Your guide to RACI charts, with examples

Can you identify exactly who’s doing what by when for each task, milestone, and deliverable in your project? If not, you might need a RACI chart. RACI is an acronym that helps teams clarify project roles and identify the responsible party for each task. Whether you've never heard of RACI before or you’re considering creating a RACI chart for your next project, here’s everything you need to know about how to create and use these charts.

What is a RACI chart?

A RACI chart identifies each team member’s role for every task, milestone, and deliverable in a project. It clarifies who completes the work, who approves it, who provides input, and who needs updates so everyone understands their responsibilities and how they fit into the workflow.

Also known as a Responsibility Assignment Matrix or RACI matrix, project teams use RACI charts to assign roles, prevent bottlenecks, and maintain momentum from one task to the next. RACI stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed.

• Responsible: The individual who completes the task. This person manages the task from beginning to end and responds to questions about progress, timelines, and upcoming steps. Projects can have multiple contributors, but each task should have only one Responsible role to prevent confusion.

• Accountable: The Accountable person signs off on the work and owns the final result. This is usually the project manager or a senior leader who confirms that the task meets expectations. There should be only one Accountable role per task.

• Consulted: Team members who provide guidance, share their expertise, or review work before it progresses. Contributors influence decisions and improve outcomes, and there may be several depending on the task's complexity.

• Informed: Stakeholders who monitor progress and completion. They don't actively contribute to the work, but they’re aware of status changes because a project’s success will affect their responsibilities or future actions.

When should I create a RACI matrix?

Create a RACI matrix at the beginning of any project involving multiple contributors, handoffs, or decision-makers so everyone understands their responsibilities before work starts. It’s especially useful for complex projects that span departments, involve subject-matter experts, or require multiple approvals. You can also use a RACI matrix when a project stalls, tasks remain idle, or feedback loops slow progress, as assigning roles helps establish ownership and remove obstacles.

How to make a RACI chart

To create a RACI chart, list your project tasks down the left side and place team members across the top row. Fill each cell with the appropriate R, A, C, or I, or use Asana’s RACI chart template to set it up without starting from scratch. Let’s go over the steps to create a RACI diagram, using a software development project as an example.

Step 1: List the project tasks and deliverables

Start by breaking down your project into specific actions or deliverables. Tasks should give each team member a clear understanding of what needs to be completed during each phase of the project lifecycle.

For our software project example, tasks might include:

• Define project scope

• Design wireframes

• Develop front-end code

• Conduct user testing

• Launch the site

Step 2: Identify RACI roles and key stakeholders

Start by listing everyone connected to the project, including those doing the work, approving decisions, offering expertise, or needing updates. At this stage, you’re only gathering names and functions, not assigning RACI roles.

For our RACI chart example, we might have:

• Project Manager: Oversees the entire project.

• Business Analyst: Gathers requirements and ensures they’re met.

• UX Designer: Responsible for creating wireframes and the user experience.

• Front-End Developer: Codes the website.

• Marketing Team: Needs to be informed of key launch milestones.

• IT Support: Handles post-launch maintenance.

Step 3: Assign RACI matrix roles

Now match the participants from step 2 to the specific tasks in your project. For every deliverable, designate one person as Responsible for completing the work, one Accountable for approval, any Consulted experts who provide input, and the Informed parties who receive updates.

For our software RACI matrix example, we have:

• R: Business analyst

• A: Project manager

• C: UX designer

• I: Front-end developer, marketing team, and IT support.

Step 4: Review and adjust

Review the RACI framework with your project team members. Identify any missing contributors, redundant assignments, or tasks without an owner, and revise as needed. For example, you might consult the backend developer during UX design to verify feasibility.

Step 5: Share the RACI chart

Finally, share the RACI matrix with the entire team so everyone can reference their roles. Sharing the RACI table encourages buy-in by showing each person their responsibilities and how their work supports other roles during different project phases.

RACI chart example

To build a RACI chart, list every task, milestone, or deliverable for your project. Then identify who the Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed team members are for each.

Let’s say you’re updating the homepage on your website. Project stakeholders include:

• Copywriter

• Designer

• Head of website

• Web developer

You want to create a RACI diagram for five tasks and deliverables:

• Update homepage CTAs

• Update customer story on homepage

• Revamp website design

• Improve homepage loading speed

• Update homepage design

The RACI chart would look like:

Update homepage CTAs

• Responsible: Copywriter

• Accountable: Web developer

• Consulted: Head of website

• Informed: Designer

Update customer story on homepage

• Responsible: Copywriter

• Accountable: Web developer

• Consulted: Head of website

• Informed: Designer

Revamp video on homepage

• Responsible: Designer

• Accountable: Web developer

• Consulted: Head of website

• Informed: Copywriter

Improve homepage loading speed

• Responsible: Web developer

• Accountable: Web developer

• Consulted: Head of website

• Informed: Copywriter & Designer

Update homepage design

• Responsible: Designer

• Accountable: Web developer

• Consulted: Head of website

• Informed: Copywriter

Pros and cons of RACI charts

RACI charts help organize roles and responsibilities, but they aren’t always suitable for every initiative. Consider the advantages and disadvantages before incorporating the RACI model into your project plan.

Pros

RACI charts help teams work more efficiently by clearly identifying who does what and when.

• They assign one person responsible for each task to prevent duplicate work.

• They minimize confusion during the decision-making process and guide contributors on providing input as the project progresses.

• RACI matrices expedite clear communication when roles change between tasks.

• They work well in Agile teams that rely on shared input and quick iterations.

Cons

RACI matrices can become hard to maintain if they try to capture too much detail.

• They focus on individual tasks without showing how those tasks fit together to move the project forward.

• They can grow unwieldy if you list every task, and teams may struggle to see who they should contact for updates or decisions.

• They need updates whenever priorities change, especially in Scrum environments, and can quickly become outdated without a project management tool.

RACI matrix alternatives

If the RACI methodology feels too rigid for your team, consider RACI alternatives that adapt responsibilities for different work styles. These alternatives can be useful when you need more flexibility than the RACI chart provides.

• DACI emphasizes decision ownership through Driver, Approver, Contributor, and Informed roles.

• RASCI adds Supportive roles for additional help and resources.

• RAS simplifies responsibilities to Responsible, Accountable, and Supportive

• CARS organizes work into four roles called Communicate, Approve, Responsible, and Support to guide stakeholder communication and approvals.

• CLAM defines leadership and oversight through Contribute, Lead, Approve, and Monitor roles.

Transform your RACI chart into a living workflow

Import your RACI chart into project management software and connect responsibilities directly to ongoing work. Asana automatically assigns tasks, visually maps approval paths, and uses AI to draft and share status updates as your team advances through project phases.

Everyone can see who owns what, when it’s due, and its current status. Your RACI becomes a real-time source of truth instead of a static document that someone has to babysit. But RACI charts are just the beginning. Discover how work management gives your team the structure, visibility, and coordination they need to finish projects on time.

FAQs about RACI charts