Change Management Matrices

RACI

The name RACI is an acronym derived from words denoting the responsibility of specific people in a project: responsible, accountable, consulted, informed. RACI is a responsibility matrix that clearly shows what role specific individuals play for the project. RACI is usually organized by the Project or Delivery Manager of the project in agreement with the client before the project starts. The matrix is later available for inspection by team members and is monitored during the implementation of the project.

  • Responsible: this is the person directly responsible for the work to be done, which means the executor. Responsible person = one person per task. Tasks having more than one responsible person can become a source of conflict or may not be completed due to blurred responsibility.
  • Accountable: this is the person overseeing the work on the task (who is not its executor). This role is often played by the Project or Delivery Manager, or the Product Owner on the client’s side. It can also be played by someone at a higher level of the organization, e.g., the COO. The responsibility of person “A” is to approve the work. Accountable person = one person. This person has the right to approve, reject, or veto.
  • Consulted: this is a person who has knowledge about the project, consults, and/or advises the accountable person and the people executing the tasks. Consultant = several people.
  • Informed : this is a person or group of people who are informed about the ongoing activities, progress, completion of work, or a stage. This person or people do not have an impact on project-related decisions.
Example matrix (partial)
Step 1:
Prepare the document
Prepare a document (preferably Excel) with the matrix.
Step 2:
Define people and their roles in the project

In contact with the client, gather information about the specific people who will work on the project on behalf of your company and the client, and possibly other parties involved in the project. Their function, level of responsibility, and decision-making authority are important.

Step 3:
Enter people into the matrix and define the activities they are responsible for

Using precise words, assign people to actions or activities. Use specific actions and verbs, e.g.: prepare, prepare documentation, publish, update, plan, do a review. Actions and verbs should be short and adequate for the given role.

Step 4:
Check the matrix

Make sure that in the matrix there are no empty fields, and that actions or activities are specific and adequate to the role of a given person (e.g., a Project Manager will not do a review of a given function). If there is no need in the project to have people in sections “C” and “I”, leave the given row empty and possibly leave a comment in the document.

Step 5:
Consult

Once you have a completed matrix, confirm its content with the client and project members. If any changes are needed, implement them.

Step 6:
Publish

Share the completed matrix with the client and the team. Remember to verify it from time to time and check if the roles and responsibilities have not changed

Other tools  in the area of
Change Management Matrices

Risk Matrix

A Risk Matrix is an assessment consulted with stakeholders and provided to the team, followed by a visualization of various risk areas in a project or initiative. Which elements of your project have a high risk?

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