Clarifying Responsibilities
People want and need to know what is expected of them at work. Without explicit and clear responsibilities, some will feel as if they are carrying the world while others kick back and relax. The RASCI framework is a great tool for sorting this out on a team, and communicating it clearly. Download this framework and follow along as I explain how to use it.
The rows represent individual activities. For example, Activity A might be "Develop five-year strategy for the widgets market." The columns are roles/people. For example, Person 1 might be the CEO and person 2 might be the CFO.
For any given activity, a person might fulfill one of five roles (or none at all):
R = Responsible. This is the person who owns the project/problem/activity.
A = Approve. This is the person to whom "R" is accountable. For example, the CFO might be "R" for the installation of a new computer system and the CEO would be "A."
S = Support. People who must provide resources or other support to "R."
C = Consult. These people must be consulted by "R" to ensure project success.
I = Inform. These people must be informed of the results.
Process
- As a group, identify the relevant activities and list them down the left side of the chart.
- Identify roles/positions/people and list them across the top.
- Identify who has each of five RASCI roles and put the appropriate letter in each box.
- Check that every activity has one and only one "R." Resolve overlaps or gaps.
Here's a hypothetical example. Try it yourself and let me know how it goes!
