RACI Matrix

Predecessors/Before You Begin

RACI matrices are sometimes called "ARCI" matrices.

RACI Matrix

A "RACI" matrix is a chart of "who does what." RACI stands for

  • Responsible: one or more roles responsible for actual task execution
  • Accountable: the one role accountable for this step
  • Consulted: zero or more roles to be consulted in this step
  • Informed: zero or more roles to be informed in this step

In terms of a process, a RACI matrix illustrates who does what step in a process:

Activity CIO Service Desk Manager Change Manager Problem Manager
Schedule changes - C A/R C
Handle incidents - A/R - I

You can see from this chart (which isn't necessarily how you should set things up in real life!) that the CIO role does not need to be informed about any of these tasks, the incident manager is consulted on scheduling changes and accountable/responsible for handling incidents, the change manager is accountable/responsible for scheduling changes and not informed about handling incidents, and the problem manager is consulted for scheduling changes and informed about incidents.

One issue with RACI matrices is understanding the perspective of the person reading the matrix. Perhaps a University president would hold the CIO accountable for all tasks. The CIO would in turn hold others accountable, and so on.

University-specific risks

People sometimes play many roles in a University IT environment. RACI matrices can become very complex without an accompanying "roles list" that defines the various roles in a department. Through defining roles, people can understand their obligations without using actual job titles.