What is a RACI matrix and what does each letter mean?
Short answer
A RACI matrix is a grid of tasks against roles that marks each cell R (Responsible, does the work), A (Accountable, owns the result and signs off), C (Consulted, gives input before) or I (Informed, told afterward). The key rule is exactly one A on every task, and at least one R, so no task is ownerless or double-owned.
A RACI matrix answers one question for every task: who does what. Tasks run down the rows and roles or people across the columns, and each cell holds at most one letter.
What does each letter mean?
| Letter | Role | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| R | Responsible | Does the work. There can be several. |
| A | Accountable | Owns the outcome and approves it. Only one per task. |
| C | Consulted | Gives input before the work is done, in both directions. |
| I | Informed | Is told about progress or the result, in one direction. |
What makes a RACI matrix correct?
Four checks on each task row catch nearly every error:
- Exactly one A. No A means nobody owns the result; two or more means the ownership is disputed.
- At least one R. Without it, nobody is doing the work.
- Only the four letters appear. A stray "X" or "TBD" is an invalid entry.
- Count the letters per role as well. A role that holds a large share of all the A's may be a bottleneck.
What does a small example look like?
| Task | Project manager | Engineer | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write the requirements | A | R | C |
| Build the prototype | A | R | I |
| Approve the design | R | C | A |
| Schedule the demo | A |
The first three tasks each have one A and at least one R. "Schedule the demo" has an A but no R, so the check reports No Responsible. A matrix that is blank in most cells is a sign the roles are too fine-grained.
What does a RACI matrix not tell you?
It tests letters, not people. It cannot show whether the accountable person has time to do the job, or whether the responsible person agrees with the plan, so pair it with a capacity view. The sheet below counts R, A, C and I with COUNTIF down each row and column and reports the first problem it finds on every task.
The RACI matrix template runs these checks automatically.