For consultants settling who does what
RACI Matrix Template With Rules and Example
A RACI chart template in one sheet, with each letter defined, row and column checks, the RASCI variant, common mistakes and a worked client example.
| 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: River chose the owners of the draft design, the data pull and the pilot. Jon holds the A on 4 of 7 rows, which is expected for the manager on a small team. To confirm at kickoff: Who in IT pulls the data, and by when? Does Priya Shah own the pilot?
Owners River had to choose carry an asterisk, and roles nobody named stay in brackets.
Why it works
What is a RACI matrix, and how do you fill one in?
This RACI matrix template is a sheet that shows who does what on a project, with activities down the side, people across the top and a letter in each cell. R is Responsible for doing the work, A is Accountable for the result, C is Consulted before it's done and I is Informed. Cornell University IT's RACI definitions allow only one A per item, so every row has one owner. The guide beside the sheet sets out that rule and the others.
Most free RACI charts are empty grids. This one opens filled in, with a 14-row example for an invented credit union project that covers both the consulting team and the client. The guide gives the rules for every row: exactly one A, at least one R, a person rather than a committee, and Consulted kept short. It then covers the checks to run down each column, the RASCI variant, eight common mistakes and a 15-minute walk-through for kickoff. Once the letters are agreed, the communication plan template turns every I into a scheduled update.
Download the guide as a Word file and the sheet as a CSV, with no account, or open both in River. Paste your task list and the people involved, and River replaces the example with your own rows, one A each, marking every owner it had to choose. The project charter template records who decides, and the stakeholder analysis template covers people who only need updates.
What lands in your doc
What's inside the RACI matrix template
- A filled RACI sheet
14 activities across the consulting team and the client, from an invented project, to swap for your own. - R, A, C and I defined
What each letter means, the question it answers, and how many of each a row can have. - Rules for every row
One A, at least one R, a person rather than a group, and no more than three Consulted. - Checks for every column
Empty columns, anyone with too many As or Rs, and client responsibilities with no client owner. - RASCI and common mistakes
When to add S for Support, and eight mistakes with the fix for each one. - The example, explained
Why each owner sits where it does, with the row and column checks already run.
How it works
From task list to agreed RACI
Open the template
Click Edit with AI. The RACI sheet opens in River with the example filled in and the guide beside it.
Paste your tasks
Optional. Paste your task list and the people involved, and River fills the matrix with one A per row.
Run the checks
Read the row and column checks River adds to the guide, and note each question to raise at kickoff.
Agree it at kickoff
Walk the sponsor through it in 15 minutes, fill in every bracketed name, and date the version.
Questions consultants ask
Common questions
What is a RACI matrix?
A RACI matrix is a grid that names who does what on a project. Each activity gets a row and each person a column. Every cell holds R for Responsible, A for Accountable, C for Consulted, I for Informed, or a dash. It stops work falling between two people, and stops two people claiming the same decision.
Is a RACI chart the same as a RACI matrix?
Yes. RACI chart, RACI matrix and responsibility assignment matrix all name the same grid. Some teams say chart for a short version on a slide and matrix for the full working sheet, but the letters and rules don't change. This template gives you the sheet, which you can copy onto a slide once it's agreed.
Can a row have two Accountable people?
No. Cornell's RACI guidance allows one A per item, so ownership and decision-making stay clear. Two people claiming the A usually means the row holds two activities, such as drafting a design and approving it, so split it into two rows. If it really is one activity, the sponsor picks the owner.
What is RASCI?
RASCI adds S for Support: people who help the Responsible person without owning the work, as in Cornell's RASCI definitions. Use it when helpers matter to the plan, such as a vendor configuring a system for the client's IT team. The rules don't change, so each row still has one A and at least one R.
What are the most common RACI mistakes?
Two As on one row, a committee as the A, and so many Consulted that every step needs a meeting. Others are the consultant owning the client's decisions, client roles left without names, and a matrix nobody updates after kickoff. The guide lists eight mistakes, each with its fix.
Should the client's people be in the RACI?
Yes, on any client project. The client usually owns the decisions, the data and the people you depend on, so those rows need a client A. Where the SOW needs a client role nobody has named, such as a data owner, add a column with the role in brackets and ask for a name at kickoff.
Can River fill it in from my task list?
Yes. Paste your task list and the people involved, and River replaces the example with your own activities. It gives each row exactly one A, marks any owner it had to choose with an asterisk, and lists the questions for kickoff. It never invents names, so roles nobody named stay in brackets.
Your next step
More for your project
Give every activity one owner
Open the sheet with a worked example and the rules beside it, or paste your task list and the people involved for a first pass.