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RACI Explained Simply

RACI is a way to clarify who does what in your processes. It stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. Every activity in your process needs clear role assignments. RACI eliminates confusion by making it obvious who’s doing the work, who’s in charge, who needs to provide input, and who just needs to know what’s happening.
Think of RACI as a simple answer to: “Who should I talk to about this task?”

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The Four RACI Roles

R - Responsible (The Doer)

Responsible people do the actual work. They’re the ones rolling up their sleeves and completing the task.Key characteristics:
  • Performs the activity
  • Takes action and completes tasks
  • Can be multiple people
  • Reports progress to the Accountable person
Example: For the activity “Conduct Phone Interview,” the Responsible person is the recruiter who actually makes the call and asks the questions.
An activity can have multiple Responsible people, but make sure it’s clear who’s doing what part of the work.
Accountable is the one person who owns the outcome. They’re ultimately answerable for whether the task gets done correctly.Key characteristics:
  • Owns the final decision
  • Approves completed work
  • Takes responsibility for results
  • Only ONE person per activity
  • Usually a manager or team lead
Example: For “Conduct Phone Interview,” the Accountable person might be the Hiring Manager who approves moving candidates forward.
Important: Every activity must have exactly ONE Accountable person. No more, no less.
Consulted people provide input and expertise before the work is done. They’re in the loop and have a say.Key characteristics:
  • Provides expertise or opinions
  • Two-way communication
  • Input is considered before decisions
  • Can be multiple people
  • Subject matter experts
Example: For “Design New Marketing Campaign,” the Consulted people might include the sales team (to ensure messaging matches customer needs) and the legal team (to review compliance).
Consulted is different from Informed. Consulted people give feedback; Informed people just receive updates.
Informed people need to know what’s happening, but they don’t provide input or do work. They receive updates.Key characteristics:
  • Receives updates after decisions
  • One-way communication
  • Stays in the loop
  • Can be multiple people
  • No action required from them
Example: For “Update Employee Benefits Package,” Informed people might be all employees who need to know about the changes but don’t help create the package.
Keep your Informed list focused. Only include people who truly need to know. Too many updates create noise.

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RACI Matrix Example

Here’s a real example of a RACI matrix for a hiring process:
ActivityRecruiterHiring ManagerHR DirectorTeam MembersCEO
Post Job OpeningRAI--
Review ApplicationsRC---
Conduct Phone ScreenRI---
Schedule InterviewsRA-I-
Conduct Final InterviewCRAC-
Make Job OfferIRA-I
Negotiate SalaryICR/A--
Notice how each activity has exactly one “A” (Accountable) person. This is crucial for clarity.

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Why RACI Matters

Eliminates Confusion

Everyone knows exactly what they’re responsible for. No more “I thought you were doing that!”

Prevents Bottlenecks

Clear accountability means tasks don’t fall through the cracks or wait for unclear approvals.

Improves Communication

You know who to consult for expertise and who needs to stay informed.

Speeds Up Decisions

When one person is accountable, decisions happen faster without endless group consensus.

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Common RACI Mistakes to Avoid

Multiple Accountable PeopleNever assign more than one Accountable person to an activity. If something goes wrong, who’s really responsible? Having one owner ensures clear accountability.
Too Many Consulted PeopleConsulting everyone slows down progress. Only include people whose expertise is truly necessary for the decision.
Confusing Informed with ConsultedIf someone just needs a status update, they’re Informed, not Consulted. Consulted people actively participate in the decision-making.
No Responsible PersonEvery activity needs someone to do the work. If there’s no “R,” nothing will happen!

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RACI Best Practices

1

Start with Accountable

For each activity, first identify who owns the outcome. This should be obvious.
2

Identify the Doers

Who actually performs the work? Assign them as Responsible.
3

Find Your Experts

Who has expertise that should influence the decision? Make them Consulted.
4

Notify Stakeholders

Who needs to know what happened? Mark them as Informed.
5

Keep It Simple

When in doubt, assign fewer roles. You can always add more later.

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RACI in the Business Process Framework

In the Business Process Framework, you’ll assign RACI roles to activities within your core processes. The system helps you:
  • Map team members to RACI roles
  • Visualize who’s involved in each activity
  • Generate RACI matrices automatically
  • Ensure every activity has proper assignments
Pro tip: Assign RACI roles as you create activities. It’s easier than going back and assigning them all later.

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Real-World Example

Let’s say you’re documenting the process for “Publishing Blog Content”: Activity: Review Draft Blog Post
  • Responsible: Content Writer (writes the post and makes revisions)
  • Accountable: Content Manager (approves final version for publishing)
  • Consulted: SEO Specialist (provides feedback on optimization), Subject Matter Expert (verifies technical accuracy)
  • Informed: Marketing Director (receives notification when post is published)
This clarity means the Content Writer knows to get feedback from SEO and the expert, submit to the Content Manager for approval, and the system will automatically notify the Marketing Director.

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Quick Reference

Responsible

Does the workCan be multiple people

Accountable

Owns the outcomeOnly ONE person

Consulted

Provides inputTwo-way communication

Informed

Gets updatesOne-way communication

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Next Steps

Assigning RACI Roles

Learn how to assign RACI roles to your Guides

Adding Guides

Learn how to add Guides to your processes