For consultants settling who does what
RACI Matrix Template With Rules and Example
A RACI chart in one sheet, filled in for an invented client project, and a guide to the rules that give every task one owner.
The letters, defined
What R, A, C and I mean in a RACI matrix
California's state project management framework describes a RACI matrix, also known as a responsibility assignment matrix, as a list of major project deliverables with each stakeholder's level of responsibility2. Each cell holds one of the letters below, or a dash when that person has no role.
| Letter | Cornell's definition | How many per row | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| R, Responsible | “A person or team responsible for correct execution of the task/deliverable/decision.” | At least one. Cornell says to “avoid using too many.” | A row with an A but no R: the owner hasn't handed out the work. |
| A, Accountable | “Only one per task/deliverable/decision. A person who has ownership of quality and the end result.” | Exactly one, and a named person. If a committee signs off, name its chair. | Two people claiming it. The row usually holds two jobs, such as drafting and approving, so split it. |
| C, Consulted | “People whose opinions are sought.” | Few, and three is plenty. Cornell says a listed C is “required, not optional.” | A C whose input wouldn't change the result. Make them an I. |
| I, Informed | “People who are kept up-to-date on progress, process execution, and quality.” | Any number, as long as each one needs to know. | Someone who is only ever an I. Drop the column and keep them in a stakeholder analysis or communication plan. |
| S, Support (RASCI only) | “People who will provide assistance to the responsible party.” | Optional. Use it when helpers matter to the plan. | An S where an R should be. Every row still needs someone who does the work. |
Definitions quoted from IT@Cornell's RACI and RASCI definitions4, checked October 29, 2026. Write A/R when one person both does and owns the work. The limit of three Consulted is a rule of thumb, not a standard.
How it works
How do you create a RACI matrix?
Create a RACI matrix in this order: the work down the side, the people across the top, one A on every row, then the R, C and I. On a client project, take the rows from the statement of work's deliverables, milestones and client responsibilities, and start each with a verb. Keep it to 10 to 20 rows so it fits one meeting. Across the top, name people where you can, and bracket any client role nobody has filled, such as [Data owner].
Deciding each row's A first stops it filling up with people to consult. Give each A to the person closest to the work who can still sign it off. Bain & Company, which created the RAPID decision method, says the same of decisions: the decider sits as close to where the decision will be implemented as possible1. Then read down each column, because anyone holding the A on more than about a third of rows may become a bottleneck.
Agree the matrix with the sponsor before the work starts. California's state project framework builds this in: its project sponsor approves the RACI matrix2 in the Initiating phase, before detailed planning begins. Walk through it at the kickoff meeting, then date the version and update it whenever someone joins, leaves or changes role. Paste your tasks and people into the box at the top, and River drafts the matrix and lists what to confirm with the sponsor at kickoff.
How it works
From task list to agreed RACI
Download it or open it in River
Download the Word guide and CSV sheet free, or paste your task list and the people involved above and click Edit with AI.
River fills in your matrix
River replaces the example with your activities and people, gives each row one A, and marks every A or R it chose with an asterisk.
Read the checks
In the guide, River lists the rows where it chose an owner, any overloaded or empty columns, and the questions to settle at kickoff.
Agree it at kickoff
Ask River to draft an email to the sponsor or a kickoff agenda, then agree the matrix and date the version.
| Activity | Northgate manager | COO (sponsor) | Head of Member Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agree the charter and workplan | R | A | C |
| Map the current process and baseline | A | I | C |
| Draft the future-state design | A | I | C |
| Approve the future-state design | R | A | C |
| Run the pilot at two branches | C | I | A |
5 of 14 rows and 3 of 8 columns. Drafting and approving are separate rows, so each has one A.
What you'll get
A RACI chart with the rules, the checks and a worked client example
- A RACI sheet filled in with a worked client project
- Rules for every row and checks for every column
- RASCI, common mistakes and a 15-minute kickoff review
Before and after
Your task list in. A checked RACI out.
Tasks: interviews, data pull from IT, process map, design, pilot at two branches, final recommendation. Team: Jon (manager), Asha (analyst). Client: Maria Okafor, COO and sponsor; Priya Shah, Member Services. Maria signs off the design.
Draft the design: Jon (A*), Asha (R*), Priya Shah (C), Maria Okafor (I). Approve the design: Maria Okafor (A), Jon (R*), Priya Shah (C). Pull the data: [IT data owner] (A/R*), Jon (C). Run the pilot at two branches: Priya Shah (A*), [Branch managers] (R*), Jon (C). Checks: Approving the design is split from drafting it. Jon holds the A on 4 of 7 rows. To confirm at kickoff: Who in IT pulls the data, and by when? Does Priya Shah own the pilot, and which branch managers run it?
An asterisk marks every A or R that River had to choose, and roles nobody named stay in brackets.
What lands in your doc
What's inside the RACI matrix template
- RACI Matrix sheet
A worked example for an invented credit union project: 14 activities, eight people columns, phases and notes. - RACI Matrix Guide
A Word guide: each letter defined, five steps to build the matrix, and lines for its owner and version. - Rules for every row
Exactly one A, at least one R, a person rather than a group, few Consulted and an A with authority. - Checks for every column
Empty columns, too many As or Rs, client duties with no client owner, and people only ever informed. - RASCI and common mistakes
When to add S for Support, and eight common mistakes with the fix for each. - A 15-minute kickoff review
Five steps to agree the matrix with the sponsor, plus why the example's owners sit where they do.
Questions consultants ask
Common questions
What is a RACI matrix?
A RACI matrix, or RACI chart, is a grid showing who does what on a project: activities down the side, people across the top. Each cell marks a person as Responsible, Accountable, Consulted or Informed, or leaves them out. It is a responsibility assignment matrix, which the Association for Project Management defines as “a diagram or chart showing assigned responsibilities for elements of work3.”
Can a RACI matrix have two Accountable people?
No. Cornell University IT's guidance4 allows only one A per item, so it is always clear who has the final say. When two people claim it, check whether the row hides two jobs, such as drafting a design and approving it, and split it. If it really is one job, the person both report to, or the sponsor, picks one.
What is the difference between RACI and RASCI?
RASCI adds S, for Support: people who help the Responsible person without owning the work, such as a vendor configuring a system for the client's IT team. Cornell suggests naming one R and marking other helpers S, rather than listing several Rs. Every other rule stays the same, so each row still has exactly one A.
What is the difference between RACI and DACI?
RACI covers a project's work, task by task, while DACI covers one decision at a time. DACI names a Driver who gathers the input and gets the decision made, one Approver, Contributors and the Informed. Atlassian's DACI playbook5, from the maker of Jira, says the C and I mean the same in both. Use DACI for a big decision that keeps stalling.
Should the client's people be in a RACI matrix?
Yes, on any client project. The client usually owns the decisions, data and access your work depends on, so those rows need a client A. You can own the quality of your deliverables, but approving the design or deciding to roll out belongs to the client. Give unnamed client roles a bracketed column and ask for names at kickoff.
Is this RACI matrix template free?
Yes. Download the Word guide and the CSV sheet with no signup. The sheet opens in Excel or Google Sheets, filled in with an invented example, so you can see the rules at work before you clear it. Edit with AI opens the same template in a free River workspace. Paid plans add more AI use and access to the most advanced models.
What does Edit with AI do?
It opens the template in a free River workspace, unchanged unless you pasted a task list at the top. If you did, River swaps the worked example for your rows and people. Each row gets exactly one A, any A or R it chose carries an asterisk, and roles nobody named stay in brackets. It then adds checks and kickoff questions to the guide.
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