who use an Agile workflow to tackle the job likely know what they need to do because there’s a constant stream of communication. But cross-functional departments and senior leaders might need more clarity. 

Here’s how you might map RACI roles to major tasks in a software development project , broken down by key tasks and RACI roles. (For the Informed assignments, we only listed people who need detailed progress updates to keep our example easier to read.)

Market Research

  • Responsible : Business Analyst, Marketing Manager
  • Accountable : Product Manager
  • Consulted : Sales Representative, Customer Support
  • Informed : Project Manager, Software Developers

Requirement Gathering

  • Responsible : Business analyst
  • Accountable : Product manager
  • Consulted : UI/UX Designer, Software Architect
  • Informed : Project manager, QA analysts

Design and Prototyping

  • Responsible : UI/UX Designer
  • Consulted : Business analyst, software developers
  • Informed : Marketing manager, QA analysts

Software Development

  • Responsible : Software Developers/Engineers
  • Accountable : Software Architect
  • Consulted : Product Manager, QA Analysts
  • Informed : Project Manager, Technical Writer
  • Responsible : QA Analysts/Engineers
  • Accountable : Project manager
  • Consulted : Software Developers, DevOps Engineer
  • Informed : Product Manager, Technical Writer
  • Responsible : DevOps Engineer
  • Accountable : Project Manager
  • Consulted : Software Developers, QA Analysts
  • Informed : Product Manager, Customer Support

Maintenance

  • Responsible : DevOps Engineer, Software Developers
  • Consulted : QA Analysts, Technical Writer
  • Responsible : DevOps Engineer, QA Analysts
  • Consulted : Software Developers, Technical Writer

Marketing and Sales

  • Responsible : Marketing Manager, Sales Representative
  • Accountable : Marketing Manager
  • Consulted : Product Manager, Customer Support

User Training

  • Responsible : Customer Support Specialist
  • Consulted : Technical Writer, UI/UX Designer
  • Informed : All project team members

A RACI chart serves just about every project well. But it’s especially helpful when tasks require multiple resources, run concurrently, or depend on other tasks.

Here are a few scenarios when the RACI model is useful:

  • The decision-making or approval process could hold up the project.
  • There’s conflict about task ownership or decision-making.
  • The project workload feels like it’s not distributed evenly.
  • You experience turnover on a team and need to onboard someone quickly to a new role.

Of course, not all teams and projects are created equally. You might work with a team who just happens to communicate really well and stays on top of their own work. (Lucky you!) Or maybe your project is small enough that it would be silly to take the time to go through this exercise. 

In cases like these, don’t worry about taking the extra step of creating a RACI chart. Just be sure you have a clear plan in place to guide your team and project.

Further reading : How to Create a Realistic Project Plan: Templates & Examples

Now let’s walk through a few common mistakes that could hinder your RACI chart’s effectiveness.

Failing to get buy-in from your team and stakeholders

Creating a RACI chart in a vacuum is never a good idea. In a best-case scenario, you’d sit down with your team and stakeholders to walk through the role assignments on each task. But let’s be real: That’s not always possible.

Just be sure everyone represented has acknowledged and agreed to the roles and responsibilities you’ve laid out. More importantly, you want to check that your chart eliminates any further project confusion.

Setting it and forgetting it

It’s easy to build a RACI chart at the start of a project, then let it collect dust once the real work begins. But remember: This chart will defend you against mishaps that arise when you have too many cooks in the kitchen or a team member who thinks someone else is handling the work.

That’s why it’s important to keep these roles top of mind throughout a project’s life cycle. You can do this by reviewing RACI assignments for upcoming tasks in weekly status update meetings and making sure everyone involved in a project has easy access to the RACI chart. 

In TeamGantt, you can assign RACI roles directly in your project plan so they’re clearly visible as team members work their way to the finish line.

Overcomplicating stakeholder communication

If you have a lot of Consulted and Informed roles on your chart, make sure you have an easy and lightweight way to keep them informed. It could be as simple as making sure department heads and senior leaders have access to your project plan so they can follow progress along the way. 

Managing a project with external clients or stakeholders? Sharing a view-only link to your project in TeamGantt is a great option for looping in folks outside your organization.

Further reading: A Project Manager’s Guide to Effective Stakeholder Management

Keep teams in sync—and accountable—with TeamGantt

A RACI chart is a simple tool that makes projects easier to manage by creating less confusion and more accountability. But you’ve got more than roles and responsibilities to keep straight.

TeamGantt makes it easy to build a project plan your whole team can contribute to and collaborate on. Everything happens online, so you can stay on top of deadlines and monitor progress in real time.

Use our built-in RACI chart to assign roles and keep them visible from project start to finish, so everyone knows how they contribute to success.

Try TeamGantt for free today!

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Roles and Responsibilities Unclear? Do This

Unclear Roles and Responsibilities - Main

Does your team suffer from having unclear roles and responsibilities? Team members might end up doing a lot of work, but is it the *right* work or are they wasting time?

Are your people doing work that other people are already completing? Or are your people confused about what they really should be doing?

If the answer to any of these questions is “maybe” or “yes!”, you can improve this situation by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of your team members .

Why Clear Roles and Responsibilities Are So Important

Having well-defined roles and responsibilities is important in a team. Without them, you’re likely to see a number of issues.

Here are some examples of the damage that unclear roles and responsibilities can cause:

  • Your people don’t understand how they fit into the team. It can be hard for your people to find that “task significance” . Task significance is what helps people feel like their job makes a difference. They understand the value of the role they play.
  • Your people waste time. Perhaps they are working on things they shouldn’t be. Maybe they are doing work that other people already have on their list. Or perhaps they aren’t doing important work that they really should be doing!
  • Team members can’t tell if they are doing a good job . If roles and responsibilities are unclear, it’s hard to be certain about where to focus your effort.
  • Conflict and frustration is commonplace. When work is forgotten and needs to be done in a rush, or multiple people are trying to do the same work at the same time, the natural outcome is frustration and conflict. Before long, people might start playing the blame game.

Many leaders will probably say that roles and responsibilities in their team are very clear. However, this is only true if everyone thinks the same thing!

I’ve worked in environments where nothing is written down or defined, and people work it out as they go along. This is not an environment where you can guarantee quality work.

You need to make sure that everyone understands the roles and responsibilities in your team. Everybody needs to be on the same page. This will help your people be productive, feel valuable and improve motivation.

Learn More: 4 Job Satisfaction Killers That Are Demotivating Your Team .

A Word of Warning: Rigid Roles and Responsibilities Can Reduce Motivation

Clarifying roles and responsibilities is important. However, we must be careful not to go too far.

Bored manager in 1 to 1 meeting

One of the most important factors in motivating team members is being able to provide them with autonomy.

That is, they need some ability to control the way they work, without needing to follow strict instructions every time.

Following strict instructions can get boring really fast, so flexibility is important.

The more experienced your people are, the more they will demand autonomy, because they are highly skilled and will start to resent being told how to do their jobs.

How detailed your roles and responsibilities are will depend on the work that you team does, and the level of experience they bring to the table.

So be sure to use caution. While it may be tempting to develop a super-detailed set of roles and responsibilities, this can stifle the creativity and independence of your team or have them feeling bored about their work.

Learn More:   Thoughtful Leader Podcast #42: Moving Your People Along the Motivation Spectrum.

How to Fix Unclear Roles and Responsibilities in Your Team

1. clarify roles in your team by finding the responsibility gaps.

Sometimes it can be a good idea to work out the difference between what your people are doing, and what you really need them to be working on.

Start by listing out the tasks you need your team members to be performing as part of their role. Use their job description as a guide. Hint: If they don’t have a job description, create one, even if it’s just a simple list of bullet points!

Now, write down the tasks that they actually  are performing. Is there a difference? If so, this is the gap between the role you need them to play and what they are actually doing. Chances are, this has happened because roles and responsibilities are unclear.

It’s quite common for people to do work they shouldn’t be focused on, instead of the work that you really need them to do.

Sometimes this happens because other people outside of your team may be asking them to complete other tasks. Or, your team may be volunteering to work on other things, outside of their core duties.

Fixing the Gaps

When roles and responsibilities are unclear, your team is vulnerable to this sort of problem. After all, if people don’t know any better, they may simply choose to focus on the tasks they enjoy most (which might not be the ones you need them to work on).

You can see this shown as The Gap, in the chart below.

Fixing the Gaps - Unclear Roles and Responsibilities

For every gap you find, you need to clarify the role or team who should actually be performing the work.

It’s possible that another team might actually be performing work that is your team’s responsibility. Or, your people might be doing the work of another team, which takes the focus off their own role.

If you find large gaps, or these gaps are resulting in stress for your team, then you should look at making a change. Use your list of responsibility gaps as the starting point to have some conversations and get everyone “singing from the same hymn sheet”.

  Seeing Performance Issues In Your Team? Try These Things.

2. Clarify Roles in Your Team by Creating a RACI

Consider clearing up unclear roles and responsibilities by developing a RACI matrix to define the roles in the team. RACI stands for:

  • R = Responsible: The person actually doing the work.
  • A = Accountable: The person who will be ultimately held accountable for the work, or approve it. This is often a manager (probably you).
  • C = Consulted: A person who should be consulted for their input about the work. These people could be outside of your team.
  • I = Informed: A person who should be informed of the outcome or progress of the work, but they shouldn’t really have a say in how the work is done.

Create a table and write a list of the people or roles at the top, and the tasks or functions of the team on the left. In each entry in the table, you need to put one or more of the RACI letters, as shown below.

RACI Matrix - Unclear Roles and Responsibilities

A Sample RACI Matrix

Important Notes For Fixing Roles and Responsibilities With Your RACI Matrix

  • Each task should only have one “A”. Only one person should be accountable for something. Hint: If everybody is accountable, nobody is accountable!
  • You can have multiple “R” entries for a task. This means more than one person actually performs the work, which is quite common.
  • You can have an “AR”. This means that the person who is accountable is also doing the work.
  • “C” is for consultation only. This means the person doesn’t perform the work. Instead, you just ask for their input and feedback.
  • Try not to have too many “I”s. There is a temptation to inform everybody about everything, but you should concentrate on the people who really need to know.

Once you have created your RACI, make sure that everyone understands what it means. Ask for feedback and see whether you need to make any adjustments. It’s also helpful to let your own boss know about the matrix too, so they are clear about what your team is doing.

It’s also important to set clear expectations about following the RACI matrix. You need to refer to it consistently so the message sinks in. I’ve seen many teams create a RACI expecting everybody to use it, but then nobody takes any notice!

Learn More:   People Won’t Follow Your Process? Do This!

3. Clarify Roles in Your Team by Getting Feedback

It’s a good idea to openly communicate with your team to test your thinking when you’re trying to fix unclear roles and responsibilities. You might have noticed conflict, frustration or uncertainty in your team to prompt the conversation.

Leader giving feedback about behaviour issues

Ask your team members for feedback and see whether they feel the uncertainty that you do. Some team members will stay silent even when they feel confused, so it can be useful to bring the confusion out into the open.

Remember: if the roles in your team don’t seem clear to you, then they probably aren’t clear to others either. Be sure to ask questions and clarify your understanding.

Once you clarify the unclear roles and responsibilities, everyone can do their jobs well. This will improve performance, result in greater job satisfaction and reduce frustration and conflict.

Learn More: Thoughtful Leader Podcast #35: How to Create Open Communication in Your Team .

4. Clarify Unclear Roles and Responsibilities by Maintaining Oversight

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This may be using a system or even a simple spreadsheet. Whatever you choose, be sure you can monitor progress and keep an eye on the work happening in your team.

This extra visibility will help you maintain oversight of the work of the team, but also help everybody have a greater understanding of what others are doing.

Try also meeting with your team frequently and discussing their current workload. This can be a great way to spot unclear roles and responsibilities, where there may be overlaps between team members or even other teams.

The starting point to fixing unclear roles and responsibilities is knowing they exist, so make sure you have the right oversight of the work in your team!

Learn More: How to Get Comfortable Without Controlling Leadership .

5. Clarify Roles and Responsibilities By Communicating Them Clearly

It’s important that roles and responsibilities are clear within your team. That should be a top priority.

Next, it’s important to ensure that important stakeholders also understand the situation. Important stakeholders often include your own boss, and your colleagues who lead other teams.

I’ve seen many leaders come unstuck when their boss is not aware of a team’s roles and responsibilities. They may communicate the wrong information to others and confuse the situation.

Or worse, they may ask your people to perform tasks that aren’t aligned with the roles and responsibilities you’ve set out.

What Can Happen When the Boss Is Out of Alignment

Here’s a real-life example that I’ve seen happen in a busy workplace.

Sam has recently worked to clarify the roles and responsibilities in her team. The team understand the situation and are comfortable with the new arrangements. Sam’s boss, Alex, isn’t aware of the adjustments that Sam has made to the team roles. In conversation with another senior leader, Alex promises that someone in Sam’s team can take on some additional workload to help out. This new work is not aligned to the revised roles and responsibilities, creating confusion and uncertainty in the team.

There are a few things going on in this situation, and you might think “Why is Alex promising things about Sam’s team?”

I agree, it shouldn’t happen that way. But sometimes it does, and that’s why you need to keep the boss in the loop, so they understand the situation.

I’ve Clarified the Roles and Responsibilities. Why Are People Still Complaining?

Sometimes you will clarify roles and responsibilities in your team, and people will still be unhappy. You will create a RACI and set expectations but you’ll still see conflict. People might even continue to ask for clarity about roles.

Creating a RACI matrix or using a task tracking system does not automatically fix your team problems ! If this is a recurring issue in your team or organisation, there is a good chance that bigger problems are at play.

In my experience, constant fighting about roles and responsibilities happens for a few reasons:

  • People are scared of being blamed for something
  • People feel threatened about job security
  • Someone is not happy with the work that they are undertaking
  • People are struggling to perform their roles, due to lack of skills or experience
  • Stakeholders lack trust that the people assigned to do the work can actually do the job; or
  • There is a power struggle at play. Someone wants to own more of the work than they currently do.

You might need to have some difficult conversations to set expectations and work through the issues. Unfortunately, there is no “one size fits all” solution!

Don’t rely on a process, system or tool to fix your people problems. This is the job of leadership.

Do you have any good ideas for clarifying roles and responsibilities, or stories about when unclear responsibilities were a big problem? Share your experience in the comments below!

About the author: ben brearley bsc. bcm mba dipprofcoaching.

clear assignment of responsibility

19 Comments

clear assignment of responsibility

I just stumbled on this blog on leadership and got so challenged with the enriching insight on leadership clarification that make team development fulfilling. Thank you

clear assignment of responsibility

Thank you very much for your comment – I appreciate it. And I’m glad you are getting some value from the posts!

clear assignment of responsibility

You’re welcome!

clear assignment of responsibility

Really good stuff; brief and clear

Thanks for the comment Richard, appreciate it.

clear assignment of responsibility

I found your article very useful. Thank you!

Within our firm, our roles and responsibilities have become blurred/confused. Our president has often assigned responsibilities to people based on their competence and trustworthiness, but these responsibilities have come to be outside out the departments as we’ve grown.

We are looking to have someone come and help us clear up who should be doing what, and prepare job descriptions that all the invested parties agree to and will be kept accountable to.

Do you know what the name of the service and the title of the consultant are that we’re looking for?

It sounds to me like you’re looking for an Organizational Development Consultant. Generally they have skills and experience relating to Human Resource management, organizational structures and capability development. The mixture of those three domains should be able to help you.

Thanks for your comment and good luck on clarifying your situation!

Cheers, Ben

clear assignment of responsibility

I’ve been struggling with being in a role that is unclear to me and my peers. Thank you so much for this article! It’s very insightful and will help me start a conversation with my boss on taking steps to resolve this.

You are welcome – I hope you make some progress to clarify your situation!

clear assignment of responsibility

Great article – thank you! For several years, our team was very demotivated, conflicts between team members were the “normal” and turnover was way higher than for the rest of the company (great company, btw!). We kept saying we needed “swimlanes/job descriptions and roles clarified but our manager said she did not want to “confine” us. Recently she left the company and wow – what a difference – within a few weeks we had clarified our roles and responsibilities, gotten expectations from upper management clarified and have a highly motivated, excited, quickly developing team! Clarification of roles and responsibilities is critical – possibly more impactful than raises or bonuses! We’ve completed the “RA” part of the chart on our own, but I love the RACI chart for us to continue to improve the clarity of our multi-faceted projects and responsibilities, so will definitely use that as a next step for our team – thank you!

Thanks for sharing your experience Faye.

Roles and responsibilities are a really important foundation. Once they are in place and people start to become comfortable with how the team is working, I usually find that everyone relaxes and becomes more collaborative, helping each other get the work done rather than arguing over the RACI :)

So use the RACI to set a basic foundation, but then don’t be scared of flexing roles a little when you need to!

clear assignment of responsibility

The RACI is a great tool – I love that you are clear regarding the fact that there should be only one accountable party. I have seen this mistake many times. Clarity saves so much time – as long as we communicate!

clear assignment of responsibility

Thank you, Sir Ben for the selfless sharing of these valuable thoughts on leadership and management. Indeed, these are helping us your colleagues. God bless.

You are welcome Ruth

clear assignment of responsibility

This is a super helpful blog post. Thank you!

You are welcome Anne, glad it is useful. Thanks for the comment!

clear assignment of responsibility

You are amazing this is really helpful! Can I follow you on socmed?

Thanks J – yes my social media links are at the top of the site :)

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Responsibility Assignment Matrix: Template, Example & Benefits

Home Blog Project Management Responsibility Assignment Matrix: Template, Example & Benefits

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Your team is the most crucial resource in completing a job. They must adhere to the project's schedule and budget. Controlling the project requires everyone involved to understand their roles and duties when carrying out tasks and accomplishing project objectives. How can all the participants in a project be coordinated so that they are aware of what they are doing and do not prevent others from carrying out their tasks? An assignment of responsibility matrix can be useful.

Your project will have a productive crew thanks to an assignment matrix. You can take an online PMP course to learn the details included in RAM, Responsibility Assignment Matrix in project management, and Responsibility Assignment Matrix example, to advance your career.

What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix in Project Management?

So, what is the responsibility assignment matrix?  A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), sometimes referred to as a RACI chart or RACI matrix, in project management identifies all relevant stakeholders and specifies roles for cross-functional teams and their level of involvement in a project. Each letter in the acronym RACI, which stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, refers to a different team member in the Responsibility Assignment Matrix in Project Management.

1. Responsible

The team member that oversees finishing the assignment is the person responsible for the RAM, Responsibility Assignment Matrix. The person in charge may be tasked with gathering all the visual and data assets required to put together the presentation if your team is working on a pitch deck (Responsible for executing the task).

2. Accountable

The responsible team member distributes the tasks to the other team members and ensures that they are finished accurately and on time. This team member oversees making sure the project is completed on schedule and that the tasks are fairly distributed among the accountable parties (Has governing & directing authority).

3. Consulted

A responsible party in Responsibility Assignment Matrix Project Management may frequently need to consult an expert, who serves as the consulted person, to finish certain responsibilities. A professional analysis of the consulted party is required when someone is tasked with gathering marketing statistics for a presentation. They also need to ensure that the data the responsible party is required to submit is accurate (Provide insights, analysis or expert judgment).

4. Informed

The informed party needs to be aware of when the major project components are finished even though they may not be directly involved in all the steps to ensure that everything is running smoothly. The informed team member must be aware of any delays or stalls in the project as they must complete their tasks (Updated with project information and outcome).

Responsibility Assignment Matrix in Project Management

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Goal in Project Management

The goal of the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is to clearly define roles and responsibilities of everyone on a project team. This ensures that everyone understands their role and how it fits into the bigger picture. RAM also allows for quick identification of whom to contact when an issue arises. It might also be applied within a working group to establish authority levels, roles, and duties for tasks.

The matrix format displays each person's associated actions and each person's associated people. To avoid confusion, this makes sure that there is only one person responsible for each task. It is also important to outline the dates and reminders for each participant, so that they are aware of their deliverables/plans to fulfill the deliverables. The best Project Management Certification programs online will teach you how to make efficient decisions and effectively use RAM.

How to Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix?

A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a table that shows the tasks needed to be completed as part of a project, who is responsible for each task, and when the task needs to be completed. Making a matrix to distribute responsibilities is not as challenging as getting everyone on board with their respective jobs and responsibilities.

You should therefore involve your staff in the process, receive their feedback, and eventually secure their buy-in without expending excessive time and effort on it. You will have a successful responsibility assignment if you follow these instructions to ensure that everyone is on the same page. 

  • List every person involved in the project, including the team, stakeholders, and everyone in between.
  •  List each project deliverable that you can think of. To make sure you do not overlook any, use a work breakdown framework.  
  •  To discuss how to carry out the tasks and produce the deliverables, meet with the team members. The duty and authority of the team for each assignment must be discussed.
  •  Utilizing a table with the project tasks specified in the left-hand column, create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix. Print the names of everyone involved in the project across the top.
  • Assign whether a project team member is liable, accountable, consulted, or informed where the tasks meet them.  
  •  Share the completed Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template Word with the project team and stakeholders. If necessary, conduct a meeting to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities for the project. Print a copy, and if you are working in a common location, post it.

Developing Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Best Practices

The best practices for developing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) will vary depending on the specific project and organization. However, some tips on how to develop a RAM matrix effectively include the following:

  • Define the project scope and objectives clearly, so that all stakeholders understand the parameters of the project and what is expected to be accomplished.
  • Assign clear roles and responsibilities to individuals and teams so that everyone knows who is responsible for what aspect of the project.
  • Make sure that the Responsibility Assignment Matrix PMP is kept up to date as the project progresses so that everyone is aware of any changes in roles and responsibilities.
  • Use the RAM matrix as a tool to help identify potential risks and issues related to the project so that they can be addressed early on.
  • One stakeholder leads a task.
  • The lesser number of people are accountable, the better.
  • Act efficiently with meetings.
  • Continuous communication.
  • Stakeholder agreement on final RAM.

Responsibility Assignment Matrix Examples and Templates

  • Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI) 
  • RACI-VS (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed- “V”erification and “S”ign off)
  • RASCI (Responsible, Accountable, Support, Consulted, Informed)
  • RAC (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted)
  • ARCI (Accountable, Responsible, Consulted, Informed)
  • RATSI (Responsibility, Authority, Task, Support, Informed)
  • PACSI (Perform, Accountable, Control, Suggest, Informed)
  • RACIQ (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed, Quality Review)
  • DACI (Driver, Approver, Contributors, Informed)
  • CAIRO (Consulted, Accountable, Informed, Responsible, Omitted)

sample responsible assignment matrix - RACI

Downloadable Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template Excel

Download the Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template (xlsx) here!

This Responsibility Assignment Matrix template is available for free in both Excel and OpenDocument Spreadsheet formats. The template can be completely modified using Microsoft Excel and adjusted to meet the needs of your project. To make it simple to understand what is required of each worker on each task, the template employs conditional formatting to change the color of each cell.

Download a Printable Responsibility Assignment Matrix PDF

Download the Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template (PDF) here!

If you intend to design a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), you may require samples and templates to use as a guide, regardless of whether you are managing an event, a construction project, or a restaurant. Some of the templates are-

  • Responsibility Assignment Matrix Sample
  • Responsibility Assignment Matrix for Construction Project Template
  • Basic Responsibility Assignment Matrix Sample
  • Responsibility Assignment Matrix in PDF

Benefits of Responsibility Assignment Matrix

There are many benefits of the Responsibility Assignment Matrix. One benefit is that it helps to ensure that everyone on a project team understands their roles and responsibilities. This can help to prevent misunderstandings and conflict between team members. Another benefit of using RAM is that it can help to improve communication between team members.

By clearly defining roles and responsibilities, team members will know whom to go to for specific information or tasks. This can help to avoid confusion and delays. Lastly, RAM can help to improve project management by providing a clear overview of who is responsible for what. This can help project managers to identify potential problems or areas where there may be a lack of resources.

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A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a tool used to identify and define the roles and responsibilities of individuals and groups within an organization. It is a means of clarifying who is responsible for what and ensuring that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. RAM can be used to create accountability and ownership for tasks and projects, and to identify potential areas of conflict.

It is a valuable tool for effective project management and can help to ensure that everyone involved in a project is aware of their roles and responsibilities. It can also help to identify potential areas of conflict and ensure that tasks are properly assigned. The KnowledgeHut online PMP course will give you an insight into the Responsibility Assignment Matrix and can be a helpful tool for any project manager.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. what is included in a responsibility assignment matrix.

A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a tool used to help define and assign roles and responsibilities for a project or process. The matrix typically includes a list of tasks or deliverables and the people or groups responsible for each. 

2. What can a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) eliminate?

RAM eliminates ambiguity and confusion over who is responsible for what on a project. It also provides a clear overview of who is responsible for each task, making it easier to hold team members accountable.

3. What does a Responsibility Assignment Matrix not show?

The duty assignment matrix links resources to the tasks or work packages they must do, but it does not indicate when they will be required to do their work.

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Article • 10 min read

Helping People Take Responsibility

What does it mean to take ownership of your work.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

clear assignment of responsibility

"A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make." – Denis Waitley, author and coach

For a team to succeed and accomplish their goals, each member must be able to hold themselves accountable when they make a mistake or miss a deadline.

If even one member of the team refuses to take responsibility and tries to blame someone else, your team will be negatively impacted. People won't trust or want to work with that person again, and they will resent their apathetic attitude.

It can be frustrating to have people who shirk responsibility on your team. However, there are steps that you can take to put things right. In this article, we'll discuss strategies that you can use to do this.

What Causes a Lack of Responsibility?

People duck responsibility for reasons ranging from simple laziness or a fear of failure, through to a sense of feeling overwhelmed by the scale of a problem or a situation.

Whatever the reason, if people fail to take responsibility, they'll fail in their jobs, they'll fail their teams, and they'll fail to grow as individuals. All of this makes it important to address the issue.

Signs of Not Being Responsible

Sometimes it isn't obvious when people are shirking their responsibilities, but there are several signs to watch out for. These include:

  • Lacking interest in their work, and in the wellbeing of the team.
  • Blaming others for mistakes and failures.
  • Missing deadlines.
  • Avoiding challenging tasks and projects, and not taking risks.
  • Regularly complaining about unfair treatment by team leaders and members and engaging in self-pity.
  • Avoiding taking initiative, and being dependent on others for work, advice and instructions.
  • Lacking trust in team members and leaders.
  • Making excuses regularly – they may often say "It's not my fault," or "That's unfair."

Ways to Encourage Responsibility

When team members don't take responsibility for their actions, some managers may just hope that the problem goes away. Others may try to remove these people from their teams completely.

Neither approach is ideal. The situation will likely get worse if you leave it alone, while laying people off should be a last resort – especially if you're dealing with someone who has the potential to be an effective team member.

Instead, aim to provide your people with the skills and resources needed to do their jobs. Then create an environment where it's easy for them to take responsibility for their decisions and actions.

We'll now explore a variety of strategies and tools that you can use to get people to take responsibility.

Start by Talking

Your first step is to talk to the individuals concerned. Are there circumstances that are contributing to the situation, or problems that you can deal with? After all, bad things can happen in people's lives, and this can affect their behavior at work.

Then provide feedback , so that the individuals know that their behavior needs to change. The GROW Model may be useful here. What you learn in your discussion provides the context for the next actions that you take.

Make sure that you have clear, accurate examples that you can cite when you provide feedback. If you don't, your arguments won't stand up, and you'll risk leaving the individual feeling victimized.

Ensure Adequate Resources

Make sure that your people have the resources that they need to do their job . This might include providing training, equipment, or access to mentors and coaches . This is a key step in helping people take responsibility for their work. If they don't have the "tools" needed to do their jobs, it's easy to shun responsibility.

Take our How Well Do You Develop Your People? self-test to improve your team development skills.

Communicate Roles, Responsibilities and Objectives

Your people need to know clearly what their roles and responsibilities are. Ensure that you have an up-to-date job description for each team member, and be as detailed as possible about every responsibility that they have.

When working with your team on a project, use a Responsibility Assignment Matrix to help keep assignments and responsibilities clear. You may also want to use a Team Charter to define everyone's roles and responsibilities within the team.

Sometimes, people don't take responsibility because they feel apathetic about their work. They can't see how their efforts tie into the "bigger picture." So, clarify how their work relates to the larger goals of the organization . Highlight the importance of what they're doing, and clearly explain the negative direct and indirect consequences that occur when they don't do their work properly.

Re-Engage People

Think about how you feel when you're doing work that you care about. You take responsibility for your actions because you have a deep sense of pride in what you're doing. The same will likely hold true for your people: by working on re-engaging them , you can lead your people toward personal responsibility.

Your people will be more engaged if their work aligns with their values . Talk to them to find out what they are. Then, illustrate how their daily tasks and responsibilities align with those values.

Team members could also be disengaged because they're not in the right role. Take some time to discover their strengths and weaknesses, and analyze whether or not they're using their strengths. If not, they might be better suited in a different role. (You can also use job crafting techniques to reshape their role to fit them better.)

Make sure that you're familiar with Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors . He identified common sources of job dissatisfaction and what motivates people. You must do both in order for team members to be happy and engaged in their work.

Help People To Take Control

Sometimes, people feel that they have no control over their lives. To them, it doesn't matter what they do or how hard they work, nothing makes much of a difference.

People who believe that outside forces constantly influence their life are said to have an "external locus of control," while those who believe that their actions shape events, have an internal one. Ask team members to take our Locus of Control quiz so that you can determine where they fall on this spectrum.

If you discover that people have an external locus of control, you can help them overcome this. Set modest goals to set up some quick wins ; then help them build their self-confidence . Also, remind them of their strengths and past success, and teach them how to think positively – instead of engaging in damaging, negative self-talk.

You can also break up large tasks or projects into smaller steps. A huge project or goal can make people feel overwhelmed, and, instead of being accountable for their work, they're far more likely to avoid responsibility.

People who don't take responsibility often play the blame game. If team members start to point the finger of blame, stop them immediately. Shift their focus away from assigning blame, and direct it to what needs to be done to fix the problem.

Give Plenty of Praise

Finally, be sure to give your people plenty of praise when they do take responsibility. And help them improve by providing them with consistent, effective and fair feedback.

Don't Micromanage

If you're having problems with members of your team not taking responsibility, it's also worth taking a fresh look at your own management style. Perhaps you aren't delegating clearly, or you're micromanaging them – if you hover over their shoulder, they're going to be reluctant to do anything without you in the background.

So, learn the art of delegation , and avoid micromanagement . Give your people the freedom to make their own decisions, but be ready to guide them in the right direction if required. If they're able to make decisions on their own, they'll start to realize that their efforts really do make a difference.

These strategies will go a long way toward getting people to take responsibility. However, some people simply may not be up to the job. Do what you sensibly can, but don't keep them "hanging around" once you've exhausted all reasonable options. (Clearly, make sure that you fully comply with national employment law and internal HR policies when you take any action.)

As you work through this process, document everything, so that you can explain your actions if challenged.

People who don't take responsibility for their work or actions are likely to have a negative impact on their team. Look for apathy, finger pointing, missed deadlines, or phrases like "It's not my fault" to spot team members who are avoiding accountability.

To help people take more responsibility for their work, provide them with the skills and resources to do their job. Create an environment that makes it easy for them to change.

Help them to take responsibility for their decisions and actions by:

  • Providing adequate resources.
  • Communicating roles, responsibilities, and objectives.
  • Re-engaging your team.
  • Helping team members to take control.
  • Avoiding micromanagement.
  • Giving praise.

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  • Collaboration |
  • 4 ways to establish roles and responsib ...

4 ways to establish roles and responsibilities for team success

Team Asana contributor image

It’s challenging to stick to a project plan without clear roles and responsibilities. When you define team roles, you can help teammates collaborate and work through projects more efficiently. In this guide, we’ll explain how to establish roles and responsibilities and why doing so will benefit your team.

You know that chaotic feeling of managing a project where roles and responsibilities are unclear? As one team member moves forward with the design, another moves forward with content. Both team members write the copy included in the images, assuming this is part of their role. Because of the miscommunication and duplicated work, the copy takes longer to deliver and you must delay the project.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to establish roles and responsibilities and why doing so will benefit your team.

1. Determine what needs to get done

You can use the following steps when identifying roles and responsibilities at both the organizational and project level. The first step when defining team roles is to determine the various tasks that need to get done. Some questions you can ask to identify these tasks include:

Were past projects completed successfully?

If not, what could have been done better?

What tasks are still on your team’s to-do list?

What tasks does each team member complete daily?

Are these tasks part of each team member’s job description?

When you know how much work needs to get done, you can delegate tasks accordingly.

2. Identify gaps in responsibilities

While this step is most relevant when defining roles at the organizational level, you may also have gaps in responsibilities when working on projects.

After creating your to-do list , compare and contrast these tasks with what team members are doing. This comparison will help you identify any gaps in responsibilities. These gaps may occur unintentionally if team members’ original job description is unclear or if they get pulled into other tasks by others.

When you identify gaps in responsibilities, these gaps become your starting point for team realignment. You can then move team members back to their intended roles and figure out who should take over any additional tasks they were handling.

Identify gaps in responsibilities

3. Clarify roles using a RACI matrix

A RACI matrix is a great tool for clarifying team member roles. RACI stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. You can set up a RACI matrix—or a table—with your tasks on the Y-axis and your team members on the X-axis. 

Assign one of the four RACI letters to each task and team member. This makes it easy for team members to know what their specific role is for each task. 

The legend below explains in greater detail what team roles work best with each letter of the RACI chart.

R = Responsible . This person performs the work. There should only ever be one Responsible per task, so everyone on the team knows who to go with for questions and updates.

A = Accountable . This person is responsible for approving the work and will likely be a manager.

C = Consulted . This person should give input on the work. This could be a team member or someone on another team.

I = Informed . This person should be informed of the progress and the outcome of the work, but they don’t give input on the work as it’s being performed. 

Example of a RACI chart

Additional tips for the RACI matrix: 

There should only ever be one Responsible per task ( R ) so team members know who is in charge of the work. If a task has more than one Responsible, team members can easily become confused.

While only one person should be accountable for each task ( A ), that same person can also be Responsible for the task ( AR ). 

It’s also important to limit the number of people you inform, as this can make your project unnecessarily complex ( keep I’s low ).

You can use a RACI matrix to set clear expectations for your team members and as a reference when executing projects. 

4. Get feedback from team members

Asking team members for candid feedback after you complete your RACI matrix can encourage team collaboration and provide insight into whether the roles you’ve assigned seem functional.

When your team members can voice their opinions, you create healthy team dynamics in the workplace by facilitating communication.

You can ask for feedback in several ways, such as: 

Hold a team meeting and ask, “Does anyone have an opinion on the team roles I’ve assigned?”

Schedule 1:1 meetings, so team members have a safe space to voice concerns.

Put out an anonymous survey so team members can share their honest responses.

When to clarify roles and responsibilities

There are roles and responsibilities at the organizational and the project level. As project manager, your job is to define both for your team at different times. Creating a solid team structure at the organizational level is crucial and should be addressed first if you’re noticing gaps in this area. 

For example, if a writer on your team is handling a lot of the project planning, it may be time to refocus their priorities and tasks. If a designer is responding to emails all day, realign your team structure so they have more heads-down time to create. 

Once your team knows their roles and responsibilities at the organizational level, you can approach each project individually. A designer may have general duties for their job role, but for a specific project, they may also be responsible for sending designs back and forth. 

The benefits of establishing roles and responsibilities

When you establish roles and responsibilities, you create a team structure that’s built to last. Team performance will improve when individuals feel confident in the duties they’re assigned.

4 reasons to establish roles and responsibilities

When team members have individual roles, the team also benefits in other ways, including:

Increased productivity: You’ll notice an increase in productivity when you assign key responsibilities to each team member. When team members have clarity about their roles and responsibilities, they can prioritize the right work and get their most high-impact work done.

Improve hiring process: When you clarify job responsibilities for different roles, you make it easier for hiring managers to meet team needs when searching for new hires. Without a clear list of responsibilities, it may be difficult for recruiters to explain job roles to candidates.

Boost team morale: When there’s a lack of clarity in what your team members should do, they may feel unsure of their skills. Defining roles and responsibilities can boost team morale because everyone will have a task to accomplish. You can also align team members to work on tasks that complement their natural abilities so they feel confident in what they’re doing each day. 

More efficient resources: Your organization will waste less time and money when team members perform the correct job roles. As seen in the example above, two team members who didn’t know their job responsibilities on a project doubled up on work. This duplicate work wasted valuable project time, and as a result, it also wasted money. The more efficient your team is, the leaner the budget and timeline will be. 

With clear and concrete team roles, your team members should feel confident and motivated to achieve their responsibilities. 

Examples of roles and responsibilities

Every role has key responsibilities that fit with that position. When aligned correctly, team members should know their role and only be responsible for tasks that fit under their job role. Take a look at some common roles and the responsibilities these roles may have.

Role: Project manager

Responsibilities: 

Plan and develop the project

Create and lead the team

Monitor and share project progress

Role: Visual designer

Responsibilities:

Produce consistent visual work

Keep team members up to date with project milestones

Create direction for projects and guiding team members

Role: Content writer

Research and write copy

Communicate with designers and managers on progress

Revise copy after receiving feedback from clients

These responsibilities may change based on the organizational culture , work environment, and abilities of each individual team member. You can make your own job responsibilities template that includes more detail such as who the team member reports to and requirements of the role.

Build a strong project team with clear communication and structure

As team leader, it’s your job to prepare your team members for every project. The best way to create a strong team structure is through open communication. With team communication software, you can meet deadlines and reach team goals by making sure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, when tasks are due, and where work stands.

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Program Management

A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) describes the participation of various organizations, people, and their roles in completing tasks or deliverables for a project. The Program Manager (PM) uses it to clarify roles and responsibilities in a cross-functional team , projects, and processes. A RAM has four primary assignments: Responsible , Accountable , Consulted , and Informed (also called a RACI matrix).

Definition: A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) describes the role and responsibilities of various people and/or organizations in completing specific tasks for a project.

Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) Matrix

A RAM is called a Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) matrix. The PMBOK Guide 4th Edition defines RACI as a RAM that illustrates the connections between work packages or activities and project team members. In fundamental terms, RAM refers to the framework in place to distribute duties to individuals where, in a RACI, each team member is assigned a role based on one of the four roles. On larger projects, RAMs can be developed at various levels.

  • Responsible (R): Those who do the work to achieve the task. There is typically one role with a participation type of responsibility, although others can be delegated to assist in the work required.
  • Accountable (A): The one ultimately accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the deliverable or task, and the one to whom Responsible is accountable. In other words, an Accountable must sign off (Approve) on work that Responsible provides. There must be only one Accountable specified for each task or deliverable.
  • Consulted (C): Those whose opinions are sought and with whom there is two-way communication.
  • Informed (I): Those who are kept up-to-date on progress, often only on completion of the task or deliverable, and with whom there is just one-way communication.

Benefit of Utilizing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

The RAM holds substantial advantages for project managers by clarifying the importance of their processes within the team. It fosters a sense of collective contribution among all employees, eliminating the sense of isolation. This project management technique, the RAM, empowers every team member to grasp the broader context of their work. Instead of simply instructing an administrative assistant to collect phone numbers without context, you can refer them to this valuable resource. By using the RAM, employees become more engaged in achieving positive results as they comprehend the alignment of their contributions with the company’s overall operations.

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Goal in Project Management

A RAM is used in project management as a communication tool to ensure that work tasks are designated as a responsible agent. A RAM can define what a project team is responsible for within each component of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) . It could also be used within a working group to designate roles, responsibilities, and levels of authority for specific activities. The matrix format shows all activities associated with one person and all people associated with one activity. This ensures that only one person is accountable for any task to avoid confusion.

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Tutorial

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Standard Format

A RAM is displayed as a chart that illustrates the interaction between work packages that need to be done and project team members. Typically, the list of objectives is on the left-hand column with the project team member names across the top. Each work package will be assigned to the appropriate project team member. The chart aids in communication among the project team members.

No one should typically have more than one degree of responsibility for any given deliverable or activity group in the RAM chart. To simplify things, we’ve assigned each participant in this scenario a certain amount of commitment. However, there is frequently white space when you create a genuine model for more than four people. In some situations, it’s okay to have someone with secondary responsibility but not primary.

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Template

Template: responsibility assignment matrix (ram) (excel), 6 steps to developing a responsibility assignment matrix (ram).

Below is a list of the 6 (six) most common steps in developing a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM).

  • Step 1: List all project tasks and deliverables
  • Step 2: Identify all project stakeholders
  • Step 3: Determine the responsibility and accountability level for each task and deliverable
  • Step 4: Assign stakeholders to each task
  • Step 5: Assign overall stakeholder
  • Step 6: Ensure all stakeholder know their responsibility

Developing Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Matrix Best Practices

Below is a list of best practice topics that can help Program Managers effectively build and use a Responsibility Assignment Matrix.

  • One stakeholder is in charge per task.
  • The least amount of people accountable, the better.
  • Be Efficient with Meetings.
  • Constant Communication.
  • Stakeholders agree on final RAM

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Lessons Learned

A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a tool used in project management to identify and clarify the roles and responsibilities of the different people or groups working on a project. The goal of making a RAM is to make sure that all tasks are done and that responsibilities don’t overlap or get missed. Here are some things you can learn to make sure your RAM is built right:

  • Define the project’s goals and scope in detail:  Before making a RAM, it’s important to have a clear idea of the project’s goals and scope. This will help make sure that all necessary tasks are included and that the responsibilities are in line with the overall project goals.
  • Find out who all the stakeholders are and what their roles are:  A RAM should have a list of all the people or groups involved in the project, such as internal team members, external partners, and customers. There should be roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder.
  • Give each stakeholder specific tasks and responsibilities:  Instead of giving each stakeholder a general role, it is important to give them specific tasks and responsibilities. This will help make sure that no one’s responsibilities get mixed up or left out.
  • Make sure that all stakeholders know about and understand the RAM:  It is important to make sure that all stakeholders know about and understand the RAM. This can be done by having regular meetings and giving updates, as well as by putting the RAM in writing.
  • Review and update the RAM often: As the project moves forward, it may be necessary to review and update the RAM. This can help make sure that the RAM stays correct and helps the project reach its goals.

Difference Between a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RMA) and a Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) Matrix

The PMBOK Guide 4th Edition defines RACI as a RAM that is used to illustrate the connections between work packages in a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and project team members. The difference between a RAM matrix and RACI matrix is:

  • A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) describes the participation of various organizations, people, and their roles in completing tasks or deliverables in a Work Break Down Structure (WBS) for a project.
  • A Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) matrix is used on projects where multiple groups of people as assigned a task. It helps on larger projects with a lot of people and organizations. It also helps with outside stakeholders and their responsibilities on a project.
  • A RACI can have multiple RAM within it.

AcqLinks and References:

  • Template: Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Template (Word)
  • Template: Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Template (Excel)

Updated: 1/11/2024

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The RACI matrix: Your blueprint for project success

A RACI matrix is a simple, effective means for defining project roles and responsibilities, providing a comprehensive chart of who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed every step of the way.

project management meeting raci

Having managed and rescued dozens of projects, and helped others do so, I’ve noted that there is always one critical success factor (CSF) that has either been effectively addressed or missed/messed up: clarity around the roles and responsibilities for each project participant and key stakeholder. No matter how detailed and complete a project plan may be for any project, confusion or omission of participant roles and responsibilities will cause major problems.

Enter the RACI matrix. The simplest and most effective approach I’ve seen and used to define and document project roles and responsibilities is the RACI model. Integrating the RACI model into an organization’s project life cycle (PLC) creates a powerful synergy that enhances and improves project outcomes.

What is a RACI matrix?

The RACI matrix is a project role and responsibility assignment chart that maps out every task, milestone, or key decision involved in completing a project and assigns which roles are Responsible for each action item, which personnel are Accountable , and, where appropriate, who needs to be Consulted or Informed . The acronym RACI stands for the four roles that stakeholders might play in any project.

In almost 100 percent of my project rescue efforts, I have found that there is no shared understanding of participant roles and responsibilities, nor is there explicit documentation to support it. Establishing such a consensus by employing the RACI model almost always gets a stuck project moving again, and enables the key stakeholders to readily deal with the other issues that require resolution.

[ Learn why IT projects still fail at an alarming rate, beware the 12 project management myths to avoid , and find out how to pick the right project management methodology for your team . | Get the latest project management advice by signing up for our CIO newsletters . ]

RACI matrix roles

The RACI model brings structure and clarity to describing the roles that stakeholders play within a project . The RACI matrix clarifies responsibilities and ensures that everything the project needs done is assigned someone to do it.

The four roles that stakeholders might play in any project include the following:

  • Responsible : People or stakeholders who do the work. They must complete the task or objective or make the decision. Several people can be jointly Responsible .
  • Accountable : Person or stakeholder who is the “owner” of the work. He or she must sign off or approve when the task, objective or decision is complete. This person must make sure that responsibilities are assigned in the matrix for all related activities. Success requires that there is only one person Accountable , which means that “the buck stops there.”
  • Consulted : People or stakeholders who need to give input before the work can be done and signed-off on. These people are “in the loop” and active participants.
  • Informed : People or stakeholders who need to be kept “in the picture.” They need updates on progress or decisions, but they do not need to be formally consulted, nor do they contribute directly to the task or decision.

How to create a RACI matrix

The simple process for creating a RACI model includes the following six steps:

  • Identify all the tasks involved in delivering the project and list them on the left-hand side of the chart in completion order. For IT projects, this is most effectively addressed by incorporating the PLC steps and deliverables. (This is illustrated in the example below.)
  • Identify all the project stakeholders and list them along the top of the chart.
  • Complete the cells of the model identifying who has responsibility, accountability and who will be consulted and informed for each task.
  • Ensure every task has at least one stakeholder Responsible for it.
  • No tasks should have more than one stakeholder Accountable . Resolve any conflicts where there is more than one for a particular task.
  • Share, discuss and agree the RACI model with your stakeholders at the start of the project. This includes resolving any conflicts or ambiguities.

RACI matrix example

For purposes of simplification, let’s say your project can be broken down into four discrete tasks, undertaken by a team of application developers, along with a sponsoring project executive, project manager , business analyst , and technical architect.

Step 1 of the process involves mapping out the project as a whole. For this, the project manager is both accountable and responsible for the work at hand. To determine the scope and deliverables of the project , the project manager consults with the project’s executive sponsor and with the business analyst about the process to be overhauled as part of the project. The technical architect and the application developers are subsequently informed of the project plan.

In Step 2, the business analyst must then delve more deeply into the process to help map out each facet of the business process to be overhauled. The business analyst is thus responsible for the task, with the project executive being accountable for signing off on this work. To better understand the technical underpinnings of the current process, the business analyst will consult with the technical architect. The project manager and application developers will then be informed of the conclusions derived from this portion of the project.

Here is an illustration of a simplified RACI model for this example project, taking these first two steps into account:

simplified raci matrix model chart cio

The subsequent third and fourth tasks involve shaping the new process, again with the business analyst responsible for this work, and the other roles on the team following their same responsibilities when the old process was being analyzed in Step 2. Step 4 sees the technical architect taking over, devising a new architecture that will support the new process, signed off by the executive sponsor, and held accountable by the project manager, who devised the scope and deliverables in Step 1.

RACI matrix template

Templates are available for free on the web for those looking to get started with the RACI model. These are typically geared toward Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, but can also be available for more specialized software. Here are several popular possibilities:

  • Vertex 42 Excel RACI templates
  • Projectmanager.com Excel RACI templates
  • Smartsheet Excel RACI templates
  • ClickUp RACI templates
  • Excel Downloads RACI templates

RACI vs. RASCI

RASCI is another type of responsibility assignment matrix used in project management. It retains the four core roles of RACI — Responsible , Accountable , Consulted , and Informed — but adds a fifth: Supportive . The Supportive role in a RASCI chart is responsible for providing assistance to those in the Responsible role. This may involve providing additional resources, expertise, or advice to help the Responsible party complete a particular task. Organizations that choose RASCI often do so to ensure that personnel who may not have direct responsibility or accountability but are nevertheless vital to the success of an activity or project are considered a notable facet (and cost) of the project. Individuals or entities that consult on a particular phase of a project, whether internal or external to the organization, provide an example of Supportive resources.

RACI matrix rules and best practices

Simply creating a RACI matrix is not enough. You must ensure that the matrix maps to a successful strategy. Here, certain rules should be followed, and conflicts and ambiguities in the plan must be hammered out.

When building out your RACI matrix, the following three rules should be applied:

  • Every task must have at least one Responsible party.
  • To ensure clear decision-making, each task should have only one Accountable person.
  • Every team member should have a role on each task, even if it is just to be Informed.

Resolving conflicts and ambiguities in a RACI matrix involves looking across each row and up and down each column for the following:

Analysis for each stakeholder:

  • Are there too many R’s : Does one stakeholder have too much of the project assigned to them?
  • No empty cells : Does the stakeholder need to be involved in so many of the activities? Can Responsible be changed to Consulted , or Consulted changed to Informed ? I.e., are there too many “cooks in this kitchen” to keep things moving? (And if so, what does that say about the culture within which this project is being managed?)
  • Buy-in : Does each stakeholder totally agree with the role that they are specified to play in this version of the model? When such agreement is achieved, that should be included in the project’s charter and documentation.

Analysis for each PLC step or deliverable:

  • No R’s : Who is doing the work in this step and getting things done? Whose role is it to take the initiative?
  • Too many R’s : Is this another sign of too many “cooks in this kitchen” to keep things moving?
  • No A’s : Who is Accountable ? There must be one ‘A’ for every step of the PLC. One stakeholder must be Accountable for the thing happening — “the buck stops” with this person.
  • More than one A : Is there confusion on decision rights? Stakeholders with accountability have the final say on how the work should be done and how conflicts are resolved. Multiple A’s invite slow and contentious decision-making.
  • Every box filled in : Do all the stakeholders really need to be involved? Are there justifiable benefits in involving all the stakeholders, or is this just covering all the bases?
  • A lot of C’s : Do all the stakeholders need to be routinely Consulted , or can they be kept Informed and raise exceptional circumstances if they feel they need to be Consulted ? Too many C’s in the loop really slows down the project.
  • Are all true stakeholders included in this model : Sometimes this is more of a challenge to ensure, as it’s an error of omission. This is often best addressed by a steering committee or management team.

RACI matrix in project management

It is the above analyses, which are readily enabled by the use of a RACI matrix, that deliver the real benefit of the model. It is the integration of the model with a specific PLC that ensures that the project is structured for success. Without either component, problems with the structure of the project management process may remain hidden until (or even while…) they cause the project to bog down. Making the time and effort to create a customized PLC/RACI for each significant project is an opportunity to design your project management process for project success.

More on project management:

  • Project management guide: Tips, strategies, best practices
  • What is a project manager? The lead role for project success
  • 5 early warning signs of project failure
  • 12 project management myths to avoid
  • 16 tips for a smooth switch to agile project management

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With more than 25 years of corporate leadership experience and 6 years of executive coaching expertise, Bob Kantor is the founder of Kantor Consulting Group . Through his company's executive coaching and leadership development programs, Bob supports IT and STEM professionals transitioning from managing technology to leading people with innovation and confidence.

It’s rare for technology-driven organizations today to be limited by or constrained in what they can accomplish based on their technology skills. Rather, it’s the soft skills of those in leadership positions that typically create bottlenecks, miscommunication, re-work and ultimately, projects that are over budget and behind schedule. These are all areas where Bob’s programs enable clients to gain traction and get things turned around.

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What Is a RACI Matrix?

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Our content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click links to our partners. Learn more in our  Editorial & Advertising Policy .

A RACI matrix is a document that clarifies which individuals or groups are responsible for a project’s successful completion, and the roles that each will play throughout the project. The acronym RACI stands for the different responsibility types: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.

Successful project management depends on a team-wide understanding of roles and responsibilities. Using a RACI matrix to assign and define each role is a great way to keep a project on track and positioned for success. When designed correctly, the RACI matrix is a way for a project manager to help ensure the success of the project before it’s even begun.

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How Does a RACI Chart Help Project Managers?

Project managers use RACI charts to keep track of team roles and relay those responsibilities to the larger team. The matrix defines clear roles and responsibilities for individual team members across the various phases of the project, breaking each role down into four types of designation: those who are Responsible and Accountable for project deliverables, those who should be Consulted as work begins, and stakeholders who need to be Informed of ongoing progress, roadblocks, and updates. 

Read more about project phases

RACI Matrix Definitions 

Responsible.

The individual(s) with responsibility for the task or deliverable is typically responsible for developing and completing the project deliverables themselves. The responsible parties are typically hands-on team members that make direct contributions toward the completion of the project. The responsible team is comprised of the project’s “doers”, working hands-on to ensure that each deliverable is completed. 

Some examples of responsible parties are:

  • Project Managers
  • Business Analysts
  • Graphic Designers
  • Copywriters

Accountable

Accountable parties ensure accountability to project deadlines, and ultimately, accountability to project completion. This group frequently also falls under the informed category.

Some examples of accountable parties are:

  • Product Owners
  • Signature Authorities
  • Business Owners
  • Key Stakeholders

Consulted individuals’ opinions are crucial, and their feedback needs to be considered at every step of the game. These individuals provide guidance that is often a prerequisite to other project tasks, for example, providing legal guidance on a project throughout the process. If you are working on new product development or expansion, this could essentially be the entire organization.

Some examples of consulted parties are:

  • Legal Experts
  • Information Security and Cybersecurity Experts
  • Compliance Consultants

Informed persons are those that need to stay in the loop of communication throughout the project. These individuals do not have to be consulted or be a part of the decision-making, but they should be made aware of all project updates. Typically, this party are business owners or stakeholders that are more interested in viewing the project at a 30,000-foot view.  Keep this group on your cc list for awareness of topics, decisions, and progress – that includes making them part of the initial project kickoff and project demos as optional attendees. This group often also falls under the accountable group.

Some examples of informed parties are:

  • Project Committee Members
  • External Stakeholders

Why Are RACI Roles Important?

RACI roles provide a sense of organization and clarity for teams that are looking to divide roles and keep team members accountable for their contributions. Considering that 27% of projects go over budget, for reasons like scope creep and lack of defined roles, RACI roles help position a project for success and avoid common pitfalls. 

Moreover, RACI roles help ensure that communication between all roles is ongoing. When you consider that nearly half of all project spending is at risk of being wasted due to a lack of effective team-based communication , it becomes all that more important to prioritize. Ultimately, teams who prioritize communication and well-defined roles are better off, and RACI roles help teams achieve that goal faster – while providing accountability for each team member’s unique contributions to the success of the project. 

Read More: Top 10 Main Causes of Project Failure

How to Create a RACI Matrix 

If you’re looking to implement a RACI matrix as part of your team’s project planning process, take these steps to create a RACI matrix.

Ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the project and its demands before outlining any further steps by communicating with key stakeholders and decision-makers.

Determine the list of key activities and deliverables from the director of program management or other leadership. 

Determine who is needed to be a part of the project or initiative.

Determine the project roles and responsible job titles and persons for each activity and deliverable.

Hold review sessions with key members of the team for alignment, and if you haven’t already, host a kickoff meeting with the entirety of the team and key stakeholders to unveil the matrix, address questions, and more. 

If the project has already started, it’s not too late to implement a RACI matrix.

  • Outline the story. Using research from multiple sources, do a, b, c, and d.
  • Utilize steps 2 and 3 (shown above). Ensure the right groups are assigned and engaged. 
  • Hold a review session. Ensure that the team acknowledges and discusses the plan and the roles assigned.

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{{ title }}, examples of a raci matrix.

Colorful table RACI matrix with definitions of RACI roles.

Our FREE Downloadable RACI Matrix Template

Who creates the raci matrix.

The RACI matrix — sometimes called RACI model, RACI diagram, or simply just RAC — is created by the project manager at the start of the project as a key part of establishing the initial human resources planning for the project. Because miscommunication is a common threat to any project, RACI charts are a great asset to teams dealing with any type of project, from very simple projects to extremely complex ones. 

FAQ: How do I Implement a RACI matrix?

Implementing a RACI matrix takes more than just a few emails and sporadic conversations – it takes consistent communication and planning. You should host a kickoff meeting to introduce the matrix to the team and make a plan to continue meeting at predetermined times throughout the project lifecycle. 

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind as you implement your RACI matrix within the team dynamic:

  • Get everyone prepared. Send the document around to the meeting distribution as read-ahead material, requesting feedback if there are any major concerns. 
  • Roll out each role for the team . During the meeting, conduct a review of the tasks and responsible parties. Do not rush through this review, but rather ensure enough time in your project kickoff for this important aspect. (Be certain to clarify the definitions of RACI to avoid ambiguity.)
  • Consider changes and update accordingly. After the meeting, send out the notes documenting acceptance or updates to the RACI. In addition to sending out the notes, request any corrections within a reasonable yet defined timeframe. Clarify that if no changes are requested, each person is acknowledging their role and committing to the project tasks as outlined.
  • Stay in touch. Consider a quick review with the entire team each quarter or every six months for longer projects to ensure it remains up-to-date and not simply another document in the repository but a relied-upon artifact.

FAQ: What are RACI matrix best practices?

As you implement the raci matrix….

  • Encourage teamwork and foster collaboration whenever possible.
  • Don’t fear updates – make changes and adjustments as needed (but be sure to communicate those changes clearly to all parties).
  • Earlier is better. Roll out your matrix plan to the team BEFORE you plan to implement it for the best results. 
  • Have a clear-cut understanding of the project scope and how each role connects to the overall project goal.

For “Responsible” Parties:

  • Make sure your project’s definition of Responsible is clear on who holds the “decider” role for the project or project phase’s completion, and what the dimensions of that responsibility will be.
  • Ensure that all parties are aware of their role and responsibilities within the matrix.

For “Accountable” Parties: 

  • When multiple Accountable team members must exist, use your definitions to make clear which individual is accountable for a given project element, and how that individual needs to interact with other Accountable team members.
  • Ensure that there is only one “Accountable” party assigned per task.
  • Be sure that the Accountable party has the authority and power to oversee the task as the accountable party.

For Consulted and Informed Parties: 

  • Consulted parties are often high-level decision-makers with heavy schedules. Make sure you’re clear on their availability ahead of time.
  • Similar to Consulted parties, Informed parties are often less hands-on and have less understanding of day-to-day project operations. As the project goes on, make sure to keep detailed notes to keep the Informed party up-to-date on key information. 
  • Understand the ways that these parties like to communicate and create a plan to reach them early – whether that’s over phone calls, emails, video calls, or from within your project management system’s collaboration tools.
  • Knowing the difference between who needs to be consulted versus informed can be a challenge if there is ambiguity about project roles. Consider what aspects of the project different team members need to know to do their jobs, and then bake those into your definitions.

RACI Matrix Pros & Cons

Free raci matrix templates.

A number of project management software solutions include a native RACI matrix template. Here are just a few we’ve found:

Colorful RACI Chart Template

We love this template from Smartsheet because it’s colorful, thorough, and includes room for every party involved in the project. 

clear assignment of responsibility

Pastel Colored RACI Matrix Template

This template from the Academy to Innovate HR is a great choice for project managers who want to organize their team roles with an easy-on-the-eyes chart that evolves beyond the simple spreadsheet. 

clear assignment of responsibility

Simple RACI Chart from Clickup

These RACI templates from Clickup have enough variety to fit any of your project needs, but are simple enough for even beginner PMs to use.

clear assignment of responsibility

Detailed RACI Matrix Template

This template is a great starter template for anyone looking to explore RACI charts in their project management strategy. As an added bonus – it comes with the RACI definitions already built in!

clear assignment of responsibility

Excel-Based RACI Chart Template

Are you an Excel or Google Sheets user looking to take advantage of the RACI matrix? An Excel-formatted template from Project Management Docs can be just the solution for you. This template is a great template for users who want a chart that comes in a pre-formatted structure.

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How to Make a Responsibility Assignment Matrix for a Project (Template Included)

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The most important resource you’ll employ to deliver the project is people. They have to fit into the schedule and maintain the project budget. Defining what their roles and responsibilities are when executing tasks and delivering on the project goals is an important part of controlling the project.

How can you coordinate all the people who are involved in a project so they know what they’re doing and don’t block others from doing what they are assigned? Using a responsibility assignment matrix can help. An assignment matrix gives your project a team that gets things done.

What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix in Project Management?

A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is a project management chart used to identify and define the various people and organizations and outline each of their roles in working on tasks or delivering a part of the project.

Project managers use an assignment matrix to clarify what cross-functional teams do within the boundaries of the project and its numerous processes. Sometimes a responsibility assignment matrix is required when responding to a request for proposal (RFP).

The responsibility assignment matrix can also be called a RACI matrix, which stands for responsible, accountable, consulted and informed.

  • Responsible: Notes who is responsible for executing the task, which is then assigned to them.
  • Accountable: Notes who has decision-making authority and how that power is delegated throughout the project team.
  • Consulted: Notes who is able to offer insight into the task, from team members to stakeholders.
  • Informed: Notes who is updated on what in terms of progress and performance, as well as when and how this information is disseminated.

This creates a map of connections between activities and project team members. Depending on the size of the project, there can be several assignment matrices used for various project levels.

Why Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix?

The assignment matrix identifies what everyone on the team is responsible for, which means not only what their duties are, but how they participate in the project. Some will have defined tasks, others will offer help with work, while there are some who are designated as decision-makers. These groups all have an identity and function within the project to help guide it towards a successful end.

Clear communication leads to more efficient projects. An assignment matrix facilitates better communication between team members and provides transparency by creating a system to make sure everyone is updated and always on the same page. Belaboring communications can bog down a project with too many pointless meetings and confusing interactions in which people try to understand what they’re supposed to be doing. Using the responsibility assignment matrix helps, but having project management software that connects teams in real-time is ideal.

ProjectManager manages project information by allowing teams to attach files directly to tasks, and our unlimited file storage keeps important project documents at your fingertips anywhere, anytime. Commenting on tasks can save time and tagging others in the project team creates a communication process that avoids the pitfalls of redundancies or unnecessary meetings.

Gantt chart screenshot with a team collaboration pop up

When Should a Responsibility Assignment Matrix Be Created?

The responsibility assignment matrix would be created at the start of the project. You’d want to have everyone on the project team aware of where they stand in terms of their involvement before they start executing tasks.

As much as its use is a preventative measure, it can be used prescriptively. If you’re deep into the project and things are not moving as planned, there could be communication gridlock. If team members are not in the loop, or misconstrue what they’re supposed to be doing, using a responsibility assignment matrix might untie up those knots in the communication channel.

If there’s a problem with leadership overruling suggestions on how to advance the project and this is seen as a problem, it’s likely that the roles and responsibilities of the project team need refining. The responsibility assignment matrix defines who has authority to make decisions and using it or revisiting can determine if the right people are in that position.

In fact, any of the definitions might need reexamining at any phase in the project. Perhaps tasks are falling behind schedule. This could be because team members aren’t aware of what tasks they own. Anytime a delay occurs, returning to the assignment matrix is a good first step, even if you went through the process as you should during the planning stage of the project.

How to Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix

The actual making of a responsibility assignment matrix is not as difficult as getting everyone on board with what their roles and responsibilities are.

Therefore, you want to include your team in the process, get their input and eventually buy-in without spending too much time and energy on the process. Follow these steps to make sure everyone is in agreement and you’ll have a successful responsibility assignment.

  • Identify all the participants involved in the project, from team members to stakeholders and everyone in between.
  • List all deliverables associated with the project. Use a work breakdown structure to make sure you don’t miss any.
  • Meet with team members on how to execute the tasks to create the deliverables. Every task needs to be discussed in terms of the team’s responsibility and authority.
  • Draft the responsibility assignment matrix using a table with the project tasks listed on the left-hand column. Across the top add the name of everyone in the project.
  • Where the tasks meet the project team member, assign whether they’re responsible, accountable, consulted or informed.
  • When completed, share the responsibility assignment matrix with the project team and stakeholders and hold a meeting if necessary to make sure everyone understands their part in the project. If you’re working in a shared space, print out a copy and post it.

Free Responsibility Assignment Matrix Template

Using a RACI template is a shortcut that sets up your team and the project for success. ProjectManager is more than an award-winning software that organizes tasks, teams and projects to streamline work and boost productivity, it’s also the online hub for all things project management.

Among the hundreds of blog posts, guidebooks and tutorial videos are dozens of free templates that can help you through every phase of your project’s life cycle. Using our free RACI template will help you guide all the project teams better, allowing them to know where they stand in relation to the project and what their level of responsibility and accountability is.

Use it at the start of the project to avoid delays and untangle any communicative knots that are preventing the project from progressing as planned. To keep your project on track, download our free RACI template and get a head start on building a workable responsibility assignment matrix.

RACI Matrix Template for Excel

Best Practices

Using our free RACI template is a good start, but you have to make sure you fill it in correctly. A responsibility assignment matrix is only as good as the effort put into creating it. Here are some best practices to apply when you’re in the process of building your assignment matrix.

  • Involve the team: They’re the ones who will be executing the work. You want their input and buy-in to avoid any costly mistakes or time-consuming questions about what wasn’t made clear at the beginning of the project.
  • Identify every single task: Identify all the tasks required to reach your final deliverable. Once you have that thorough list make sure that there is only one person on the team who is accountable.
  • Update your RACI regularly: Make sure that each new one is clearly marked as the most current version and is distributed to everyone on the team. There will be times when you’ll want to revisit the responsibility assignment matrix or changes in personnel will require an edit.
  • Share responsibility viably: One person shouldn’t have to shoulder the bulk of the responsibilities for the project and you want to give authority throughout the project team and not just among the very top management team.
  • Optimize tasks: Managers can use the RACI matrix to see if too many team members have been assigned to a task. Maybe these workers could be spread out for greater productivity. There could be too many people listed as consulted, which slows down the process. The assignment matrix is endlessly useful.

How ProjectManager Helps You Manage Projects Better

ProjectManager is a cloud-based tool that connects everyone in real-time to facilitate planning, monitoring and reporting on the project. It works to give everyone on the project team a job and the knowledge as to where they have authority and when to consult others, as well as defining the reporting process.

Let’s look at the people who are responsible, for example, the team who execute the project. Once invited into the software, you can share the project plan, assign them tasks, add detailed direction, add a deadline and tag for priority and more. The teams can then collaborate by attaching files and images to the tasks and commenting in real-time to work better together.

A screenshot of the Team collaboration user interface in ProjectManager

Those who need to stay informed of the project can do so by also getting invited into the project and sharing plans and schedules with them. Stakeholders can stay updated with reporting features that can generate reports on project variance, cost, time and more with one click. Then share them as a PDF. Reports can even be quickly filtered to zero in on the data stakeholders are interested in.

a screenshot of the status report generation screen in ProjectManager

The responsibility assignment matrix can help you reallocate your resources when things aren’t progressing as planned. Use our software to get further insight. The resource management features include a workload chart that’s color-coded so it’s easy to see who has too many tasks and who can take on more work. Then you can simply reallocate those resources from the workload page to help your team work more productively.

color-coded workload chart

ProjectManager gets you organized, keeps your team focused on their tasks and stakeholders in the loop. Gain efficiencies throughout every aspect of your project’s life cycle with an online Gantt chart to schedule work and kanban boards, a visual workflow feature that provides transparency into production. All that and it’s on a collaborative platform to keep everyone connected. Try ProjectManager today for free.

Click here to browse ProjectManager's free templates

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Whenever you want to achieve something, big or small, somebody has to be in charge of getting it done. You can’t simply have, say, a planning meeting, agree on objectives and what steps need to be taken, and then all go on your merry way without assigning specific responsibilities for achieving outcomes. That’s a recipe guaranteed to result in lack of progress, or outright regression, in achieving your goals.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself to facilitate this process:

  • What is the objective?
  • How important is it?
  • When does it need to be achieved?
  • Who is the best person to carry it out? This could be based on function within the organization or simply be the best performer on your team.
  • Have you told them they are the best person to carry it out?
  • What resources do they need to achieve it?
  • What is the milestone?
  • How will you measure performance and progress in achieving it?
  • Are there others that must or should contribute, support, or otherwise cooperate with this individual?
  • Have you made it clear, either in writing or orally, that they are the person responsible for this?
  • Does everyone else in the team know this to be the case?

These may be very basic questions, but it is amazing how many times planning sessions or meetings end without a clear assignment of responsibilities, with identification of resources (if required), milestones or deadlines, or even simple performance metrics. Tomorrow I’ll describe a simple but highly effective way to ensure you’ve given clear and unambiguous direction. It is based on military principles, as described in my forthcoming book, Brilliant Manoeuvres: How to Use Military Wisdom to Win Business Battles .

© 2012 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes permitted with full and proper attribution.

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clear assignment of responsibility

11 Practical Steps to Set clear Roles and Responsibilities in your Team

by Johan Meyer | May 17, 2023

clear assignment of responsibility

Navigating the complex landscape of business often feels like trying to find your way through a maze with no clear path. One of the biggest challenges that can leave businesses feeling lost is when you fail to set clear roles and responsibilities.

Think of a soccer team where everyone wants to be the striker, ignoring their actual roles as defenders, goalkeepers, or midfielders. It’s easy to imagine how this scenario could lead to chaos, with everyone running after the ball and no one defending their goal. Similarly, in business, poorly defined roles and responsibilities can lead to confusion, inefficiency, and ultimately, failure.

Whether you’re a seasoned CEO or a budding entrepreneur, this guide offers practical, step-by-step strategies to transform your organization from a maze of uncertainty to a well-oiled machine of clarity and productivity.

When you fail to set Clear Roles and Responsibilities

So, what are “ poorly defined roles and responsibilities “?

They refer to a situation in business where job roles and duties are not clearly defined, communicated, or understood, leading to confusion and misalignment in the workforce. This is distinct from the issue of underperformance, where roles are clear, but performance is lacking.

The lack of clear roles and responsibilities can negatively impact a company’s culture, leading to confusion, conflict, and inefficiency.

Failing to address this issue can lead to wasted resources, high turnover, and a toxic work environment. For instance, two employees might end up doing the same task unknowingly, leading to redundancy and wasted effort.

set clear roles and responsibilities

Identifying the Challenge

This challenge might be present in your business if:

  • There is frequent confusion about who should be doing what.
  • Employees frequently step on each other’s toes.
  • There is a lack of accountability for tasks and outcomes.
  • Employees feel uncertain and insecure about their job responsibilities.
  • There are frequent conflicts and power struggles within the team.
  • There’s a high turnover rate, especially due to role-related issues.
  • There are often delays or bottlenecks in projects.
  • Employees report feeling overworked or underutilized.

How do we set clear Roles and Responsibilities?

Roadmap to success.

In the next sections we’ll describe a general roadmap that you can track over a 6-month period to implement this change in the business and manage it to effectiveness. Consider “Short Term” here as something that can, or should, be done within a 2 week period. This really is a critical building block to the success of your business .

Short Term (< 30 days):

  • Clearly define and document clear roles and responsibilities for each position.
  • Communicate these definitions to each team member and ensure understanding.

Medium Term (< 3 months):

  • Implement a system for tracking accountability and ownership.
  • Regularly review and update roles and responsibilities as the business evolves.

Long Term (< 6 months):

  • Foster a culture of open communication, where employees can discuss role-related issues without fear.
  • Invest in leadership development and training to ensure managers and supervisors can effectively define and delegate tasks.

set clear roles and responsibilities

Key elements to consider when driving this change

Consider the following and include this in your general policy and process:

  • Role clarity should be a priority from the hiring stage. Job descriptions should be comprehensive and updated.
  • Regular performance reviews can help identify if an employee’s tasks align with their role. Much has been written about different performance management methods and in future we’ll do an article to describe some of these. But fundamentally, this comes down to a supervisor and employee sitting down regularly and tracking of expectations are clear and if they are being met.
  • Consider using a tool like a RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) to help define roles and responsibilities within a project or process.

Step-by-Step guide to clear Roles and Responsibilities

Use the field guide below as your guide when tackling this process. The left column can be used as a checkbox to indicate when a step has been completed. Take special note of the key risk identified at each step of the process and ensure that you address these clearly and directly.

Remember, this process may take time and require patience . It’s important to keep communication lines open and ensure everyone in the organization understands the benefits of the change.

Communicating the Change

Now – if your team sees people going around asking questions about their jobs and going to great effort to set new, or clarify existing, roles – they may start to worry what is going on. Initiate the process by communicating with the team to set their minds at ease, explain what is about the happen and the positive impact this will have. Below we include a sample mail you can use for this:

Subject: Enhancing Our Role Clarity for Mutual Success Dear Team, In our continuous efforts to improve our operations and work environment, we have recognized the need to enhance the clarity of our roles and responsibilities. We believe this will lead to more efficient operations, greater job satisfaction, and ultimately, our mutual success. Starting next week, we will embark on a process to clearly define and document our roles and responsibilities. We will then communicate these definitions, ensuring everyone understands their unique contribution to our team’s success. Remember, this is not an indictment on anyone’s performance, but an opportunity for us all to thrive. We look forward to your active participation and valuable input during this process. Best, [Your Name]

set clear roles and responsibilities

Addressing the challenge of poorly defined roles and responsibilities is critical to the success of any business. As Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, once said, “Organizations are built on trust, and trust is built on transparency.”

By clearly defining roles and responsibilities, we build transparency, trust, and ultimately, a stronger organization.

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What Is the Importance of Establishing & Assigning Responsibilities for Project Team Members?

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Goals of a Team Leader

Leadership styles in production management, characteristics of a high-performance team.

  • Team Effectiveness & Increased Productivity
  • How to Motivate a Team With Good Leadership Qualities

When team leaders assess the scope and feasibility of the project, a primary consideration is the strength of each team member. From these strengths, leaders assign roles and responsibilities. Because a project requires that multiple task be completed, it's critical that team members assigned to each leg of the product are qualified not only to do the work, but to manage the process.

Assigning tasks to team members correctly will help make sure your projects succeed, and stay on time and on budget.

Project Efficiency Improves

Assigning responsibilities for project team members boosts efficiency. Having a clear understanding of project roles allows the leader to develop a timeline. Such a chart lists who is in charge of which task and when the specific portion of the project is expected to reach completion. If responsibilities are not assigned, the outcome of project tasks becomes unclear, vague and often incomplete.

Villanova University recommends creating key project team components using an executive sponsor, project manager, analyst and individual team members.

Assigning roles also enables members to get a better idea of which members are working on closely related tasks. Members can review the to-do list, see which member is completing the assignment and issue follow-up feedback and questions if necessary. Essentially, delegating tasks allows for the creation of a project blueprint.

Project Productivity Improves

Productivity is enhanced when the responsibilities assigned closely align with the team member’s strengths, explains MyManagementGuide . For instance, record-keeping jobs may align best with the team member assigned with all tasks related to accounting. Boosted productivity only arises when all members agree with the responsibilities assigned to them. They must also know how to achieve the tasks assigned.

Some team members might have very good technical skills in a specific area, but that doesn't mean they can communicate ideas to other team members, or lead other team members to get work on time. That's why management generalists with less technical knowledge often make the best team leaders.

Morale is Improved

Issuing responsibilities to team members gives each person a sense of ownership; they become invested in the project’s outcome, thereby increasing their efforts to create a quality product. Without assigning roles, members grow disinterested, detached and possibly territorial over parts of the project. Team leaders should recognize the successful completion of tasks to boost morale as well.

This is achieved by praising the worker in front of others and making an ordeal of crossing off their work from the project’s to-do list. Leaders must also ensure the work is evenly distributed by dividing work among team members fairly. This helps reduce resentment and creating stress for some workers while generating boredom for others.

Considerations

Team leaders may be effective at assigning tasks to employees but still encounter problems. Difficulties may arise from mediating personality clashes, disciplining apathetic workers and working with a limited budget. Task managers can reduce these barriers by holding routine meetings, conducting check-ups of each member and reporting to higher-ups about the project’s progress.

  • Villanova University: Project Team Roles and Responsibilities
  • MyManagementGuide: Project Team Organization

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RACI: how a Responsibility Matrix can help you Manage your Projects

Table of contents, what is the role and responsibility of the matrix, how to use the raci matrix, why is a responsibility matrix important, an example of a raci matrix, raci matrix template: example to download, #1. create a list of project tasks, #2. identify the project participants and assign the roles, #3. designate an agent and a manager for each task or activity, #4. make sure that there is only one person per task, #5. talk to all agents, managers, and stakeholders, #6. use it throughout the duration of the project, our best tips on the raci matrix.

To meet the various challenges of project management, the responsibility matrix , also called the RACI chart , is proving to be an indispensable governance tool for companies.

The success of your projects depends on good project management and a clear vision of the responsibilities of the people assigned . Each manager, and especially the project manager , should define an overview of the roles in order to optimize the distribution of tasks to the team members and avoid wasting time.

How to implement it and effectively extend its possibilities in an agile model?

The responsibility matrix: definition and management principles

This method is an organizational design tool that maps activities and defines the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders by:

  • visually synthesizing " who does what ",
  • setting the perimeter of the project,
  • defining the field of action in order to structure it.

What does RACI stand for?

  • Responsible,
  • Accountable,

This organizational matrix is used in the form of a resource allocation table , which indicates the distribution of functions and responsibilities among the different actors in a project using the letters R, A, C, and I:

  • the "R" for the director or the person in charge of the action ensuring the smooth running of the work;
  • the "A" for the actor who assumes, approves, and possibly carries out the action if it is affixed the two letters R and A;
  • the "C" for the subject matter experts to be consulted for their opinion;
  • the "I" for the agents who will be informed of the progress of the actions without necessarily acting directly.

💡In some specific cases, the letters V and S can be added to the RACI model, each designating respectively:

  • the validator , for certain quality validations,
  • the support , person, or authority that can intervene in support.

This method avoids any project governance problems , such as role redundancy and dilution of responsibilities. It enables a correct and thorough completion of the project .

All the tasks and their assignments are identified, as well as the need for intervention and information at each stage of the process for good steering of the objectives.

This overall vision also allows:

  • to ensure a follow-up of the deliverables ,
  • to avoid any oblivion or dispersion,
  • to easily set up a reminder system that is indispensable in team management.

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Before seeing in detail how to build and fill out a RACI table, we invite you to download our RACI matrix template so that you can fill it out:

Excel Model for RACI matrix

How to build a RACI matrix in 6 steps?

To build a RACI matrix , it is, therefore, necessary to list:

  • inlines, the different tasks and activities attached to the project;
  • and in columns, all the individual actors or multiple entities.

At each intersection of the tool, one or more letters of the RACI system are then assigned, each designating a specific role.

Think about who is involved. This underscores the first decision in creating a RACI: do you list roles or specific people? As a general rule, you should put the functional positions at the top of the list.

Work breakdown structure is very important. Review the project and divide it into clear tasks and deliverables. Record them in the left-hand column of your diagram. It doesn't have to be 100% order, but you should let participants clarify the order of tasks . This has two advantages:

  • First, by establishing order, you will identify missing (or redundant) activities . Participants will notice if something was left out or if two activities may have meant the same thing.
  • Second, this will initiate discussion around interfaces and collaboration . I.e., the process participants exchange ideas in the sense of "I do this and need you to do this but...".

At the end of this phase, the order of the tasks in the process is correct, the list is complete and without redundancies.

To make it easier, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Who does it (Responsible)?
  • Who is responsible for the proper execution or controls the result (Accountable)?
  • Who supports the role of the executor with advice and action (Consulted)?
  • Who is informed by the executor (Informed)?

Each task or deliverable should have one person responsible and one person in charge.

Make sure there is only one role or name assigned to the responsible person - this is really important. Think carefully about who should be consulted while the task is in progress and who should be informed when the task is complete.

Make sure that everyone understands their tasks and roles!

This is important - align all the assumptions you have made with your team, don't do it alone. Get the community together! If you haven't gone over roles with your project team , have a quick chat about how you set up the RACI. Make sure everyone is comfortable with their roles and responsibilities in the project.

One of the most important things is to agree on the RACI matrix that you have created with project stakeholders before starting.

When you implement a task or deliverable, refer back to the RACI and make sure you know who is responsible for what .

Make sure that what was established at the beginning of a project, the roles, and responsibilities towards tasks, are still correct. A good way to do this is to provide a version online , using Google Docs or a project management tool like monday.com .

  • Traditional Project Management: Are Agile Methods Any Better?
  • What is Stakeholder Mapping? Definition, Guide, Tools & Matrix
  • Portfolio Management Process: Manage your Projects Strategically!
  • There should be exactly one person responsible (R) in each row. If more than one person is responsible, much of the clear assignment of responsibility is lost. If no one is responsible - then it is even worse.
  • If more than one responsible person (R) has been assigned per row, after all, you should think about splitting the task.
  • If a column (role) has too many A's and R's, it is a potential bottleneck. Here it should be checked if there is too much responsibility on this role.
  • If a role contains hardly any assignments, you can think about whether it needs to be included at all.

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  6. Accepting Responsibility

COMMENTS

  1. RACI Chart: Definitions, Uses And Examples For Project ...

    The RACI chart or matrix is a table used by project managers to ensure clear communication and smooth workflows. But it may not always work as intended. ... is a type of responsibility assignment ...

  2. What Is a RACI Chart? Practical Examples & Project Uses

    A RACI chart—also known as a responsibility assignment matrix—is a diagram used in project management to define team roles across 4 categories: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. It helps clarify who does the work, who calls the shots, whose opinion matters, and who needs to stay in the loop for each task, milestone, or ...

  3. Roles and Responsibilities Unclear? Do This

    Many leaders will probably say that roles and responsibilities in their team are very clear. However, this is only true if everyone thinks the same thing! I've worked in environments where nothing is written down or defined, and people work it out as they go along. This is not an environment where you can guarantee quality work.

  4. Assignment of Responsibilities

    A clear assignment of responsibilities allows for effective monitoring of performance and prevents the break down of accountability mechanisms. In the pressured environment of voting operations it is easy for seemingly low level, yet critical, tasks to be forgotten. ... The actual pattern of responsibility assignment depends on the electoral ...

  5. The Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

    One tool that project managers use to keep these assignments clear is the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (also called the RAM, or the Responsibility Matrix). This matches deliverables with the people who are responsible for them. For every piece of the project, the matrix shows who needs to contribute what for the project to be completed.

  6. Responsibility Assignment Matrix: Template, Example & Benefits

    A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), sometimes referred to as a RACI chart or RACI matrix, in project management identifies all relevant stakeholders and specifies roles for cross-functional teams and their level of involvement in a project.

  7. Helping People Take Responsibility

    When working with your team on a project, use a Responsibility Assignment Matrix to help keep assignments and responsibilities clear. You may also want to use a Team Charter to define everyone's roles and responsibilities within the team. Sometimes, people don't take responsibility because they feel apathetic about their work.

  8. 4 Tips: Establish Roles & Responsibilities for Success [2023] • Asana

    1. Determine what needs to get done You can use the following steps when identifying roles and responsibilities at both the organizational and project level. The first step when defining team roles is to determine the various tasks that need to get done. Some questions you can ask to identify these tasks include:

  9. Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

    A Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) describes the participation of various organizations, people, and their roles in completing tasks or deliverables for a project. The Program Manager (PM) uses it to clarify roles and responsibilities in a cross-functional team, projects, and processes.

  10. The RACI matrix: Your blueprint for project success

    The RACI matrix is a project role and responsibility assignment chart that maps out every task, milestone, or key decision involved in completing a project and assigns which roles are Responsible ...

  11. RACI Matrix: Responsibility Assignment Matrix Guide for 2024

    The matrix defines clear roles and responsibilities for individual team members across the various phases of the project, breaking each role down into four types of designation: those who are Responsible and Accountable for project deliverables, those who should be Consulted as work begins, and stakeholders who need to be Informed of ongoing pro...

  12. How to Make a Responsibility Assignment Matrix ...

    A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is a project management chart used to identify and define the various people and organizations and outline each of their roles in working on tasks or delivering a part of the project.

  13. Roles, responsibilities, and resources

    Another useful tool is the Responsibility Assignment Matrix, often called a RACI Chart (RACI stands for "Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed"). This chart spells out the roles of all stakeholders, both within and outside the client company, from all participating departments (PMI, 2004, p. 206). ... clear, straightforward ...

  14. PDF 18-1:Organizational requirements for a quality management system

    with clear assignment of responsibility. Planning process —skills for planning are needed, and planning should address a time frame, responsibility for conducting the activities, the availability and use of human resources, management of workfl ow and fi nancial resources.

  15. Assignment of Responsibilities

    Without a clear assignment of responsibilities, which allows effective monitoring of performance, accountability mechanisms can break down. ... There is another more personal and positive aspect to responsibility assignment. Identifying and promoting individual accountabilities can raise staff self-fulfilment and lead to enhanced performance.

  16. How do you ensure roles and responsibilities are clear in ...

    Key facilitation steps: 1. Explain why we are doing this - how it links to the issues identified by team members and the intended outcomes. 2. Ask team members each to prepare a flip chart with ...

  17. The Power of Assigning Responsibility

    What is the objective? How important is it? When does it need to be achieved? Who is the best person to carry it out? This could be based on function within the organization or simply be the best performer on your team. Have you told them they are the best person to carry it out? What resources do they need to achieve it? What is the milestone?

  18. 11 Practical Steps to Set clear Roles and Responsibilities in ...

    by Johan Meyer | May 17, 2023 A Failure to set clear roles and responsibilities is a problem that can seep into every corner of your organization, causing confusion, inefficiency, and lowered morale. In this article, we delve deep into the nature of this pervasive issue, shedding light on its impact, and more importantly, how to overcome it.

  19. Responsibility assignment matrix

    In business and project management, a responsibility assignment matrix [1] ( RAM ), also known as RACI matrix [2] ( / ˈreɪsi /) or linear responsibility chart [3] ( LRC ), is a model that describes the participation by various roles in completing tasks or deliverables [4] for a project or business process.

  20. What Is the Importance of Establishing & Assigning Responsibilities for

    Members can review the to-do list, see which member is completing the assignment and issue follow-up feedback and questions if necessary. Essentially, delegating tasks allows for the creation of a ...

  21. What is a responsibility matrix and how to create it

    To meet the various challenges of project management, the responsibility matrix, also called the RACI chart, is proving to be an indispensable governance tool for companies.. The success of your projects depends on good project management and a clear vision of the responsibilities of the people assigned.Each manager, and especially the project manager, should define an overview of the roles in ...

  22. PDF NJDEP Recycled Content Law FAQ (N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.135-157 Updated

    responsibility for compliance and notifying the NJDEP of such agreement. The brand owner and licensee can identify the responsible party that makes the most sense for their situation as long as the regulated container or packaging product is identified, and clear assignment of responsibility is i provided to the NJDEP.

  23. Solved About Etisalat company:Question Yes,No,

    Is there a clear assignment of responsibility and delegation of authority to deal with such matters as organizational goals and objectives, operating functions, and regulatory requirements? 6: Are employee job responsibilities, including specific duties, reporting relationships, and constraints, clearly established and communicated to employees