R is for Responsible
Don’t worry! Responsible does not me Blameable.
Let’s start our deep dive into RACI with the letter everyone focuses on first - the R. In RACI terms, Responsible means the person (or team) doing the work. The do-er. The action-taker. The process owner.
It’s very similar to the concept of a task owner — and that’s why it’s such a critical part of any workflow.
Every Task Needs an R
Every task or process on your list must have a clearly defined Responsible party.
You might not always have someone Consulted or Informed, and not every task needs a separate Accountable role. But every single item must have at least one R.
Now, this is where opinions vary - but I’m firmly in the “one R per task” camp.
Why? Because if multiple people are listed as Responsible, confusion creeps in. You get overlaps, assumptions, and (ironically) a lack of responsibility. One task = one R.
There are some cases, like broader processes, where more than one person might seem like a fair call. But I’d argue that’s a sign the process needs to be broken down into clearer steps — each with its own single Responsible.
(I don’t like chaos… more than one R makes me anxious… perhaps it’s just me.)
Responsible and Accountable are not the same thing
Here is the interesting thing about the R. They might own the do-ing. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are ultimately accountable for the work.
Let’s look at an example
The Accounting Team might be Responsible for preparing the annual tax return - gathering the data, crunching the numbers, hitting the deadline.
But who’s ultimately Accountable for that return being accurate, compliant, and filed on time?
That would be the CFO.
And that distinction matters. It’s the difference between doing the work and owning the result.
Tomorrow, we’ll look at the A in RACI — the person holding the final decision-making power: Accountable.