RACI Making Roles and Responsibilities Stand Out

1. RACIMaking Roles and Responsibilities Stand Out John Crager IDIS-434

2. What Is RACI ? • RACI charting is a systematic and highly participative technique to: • Identify all functions (activities, tasks, and decisions) that have to be accomplished for the effective operation of the team/organization • Clarify roles and responsibilities in relation to each of the identified functions/activities • Develop sound methods for defining how individuals can best fill these roles

3. A I C R I C C R A Type or Degree of Participation R A I C A R C A I RACI is Disciplined Roles of Participants Functions/Decisions/ Activities Accountable “Buck Stops Here” The individual who is ultimately accountable (includes yes/no and power of veto). Only one “A” can be assigned to an activity/decision. Individuals who perform an activity — responsible for action/implementation. The degree of responsibility is defined by the accountable person. R’s can be shared. The individuals to be consulted prior to a final decision or action is taken. Two-way communication. The individuals who need to be informed after a decision or action is taken. One-way communication. Responsible“Doer” Consulted “In the Loop” Informed “FYI”

4. Where RACI Helps • Undefined/unclear accountabilities of individuals or departments • Redundancies or work being delayed or not accomplished • Inadequate communication and/or coordination • Approval/decision-making roles unclear and multiple decision points • Tasks being performed/decisions being made at wrong levels • Inability to manage organizational interfaces (Infighting and finger-pointing.)

5. The Four-Step Process Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 — Determine the activities/decisions — Prepare a list of participant roles — Develop the RACI chart — Get feedback and buy-in

6. Step 1: Determine Activities What Are They? Sources for Identification Analyzing Them • Should it be performed at all; any value added? • What is significance or impact? • Is it duplicated elsewhere? • How often is it performed? • Is it performed at proper skill level? • Process Mapping • Work Flow Analysis • Functional decomposition • Interviews • Present Situation/To Be’s • Job descriptions • Organization charts • Identifiable • Controllable • Practical

7. Guidelines for Developing a List • Avoid trivial or generic activities, e.g., “attend meetings.” • Each activity or decision should begin with a good action verb. Evaluate Record Schedule Write Operate Plan Update Monitor Prepare Collect Develop Inspect Train Authorize • When the action verb implies a judgment or decision (e.g., evaluate, monitor, inspect, review), add a phrase to indicate the primary outcome. Examples: • “Monitor phone service handling of customer requests to identify training needs.” • “Analyze data to locate source of delay.” • Activities or decisions should be short, concise, and apply to a role or need, not to a specific person.

8. Purchasing Organization Clerk Business Other Admin. Other Clerks Supplier Our Organization Customer Step 2: List Roles • Roles can be individuals, groups, or entire departments • Roles can include people outside the department or even outside the company if appropriate

9. Step 3: Develop the Chart Participant Roles R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 T1 A R R C T2 A R C I Activities or Tasks / Decisions T3 I A R R T4 R C A I T5 A R I

10. Complete and Review A C I R A C I R I C C I C C R R A A R A R A I C A I C A R C A I • Vertical Analysis:Defining Individual Roles • Too many R’s for any one role • Too many A’s • Not any R’s or A’s • No spaces in columns • Qualifications needed todo the assigned roles • Horizontal Analysis:Completing All Functions • No/too many R’s • No/too many A’s • Missing A’s or R’s • Every box filled in • Too many C’s • Too many I’s

11. Vertical Analysis If You Find Then Ask Can or need the individual stay on top of so much? Can decisions/activities be broken into smaller, more manageable functions for others to perform? Does the individual(s) need to be involved in so many activities? Are they a “gatekeeper” or could management by exception principles be used? Can C’s be reduced to I’s, or left to the individual’s discretion when something needs particular attention? Should this functional role be eliminated? Have processes changed to a point where other resources should be reutilized? Does a proper “segregation of duties” exist? Should other groups/people be accountable for some of these activities to ensure checks and balances and accurate decision making throughout the process? Is this a “bottleneck” in the process — is everyone waiting for decisions or direction? Does the type or degree of participation fit the qualifications of this role? Too many R’s No spaces in columns Not any R’s or A’s Too many A’s Qualifications

12. Horizontal Analysis If You Find Then Ask Is the job getting done? Some roles may be waiting to approve, be consulted, or informed. No one sees their role as taking the initiative. Is this a sign of sending it “over-the-wall”? “Just get it off my desk ASAP!” Why not? There must be an “A.” Accountability should be pushed down to the most appropriate level. Is there confusion? “I thought you had it!” It also creates confusion because every person with an “A” has a different view of how it is or should be done. The process must slow down while the activity is performed on an “ad hoc” basis. Or the procedure may be outdated and can be streamlined if not needed. Do all the functional roles really need to be consulted? Are there justifiable benefits in consulting all the roles? Do all the roles need to be routinely informed or only in exceptional circumstances? They shouldn’t be. If they are, too many people are involved — usually too many “C’s” and “I’s.” No R’s Too many R’s No A’s Too many A’s Missing R’s or A’s Too many C’s Too many I’s Every box filled in

13. More Guidelines • 1. A few rules of thumb: • Eliminate “checkers checking checkers” • Build the chart to encourage teamwork • 100% accuracy is usually not essential • 2. Place accountability (A) and responsibility (R) at the lowest possible level • 3. Authority must accompany accountability • 4. Minimize the number of consults (C) and informees (I) • 5. All roles and responsibilities must be documented, communicated, and ownership achieved

14. Strawmodel RACI Chart for Work Order Closure R = Responsible for accomplishing the task/activity C = Consulted with prior to completion of task/activity A = Accountable for the results of the task/activity I = Informed of task/activity/result Work Request Originator Ops Lead Maint Lead Eng P&S Coord. Maint Tech Ops Tech Site Mgt Area Mgt National Coord Materials Coord Task/Activity Perform WO completion procedures as required A/R Perform MOC procedures for WO if required R A/R • Initiate documentation of WO configuration changes A/R R C • Document MOC changes & status in CMMS WO A/R Complete WO Closure and update CMMS A R Review closed WOs for completeness/accuracy R C A/R Conduct post job reviews of completed WOs A/R I C C Modify maintenance procedures as appropriate A/R R I C Monitor WO KPIs; Take corrective actions as required I C A/R I I I I