How to create the RACI responsibility matrix

The Project Roadmap^® from www.gpm-ipma.de includes the Company and Project Organization and matrix of responsibilities! Do you know how to create the responsibility matrix? 

Creating the responsibility matrix, which allows you to describe the role of project team members in the project, is possible only with the presence of the two structures - organizational (OBS) and project tasks (WBS). 

Let's make the responsibility matrix for the joke project Cooking scrambled eggs (by a child at home).

In this example, we will use the following tasks on the 2nd level for the 1st level task - Cooking scrambled eggs.

1. Cooking scrambled eggs (by a child at home):

1.1.Check products availability

1.2.Purchase of products

1.3.Checking dishes

1.4.Providing "heat" for frying

1.5.Frying scrambled eggs

1.6.Ensuring safety and cleanliness

As mentioned earlier, two structures are needed to develop a responsibility matrix, so we indicate the organizational structure (OBS) for our example - these are:

1. Father

1. Mother

           1.1.Child

2. Neighbours

3. Store Cashier

Let's create the table of the responsibility matrix for the tasks on the 2nd level and specify roles in the RACID format (see the article RACI responsibility matrix) for each member of the project team:

Let’s decipher how to interpret each role in each task and for each member of the project team.

Let's create the table of the responsibility matrix for the tasks on the 3d level for the task 1.1.Check products availability and specify the roles of each member of the project team:

Why are different roles, A and R, used for tasks at the same level of decomposition for the child?

The critical difference in responsibility for organizing and executing the task is that A has the ability to delegate the execution, which is not in R.

The presence of role A indicates that the task has lower levels of decomposition, whereas role R will be indicated.  Let’s show the 4th level of decomposition for tasks under 1.1.Check products availability and specify the roles of each member of the project team:

Thus, role A indicates that the person in the organizational structure is responsible for the organization (PDCA cycle = Plan – Delegate – Check – Adjustment) and the decomposition of the task. In this example, the PDCA cycle should be made by the child. Such children are considered adults, independent, empowered, and responsible for their actions. 

Let's create the table of the responsibility matrix for the task on the 3d level for 1.2. Purchase of products and specify the roles of each member of the  project team:

Why is the role R used simultaneously for two project team members, and how to understand it?

In this example, the task is simple, understood by all participants equally, and involves the transfer of money from the child and their reception by the Store Cashier; therefore, the role of R is used simultaneously for two participants in the task. 

If ambiguity arises in such situations, I recommend decomposing the task and specifying a separate role of R, for example:

• Transfer money for goods - R (Responsible) to the child
• Acceptance money for goods - R (Responsible) at the store cashier

Be careful with the Informed role and use it sparingly, as this often leads to a large flow of information that a project team member may need help to handle. There are thousands of unread emails and messages in the messenger. I recommend using the Need-to-know basis rule: you tell [people] the facts they need to know, at the time they need to know them, and nothing more. Google uses this rule in its work.

Linear, functional, and project subordination in the responsibility matrix

The line manager is determined according to the Company's organizational structure.

The functional manager is determined according to the order of the CEO and is displayed in the accounting system on the employee's card in the appropriate field called "Functional Manager."

The project manager is determined by the Project Charter and/or the order of the line manager on the appointment of an employee to the project, is displayed in the accounting system in the employee card in the appropriate field called "Project Manager" and the organizational structure of the project.

The linear/project manager and functional manager will have different levels of authority and responsibility in the RACID matrix (see the article RACI responsibility matrix).

To summarise, the line/project manager has more direct authority and responsibility for their unit/project. In contrast, the functional manager provides guidance and support within their expertise but has no direct authority over the unit's employees. Both executives will be consulted on decisions relating to their respective areas, and both will be informed of any decisions or changes that affect their areas of responsibility.

SDTEST^® allows you to determine in project managers the makings of a blue behavior model that is most appropriate to create the responsibility matrix. The higher the percentage in blue due to the SDTEST^®, the more naturally the model of this person's behavior corresponds to the requirements to create the responsibility matrix.

Valerii Kosenko

Product Owner SaaS SDTEST®

Valerii was qualified as a social pedagogue-psychologist in 1993 and has since applied his knowledge in project management.
Valerii obtained a Master's degree and the project and program manager qualification in 2013. During his Master's program, he became familiar with Project Roadmap (GPM Deutsche Gesellschaft für Projektmanagement e. V.) and Spiral Dynamics.
Valerii is the author of exploring the uncertainty of the V.U.C.A. concept using Spiral Dynamics and mathematical statistics in psychology, and 38 international polls.