Understanding RACI in MPQA
In MPQA, RACI role assignments are an integral part of creating activities, not a separate step. When you create an activity, you immediately assign who does the work (Responsible), who approves it (Accountable), who provides input (Consulted), and who receives updates (Informed). These assignments clarify ownership and eliminate confusion about who should handle each task in your process.RACI Reminder:
- Responsible: Does the work to complete the task
- Accountable: Is accountable for the completion and signs off
- Consulted: Provides input and feedback
- Informed: Needs to be kept updated on progress
How RACI Works in MPQA
Unlike traditional RACI documentation where you assign roles after creating activities, MPQA requires RACI assignments as part of the activity creation process:- RACI is assigned during activity creation - When you click “Add Activity,” the creation modal includes four RACI fields that you fill out immediately.
- You can use real users or free text - Each RACI field accepts two types of input: select actual team members from your organization, or type role names and job titles freely.
- Assignments appear immediately - Once you save the activity, the RACI assignments appear in the matrix, visual diagrams, and swimlane charts.
- Edit anytime - Click the edit icon next to any activity to update RACI assignments through the same modal interface.
Assigning RACI When Creating an Activity
1
Open the Create Activity Modal
Navigate to your core process and click the blue “Add Activity” button.The “Create New Activity” modal appears with fields for activity name, category, and all four RACI roles.
2
Enter Activity Name and Category
Fill in the Activity Name (required) and Category (optional).These are covered in detail in the Adding Activities guide.
3
Assign Responsible (R)
In the “Responsible” field labeled “Who does the work”:Option 1 - Select a user:
- Click the dropdown arrow
- Select a team member from your organization
- Their name appears with an avatar initial
- Simply type a name, role, or job title
- Example: “Sales Rep”, “John Smith”, “Engineering Team”
4
Assign Accountable (A)
In the “Accountable” field labeled “Who approves the work”:Choose the person who ultimately owns this activity and has final approval authority.You can select from the dropdown or type freely, just like Responsible.
5
Assign Consulted (C) - Optional
In the “Consulted” field labeled “Who provides input”:Add anyone whose expertise or input is needed before the work is completed.You can leave this field empty if no consultation is needed, or select/type names as with other roles.
6
Assign Informed (I) - Optional
In the “Informed” field labeled “Who is kept updated”:Add anyone who needs to receive updates about this activity’s progress or completion.You can leave this field empty or use the dropdown to select “None” if no one needs to be informed.
Informed roles receive one-way communication. They’re updated but don’t provide input (that would be Consulted).
7
Create the Activity
Click “Create Activity” to save the activity with all RACI assignments.The activity appears in your RACI matrix with all role assignments visible in their respective columns.
Editing RACI Assignments
To change who’s assigned to an existing activity:1
Locate the Activity
Find the activity in your RACI Responsibility Matrix.
2
Click the Edit Icon
Click the pencil icon in the Actions column of that activity’s row.This opens the “Edit RACI Assignments” modal.
3
Update Any RACI Fields
The edit modal shows the same four RACI fields:
- Responsible (R): Who does the work to complete the task
- Accountable (A): Who is accountable for the completion and signs off
- Consulted (C): Who provides input and feedback
- Informed (I): Who needs to be kept updated on progress
- Select a different user from the dropdown, OR
- Clear the field and type new text, OR
- Select “None” from the dropdown to remove the assignment
4
Save Your Changes
Click the blue “Save Changes” button.The RACI matrix and all visual diagrams immediately update to reflect your changes.
The edit modal is identical to the create modal, making it easy to update assignments using the same familiar interface.
Choosing Between Users and Free Text
MPQA gives you flexibility in how you assign RACI roles:- Select Real Users
- Type Role Names
- Hybrid Approach
When to use:
- You have team members added to your MPQA organization
- You want to assign specific individuals by name
- You need to track individual accountability
- User names display with avatar initials (e.g., “J Jhon”)
- Selected from dropdown menu
- Links to actual user accounts
- Clear individual accountability
- Can connect to user dashboards and notifications
- Easy to see who’s assigned what
- Responsible: [J] Jhon
- Accountable: [C] Chris
RACI Assignment Examples
Example 1: Approve Marketing Budget
Activity: Approve Marketing Budget Request Assignments:- Responsible: Marketing Director
- Prepares the budget request and gathers supporting data
- Accountable: CFO
- Makes the final approval or rejection decision
- Consulted: CEO, Finance Manager
- CEO provides strategic input, Finance Manager ensures alignment with company budget
- Informed: Marketing Team, Finance Team
- Marketing learns the approved budget, Finance updates financial systems
- One person (CFO) has final decision authority
- One person (Marketing Director) does the preparation work
- Experts provide necessary input without slowing the process
- Stakeholders stay informed without being bottlenecks
Example 2: Conduct Phone Interview
Activity: Conduct Phone Screen Interview Assignments:- Responsible: Recruiter
- Conducts the actual phone interview with the candidate
- Accountable: Hiring Manager
- Reviews interview notes and decides if candidate advances
- Consulted: (None)
- Routine phone screens don’t require consultation
- Informed: HR Coordinator
- Updates candidate status in applicant tracking system
- Clear ownership with the hiring manager
- Recruiter performs the work without bottlenecks
- No unnecessary consultation for routine tasks
- HR stays in the loop for administrative tracking
Example 3: Deploy Software Feature
Activity: Deploy New Feature to Production Assignments:- Responsible: Engineering Team (or list specific developers)
- Multiple engineers perform the deployment together
- Accountable: Engineering Manager
- Owns the deployment decision and rollback authority
- Consulted: Product Manager, QA Lead
- Product confirms feature readiness, QA confirms testing complete
- Informed: Customer Support, Sales Team
- Support prepares for user questions, Sales updates their materials
- Multiple people can share Responsible role for team activities
- Still only one Accountable owner (Engineering Manager)
- Consultation ensures quality gates are met
- Downstream teams get timely notification
Example 4: Simple Approval Task
Activity: Approve Expense Report Assignments:- Responsible: Finance Specialist
- Reviews expense report for policy compliance
- Accountable: Department Manager
- Approves or rejects the expense report
- Consulted: (None)
- Informed: Employee
- Learns whether their expenses were approved
- Routine tasks don’t need consultation
- Clear two-step process: review then approve
- Employee gets notified of outcome
Understanding Multiple Assignments
Multiple Responsible - Allowed Multiple people can share the work on an activity. How to indicate: Type multiple names separated by commas, or use a team name like “Sales Team” or “Engineering Squad” Example: “John Smith, Sarah Lee, Mike Chen” Multiple Accountable - Not Allowed Only ONE person should be accountable for final decisions. If you think you need two: Ask: “Who has final say if they disagree?” That person is Accountable. The other might be Consulted. Fix: Choose the ultimate decision-maker Multiple Consulted - Allowed Several experts can provide input. Caution: Keep it focused. Too many consulted parties create delays. Example: “Legal Team, Finance Director, VP Sales” Multiple Informed - Allowed Many stakeholders can receive updates. Caution: Only inform people who truly need to know. Example: “All Managers, Executive Team, Board”RACI Best Practices
- Assignment Strategy
- Naming Conventions
- Review Process
Assign Accountable firstStart by identifying who has final decision authority. This clarifies ownership from the start.Then assign ResponsibleWho actually does the work? Can be multiple people for team activities.Add Consulted sparinglyOnly people whose expertise is truly necessary. Ask: “Would we be missing critical information without them?”Keep Informed focusedOnly stakeholders who need to take action based on updates. Not everyone who’s “interested”.
Common RACI Mistakes and Fixes
Mistake: Everyone is Accountable
Problem: “We all own this together!” or listing multiple people as Accountable Why it fails: When everyone is accountable, no one is. Decisions stall because there’s no clear final authority. Real-world example: Three managers are all “Accountable” for approving a new hire. Each waits for the others, and the candidate waits weeks for a decision. Fix: Identify who has final say. Others can be Responsible (if they share the work) or Consulted (if they provide input), but only one person is Accountable.Mistake: Too Many Consulted Parties
Problem: 10+ people listed as Consulted on a routine decision Why it fails: Gathering input from too many people creates delays, decision fatigue, and meeting overload. Real-world example: A simple design change requires consultation with 8 different people. Scheduling a meeting takes 2 weeks, and the discussion goes in circles. Fix: Only consult people whose expertise directly impacts the decision. Others can be Informed after the fact instead.Mistake: No Responsible Person
Problem: Activity has an Accountable person but no Responsible person listed Why it fails: Someone owns the outcome, but no one is actually doing the work! Real-world example: The CEO is Accountable for preparing the board presentation, but no one is Responsible for actually creating the slides. Nothing happens. Fix: Always assign who performs the work. Sometimes the Accountable person is also Responsible (especially for senior roles), and that’s okay - just list them in both fields.Mistake: Confusing Consulted and Informed
Problem: People who just need updates are marked as Consulted Why it fails: Consulted people expect to provide input and be asked for their opinion. If you just need to notify them, they’re Informed. Real-world example: The entire department is “Consulted” on a decision, but really they just need to know the outcome. Everyone expects to be asked for input and feels ignored. Fix:- Consulted = two-way: Their input influences the decision
- Informed = one-way: They receive notification after the decision
Mistake: RACI for Every Tiny Step
Problem: Assigning RACI to every sub-task and micro-step Why it fails: Creates administrative burden with little value. RACI is for meaningful activities, not every action. Real-world example: RACI for “Open email”, “Type subject line”, “Attach document”, “Click send” instead of just “Send proposal to client” Fix: Assign RACI at the activity level (the meaningful tasks in your process), not for every sub-step within an activity.Viewing Your RACI Assignments
Once assigned, RACI information appears throughout MPQA:In the RACI Matrix Tab
- Each activity row shows icons in the R, A, C, and I columns
- Click any icon to see who’s assigned to that role
- Quick visual scan of all assignments across your process
In Visual Process Flow
- Activities display in boxes color-coded by category
- RACI information is embedded in the activity details
- Shows the flow of responsibility through your process
In Swimlane Charts
- Activities are automatically organized into lanes by Responsible person
- Shows clearly who handles what in cross-functional processes
- Makes handoffs between team members visible
In Activity Details
- Full RACI assignments displayed when you open any activity
- Edit capability directly from the activity view
- Links to user profiles (if using real users)
RACI Patterns by Process Type
Different process types tend to have different RACI patterns:| Process Type | Typical Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Approval Process | Specialist prepares, Manager approves | R: Analyst, A: Director, C: SME, I: Team |
| Creation Process | Creator does work, Lead owns quality | R: Designer, A: Creative Director, C: Stakeholders |
| Review Process | Reviewer checks, Senior role decides | R: QA Specialist, A: QA Manager, C: Developer |
| Communication | Sender creates, Approver signs off | R: Coordinator, A: Manager, C: Legal, I: Recipients |
| Execution | Team executes, PM owns | R: Team Members, A: Project Manager, C: Stakeholders |
When to Use “None”
The dropdown option “None” allows you to explicitly indicate that a role doesn’t apply: Common for Consulted Many activities don’t require consultation. Routine, well-established tasks often have:- Responsible: Assigned
- Accountable: Assigned
- Consulted: None
- Informed: Assigned
- Responsible: Assigned
- Accountable: Assigned
- Consulted: Assigned
- Informed: None
Using “None” is different from leaving a field blank. “None” explicitly states “this role doesn’t apply” while blank might just mean “not filled out yet.”
RACI Assignment Checklist
Before considering your RACI assignments complete:- Every activity has exactly ONE Accountable person
- Every activity has at least one Responsible person
- Consulted is limited to people whose input is truly necessary
- Informed includes stakeholders who need updates to do their jobs
- Role names are consistent across similar activities
- Team members have reviewed and confirmed they understand their roles
- No activities have blank RACI fields (use “None” if a role doesn’t apply)