Responsibility Assignment Matrix
The Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a project management tool that the project team normally uses to delegate responsibilities. This matrix is a visual representation of the responsibilities of each person leaving no margin for misunderstanding and misinterpretation. In other words, if someone doesn’t know his/her responsibility or needs to know the responsibilities of a given person, can easily, find the answer on this matrix.
When developing the RAM, the team can delegate responsibilities to a role or a person. In other words, the responsibility can be assigned to the project manager, team members, and so on, or John, Sara, and so on. Since the team assigns the responsibility considering each activity, it will be very clear not only the person but also the activity and his/her involvement. For example, John, the project manager is responsible for controlling the costs, but Sara, a team member, is responsible for planning the costs of the project.
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What is a RACI chart?
The variety id conventions that the Responsability assignment matrix can follow is endless. One of the most used is the RACI – Responsible (R), Accountable (A), Consulted (C), and Informed (I). Following, let’s see each one in more detail:
Responsible
Responsible is the person who develops the work to deliver the activity or work package. In other words, is the active part. Since the size of each activity or work package can change, there can be more than one person responsible. However, the number of people should be limited and manageable.
Accountable
Accountable is the person who has the role of guaranteeing that the person responsible for the activity or work package did his job and that the activity meets the requirements. For the sake of the project, only one person should have this responsibility for each activity. This person can have the responsibility of approving the work but is not mandatory. However, this person will be de main decision-maker.
Consulted
Consulted is the person that the “responsible” or “accountable” person can go to if they have any questions during the execution of the activity. This person is normally an expert in that activity. Like that, other stakeholders and team members can consult him to help to make decisions, clarify questions, and guide.
Informed
Informed is the person who receives the information on how the activity is progressing. This may be because of the person’s interest in the project, even if his involvement in the execution of the activity is not necessary.
Benefits of using a Responsibility Assignment Matrix
Assigning responsibilities to a person, team member, or another stakeholder has major advantages. One of the main advantages is that communication is much easier. If someone has a question regarding one activity, very easily find the person with responsibility for the activity on the matrix and go directly to her.
Another advantage is the end of ambivalence. If everyone knows his/her responsibility it can focus on doing his work. Also, the team will waste less time in organizing the work or making duplicated work. The RAM, also has the advantage of promoting a bigger involvement of all stakeholders.
The RAM can attribute responsibilities to all stakeholders, not only team members. So, any stakeholder even if is not part of the project team, knows his responsibilities, what needs to do and what is expected from him. Like that, he may focus on this responsibility and don’t lose focus. It will also help him to be informed and involved in the activities that are in progress. Since many times they are not fully allocated to the project, they could lose track of when his help and work are necessary.
Since the RACI is a visual board representing all the stakeholders and the activities, is very easy to see if anyone has an amount of work that is not doable. Like that, is very easy to take off responsibilities from someone with excess of responsibilities. And move for another person with less responsibilities.
Finally, if everyone knows their job and responsibility early in the project can not be taken by surprise in the middle of project development. It will also help to prevent 2 persons from having the same responsibility when they shouldn’t.
Develop a Responsibility Assignment Matrix
The team can develop the RAM using many different approaches. An example of an approach is:
- Break the deliverables in work packages
- Then, work those work packages in activities
- The next task should be to delegate each activity to a role or person
- To be sure, that no misinterpretations, the responsibility attributed to a given person or role should be clarified
- The team members and stakeholders should have the possibility to validate the responsibility. Imagine that a person is responsible for a work package and doesn’t have the qualifications for that. This way it will avoid these problems.
- Finally, but equally important. The project manager should include the RAM in the project management plan and communicate it to everyone.
Finally, to assign project responsibilities to project team members and other stakeholders the best tool is the Responsibility Assignment Matrix. This visual board that crosses all team members and stakeholders with all work packages will help to clarify who needs to do what. This way is possible to waste time, avoid confusion, conflicts, and other problems.