> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stage3.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Assigning RACI Roles
> Define who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each process activity
## 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:**
* **R**esponsible: Does the work to complete the task
* **A**ccountable: Is accountable for the completion and signs off
* **C**onsulted: Provides input and feedback
* **I**nformed: 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:
1. **RACI is assigned during activity creation** - When you click "Add Activity," the creation modal includes four RACI fields that you fill out immediately.
2. **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.
3. **Assignments appear immediately** - Once you save the activity, the RACI assignments appear in the matrix, visual diagrams, and swimlane charts.
4. **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
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.
Fill in the **Activity Name** (required) and **Category** (optional).
These are covered in detail in the [Adding Activities guide](/processes/adding-activities).
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
**Option 2 - Type freely:**
* Simply type a name, role, or job title
* Example: "Sales Rep", "John Smith", "Engineering Team"
You can assign multiple responsible parties by entering multiple names or using a team name like "Marketing Team."
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.
Best Practice: Assign exactly ONE accountable person. If you need to list multiple people, consider who truly has final say if there's disagreement - that person should be Accountable.
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.
Only include people whose input is truly necessary. Too many consulted parties can slow down progress.
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).
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:
Find the activity in your RACI Responsibility Matrix.
Click the pencil icon in the **Actions** column of that activity's row.
This opens the "Edit RACI Assignments" modal.
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
**To change an assignment:**
* 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
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:
**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
**How it appears:**
* User names display with avatar initials (e.g., "J Jhon")
* Selected from dropdown menu
* Links to actual user accounts
**Benefits:**
* Clear individual accountability
* Can connect to user dashboards and notifications
* Easy to see who's assigned what
**Example:**
* Responsible: \[J] Jhon
* Accountable: \[C] Chris
**When to use:**
* You want to document by role rather than individual
* The process should work regardless of who fills the role
* Planning for future scalability
**How it appears:**
* Text you type appears in the field
* Dropdown may show "None" but your text remains
* Does not link to specific user accounts
**Benefits:**
* Process documentation survives employee turnover
* Scalable across teams and departments
* Focuses on roles rather than people
**Example:**
* Responsible: Sales Representative
* Accountable: Regional Sales Manager
* Consulted: Legal Team, Finance Department
**Recommended for most organizations**
Use role names in your standard process documentation, but select specific users when executing a process instance.
**Example Standard Process:**
* Responsible: Recruiter
* Accountable: Hiring Manager
* Consulted: Department Head
**Example Actual Instance:**
* Responsible: \[S] Sarah Johnson
* Accountable: \[M] Mike Chen
* Consulted: \[D] David Park
## 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
**Why this works:**
* 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
**Why this works:**
* 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
**Why this works:**
* 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
**Why this works:**
* 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"
**The Golden Rule: One Accountable Person**
This is the most critical RACI principle. Every activity must have exactly ONE accountable person. Multiple accountable parties means no one truly owns the outcome, leading to confusion and delayed decisions.
## RACI Best Practices
**Assign Accountable first**
Start by identifying who has final decision authority. This clarifies ownership from the start.
**Then assign Responsible**
Who actually does the work? Can be multiple people for team activities.
**Add Consulted sparingly**
Only people whose expertise is truly necessary. Ask: "Would we be missing critical information without them?"
**Keep Informed focused**
Only stakeholders who need to take action based on updates. Not everyone who's "interested".
**For standard processes:**
Use role names: "Sales Manager", "Recruiter", "Engineer". Survives employee changes and scales across teams.
**For specific instances:**
Select actual users from dropdown. Clear individual accountability and enables notifications and tracking.
**Be consistent:**
If one activity says "Marketing Manager", don't use "VP of Marketing" for similar activities. Standardize role names across your organization.
**Walk through with your team**
Does everyone understand their assignments? Are there gaps where no one is assigned? Are there bottlenecks with too many consulted parties?
**Test it in practice**
Try executing the process with assigned roles. Identify confusion or delays. Adjust assignments based on real experience.
**Update regularly**
As teams change, update assignments. As processes evolve, review if RACI still makes sense. Quarterly reviews for active processes.
## 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
Example: Processing a standard expense report
**Common for Informed**
Some activities are self-contained and don't require informing others:
* Responsible: Assigned
* Accountable: Assigned
* Consulted: Assigned
* Informed: None
Example: Internal team planning meeting
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)
## Tips for Large Organizations
If you're working with many team members or complex processes:
**Standardize role names**
Create a glossary of standard role names your organization uses.
Example: Always use "Sales Manager" not "Sales Lead" or "Sales Supervisor"
**Document RACI patterns**
For common process types, document standard RACI patterns as templates.
Example: All approval processes have the same RACI structure
**Review quarterly**
Set a reminder to review RACI assignments every quarter as teams change.
Update assignments when people change roles or leave
**Train your team**
Make sure everyone understands what RACI means and how to read the assignments.
Quiz: "If you're Consulted, what does that mean?"
## Next Steps
See how RACI assignments appear in visual diagrams
View cross-functional process flows organized by responsible person
Add detailed procedure documentation to your activities