When to reach for RACI
When a decision keeps stalling, when team members repeatedly step on each other, or when work is dropping between teams. You don't need a RACI for everything — you need it where ambiguity is costing you.
Rules
- Exactly one A per row. If everyone's accountable, nobody is.
- R can be plural. Multiple people can do the work together.
- C is for input before; I is told after. Don't conflate them.
- Avoid CC'ing everyone as I. Choose who genuinely needs to know.
Variants
| Variant | Adds | When useful |
|---|---|---|
| RACI | — | Default. Most cases. |
| RASCI | S = Support | When a deliverable has supporting roles distinct from doing |
| DACI | D = Driver, A = Approver, C = Contributor, I = Informed | Common in product orgs; emphasizes the Driver as a distinct role |
| RAPID | Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, Decide | Bain's variant; useful for complex multi-stakeholder decisions |
↳ the most common mistake (worth repeating)
Two A's on a single row. Once you allow shared accountability, the matrix becomes decorative. Single A or the tool is broken.