RACI is dead
RACI matrix is dead because it doesn’t help in modern product development and doesn’t reflect the realities of how software is built nowadays. If you rely on a RACI matrix, this probably indicates some serious issues within organisation of your software product team.
Let me break it down.
Responsible
Those who do the work to achieve the task. There is typically one role with a participation type of Responsible, although others can be delegated to assist in the work required.
Well, the team does the work. Within the team people organise themselves as appropriate. Yes, someone does design, someone codes, but this specialisation is either obvious or fluid and in either case does not require definition.
Another issue I’ve seen often is multiple “R”s for a piece of work. Who does the work in this case?
Accountable
Sometimes also knows as Approver or final Approving authority. This is the one ultimately accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the deliverable or task, and the one to whom Responsible is accountable. In other words, an Accountable must sign off (Approve) on work that a Responsible provides. There must be only one Accountable specified for each task or deliverable.
Product Owner is accountable for the outcome from the work of the team, when individuals are accountable for their own pieces of work. If you separate functional accountabilities for design, code, copy etc — good luck creating customers experience that doesn’t fall between the cracks of these discipline while the accountable argue who’s fault that was.
Consulted
Those whose opinions are sought; and with whom there is two-way communication.
…and…
Informed
Those who are kept up-to-date on progress, often only on completion of the task or deliverable; and with whom there is just one-way communication.
Ok, these two are the sponsor, users and other stakeholders. But this is not helpful. What IS useful — the model of stakeholders engagement, user research and usability testing, public relations and other very important and complex activities which cannot be covered by putting g a few names in the “informed” cell.
Also a few good point from here, specifically this one:
[RACI matrix] won’t fix a dysfunctional team. PM’s feel that the RACI matrix will not fix a team that has poor moral. Before RACI can be effective, you must have a team that has no issues. RACI is not a tool that fixes a dysfunctional team…
Every time I see RACI on projects I worked on, it’s usually incomprehensible, useless junk on an Excel spreadsheet. Once created, no-one is looking into it. RACI doesn’t work. RACI is dead.
