# RACI Matrix

# RACI Matrix: {{PROJECT_NAME}}

> **Project:** {{PROJECT_NAME}}
> **Version:** {{VERSION}}
> **Date:** {{DATE}}
> **Author:** {{AUTHOR}}
> **Status:** Draft | In Review | Approved
> **Reviewers:** {{REVIEWERS}}

## Document History
| Version | Date | Author | Changes |
|---------|------|--------|---------|
| 0.1     | {{DATE}} | {{AUTHOR}} | Initial draft |

---

## 1. Purpose & How to Use This Matrix

<!-- GUIDANCE: The RACI matrix prevents gaps and overlaps in accountability. Every deliverable
and key activity must have exactly ONE Accountable (A) and at least one Responsible (R).
Having no A creates ambiguity. Having multiple A's creates conflict. -->

This RACI matrix defines responsibility assignments for all activities and deliverables in the **{{PROJECT_NAME}}** project. It serves as the authoritative reference for:
- Who does the work (Responsible)
- Who is ultimately answerable for the outcome (Accountable)
- Who provides input and expertise (Consulted)
- Who needs to be kept informed (Informed)

**Conflict resolution:** When disagreements arise about ownership, refer to this document. Disputes escalate to the Accountable party, then to John (AI Director) if unresolved.

---

## 2. RACI Definitions

| Letter | Role | Definition | Rule |
|--------|------|------------|------|
| **R** | **Responsible** | The person(s) who do the work to complete the activity | Can be multiple per activity |
| **A** | **Accountable** | The one person who is ultimately answerable; signs off on completion | MUST be exactly ONE per activity |
| **C** | **Consulted** | Provides expertise/input; two-way communication required | Optional; should be minimized |
| **I** | **Informed** | Kept up to date on decisions/progress; one-way communication | Should be only those who need to know |

**Common Mistakes to Avoid:**
- Multiple A's on one activity — pick one, make others C or I
- No R — every activity must have someone doing the work
- Too many C's — consult only who truly adds value; too many slows work down
- Missing I's — key stakeholders left uninformed create escalations

---

## 3. Project Roles

<!-- GUIDANCE: List every role involved in this project. Map to named individuals or agent IDs.
Update this table when team members change. -->

| Role Code | Role Title | Person / Agent | Org | Notes |
|-----------|-----------|---------------|-----|-------|
| CEO | Chief Executive Officer | Alem | ALAI | Strategic decisions, final budget approval |
| JD | AI Director | John | ALAI | Delivery accountability, agent coordination |
| PM | Project Manager | {{NAME/AGENT}} | ALAI | Day-to-day coordination, reporting |
| PO | Product Owner | {{NAME/AGENT}} | ALAI / Client | Backlog, requirements prioritization |
| BA | Business Analyst | {{NAME/AGENT}} | ALAI | Requirements elicitation, documentation |
| TL | Tech Lead | {{NAME/AGENT}} | ALAI | Architecture, code review, technical decisions |
| DEV | Developer(s) | {{NAME/AGENT}} | ALAI | Feature implementation |
| DES | Designer | {{NAME/AGENT}} | ALAI / Contract | UI/UX, visual assets |
| QA | QA Engineer | {{NAME/AGENT}} | ALAI | Test planning, execution, sign-off |
| OPS | DevOps / Infrastructure | {{NAME/AGENT}} | ALAI | CI/CD, deployment, monitoring |
| CS | Client Sponsor | {{NAME}} | {{CLIENT}} | Executive decisions, final acceptance |
| CPO | Client Product Owner | {{NAME}} | {{CLIENT}} | Day-to-day client requirements |

---

## 4. RACI Matrix — Project Phases & Activities

<!-- GUIDANCE: Use role codes from Section 3. R=Responsible, A=Accountable, C=Consulted, I=Informed.
Remember: exactly ONE A per row. Expand rows for project-specific activities. -->

### 4.1 Project Initiation & Planning

| Activity / Deliverable | CEO | JD | PM | PO | BA | TL | DEV | DES | QA | OPS | CS | CPO |
|------------------------|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-----|----|----|----|----|
| Project Charter creation | I | A | R | C | C | C | | | | | C | I |
| Project Brief / Proposal | I | A | R | R | R | C | | | | | I | I |
| Budget approval | A | C | I | I | | | | | | | I | |
| Stakeholder identification | I | C | R | C | R | | | | | | A | C |
| Communication Plan | I | C | A | C | R | | | | | | I | I |
| Risk Register (initial) | I | C | A | C | C | R | | | | | C | I |
| RACI Matrix | I | A | R | C | | | | | | | I | |
| Project kick-off meeting | I | A | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | A | R |

### 4.2 Requirements & Analysis

| Activity / Deliverable | CEO | JD | PM | PO | BA | TL | DEV | DES | QA | OPS | CS | CPO |
|------------------------|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-----|----|----|----|----|
| Discovery workshops | I | I | C | A | R | C | | | | | C | R |
| Business Requirements Doc (BRD) | I | C | I | A | R | C | | | | | C | R |
| Functional Requirements (FRS) | I | C | I | A | R | R | C | C | C | | I | R |
| Non-Functional Requirements | I | C | I | C | R | A | C | | C | C | I | C |
| User Stories (backlog creation) | I | I | I | A | R | C | C | | | | I | R |
| Requirements sign-off | A | C | I | C | R | I | | | | | A | R |
| Requirements Traceability Matrix | I | I | I | A | R | C | | | R | | I | I |

### 4.3 Design

| Activity / Deliverable | CEO | JD | PM | PO | BA | TL | DEV | DES | QA | OPS | CS | CPO |
|------------------------|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-----|----|----|----|----|
| UX research / user flows | I | I | I | C | C | | | A | | | I | R |
| Wireframes | I | I | I | C | C | | | A | | | I | R |
| High-fidelity mockups | I | I | I | C | | C | | A | | | R | C |
| Design system / style guide | I | I | I | C | | C | C | A | | | I | I |
| Design review & approval | I | C | I | C | | C | | R | | | A | C |
| Technical architecture design | I | C | I | C | C | A | R | | | C | | |
| Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) | I | C | | | | A | R | | | C | | |
| Database schema design | I | | I | C | C | A | R | | | C | | |
| API contract design | I | | I | C | C | A | R | | | | | |
| Infrastructure design | I | | I | | | C | | | | A | | |

### 4.4 Development

| Activity / Deliverable | CEO | JD | PM | PO | BA | TL | DEV | DES | QA | OPS | CS | CPO |
|------------------------|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-----|----|----|----|----|
| Sprint planning | | I | C | A | C | C | R | | C | | | I |
| Feature implementation | | I | I | I | | C | A | | | | | |
| Code review | | | I | | | A | R | | | | | |
| Unit test writing | | | I | | | C | A | | C | | | |
| Integration development | | | I | | C | A | R | | | C | | |
| UI implementation | | | I | C | | C | R | A | | | | |
| Daily standup | | I | A | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | | |
| Sprint demo | | I | R | A | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | R |
| Sprint retrospective | | I | A | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | | |
| Technical documentation | | | I | | | A | R | | | | | |

### 4.5 Testing & Quality Assurance

| Activity / Deliverable | CEO | JD | PM | PO | BA | TL | DEV | DES | QA | OPS | CS | CPO |
|------------------------|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-----|----|----|----|----|
| Test plan creation | I | | I | C | C | C | | | A | | | I |
| Test case creation | | | I | C | C | C | C | | A | | | I |
| Unit testing execution | | | I | | | C | R | | A | | | |
| Integration testing | | | I | | | C | R | | A | C | | |
| Performance testing | | | I | C | | C | | | A | C | | I |
| Security testing | | C | I | | | C | | | A | C | | |
| UAT preparation | | | R | A | R | | | | R | | I | C |
| UAT execution | | | I | C | | | | | C | | R | A |
| UAT sign-off | I | C | I | C | | | | | C | | A | R |
| Defect triage | | | I | C | | C | R | | A | | | |
| Regression testing | | | I | | | C | R | | A | | | |
| Go/No-Go decision | I | A | C | C | | C | | | R | C | C | C |

### 4.6 Deployment & Launch

| Activity / Deliverable | CEO | JD | PM | PO | BA | TL | DEV | DES | QA | OPS | CS | CPO |
|------------------------|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-----|----|----|----|----|
| Deployment checklist | | C | I | | | C | C | | C | A | | |
| Staging deployment | | | I | I | | C | R | | R | A | | |
| Production deployment | | C | I | I | | C | R | | R | A | | |
| DNS / SSL setup | | | | | | C | | | | A | | |
| Monitoring / alerting setup | | | I | | | C | | | | A | | |
| Go-live communication | I | I | A | R | | | | | | | I | R |
| Launch announcement | I | I | A | R | | | | C | | | C | C |
| Post-launch monitoring (48h) | | C | I | | | C | | | R | A | I | |

### 4.7 Post-Launch & Maintenance

| Activity / Deliverable | CEO | JD | PM | PO | BA | TL | DEV | DES | QA | OPS | CS | CPO |
|------------------------|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-----|----|----|----|----|
| Post-launch review (30 days) | I | C | A | R | R | R | R | | R | R | C | R |
| Lessons learned documentation | I | C | A | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | I |
| Handover documentation | I | C | A | R | R | A | R | R | | R | C | I |
| Bug fix triage | | | I | A | | C | R | | R | | I | C |
| Performance optimization | | | I | C | | A | R | | C | C | | |
| Client training | | | C | C | R | C | | | | | I | A |
| Project closure sign-off | A | C | R | | | | | | | | A | |

---

## 5. Escalation Matrix

<!-- GUIDANCE: When RACI ownership is disputed or a decision cannot be made at the current level,
use this escalation path. Response time = time by which escalation must be acknowledged. -->

| Escalation Level | Trigger | Escalate To | Response Time | Resolution Time |
|-----------------|---------|-------------|--------------|-----------------|
| L1 | Task-level disagreement | Tech Lead (technical) / PM (process) | 4 hours | 1 business day |
| L2 | Role/accountability dispute | PM + John | 4 hours | 1 business day |
| L3 | Scope/priority conflict | John + PO | 2 hours | Same day |
| L4 | Contract/budget/strategic decision | John + Alem | 4 hours | 2 business days |
| L5 | External/client dispute | Alem + Client Sponsor | 24 hours | 3 business days |

---

## 6. Handling Common RACI Conflicts

<!-- GUIDANCE: These are the most common issues teams face when implementing RACI. -->

**Issue: Multiple people marked A on same activity**
Action: Hold a 15-minute meeting; the most senior person or domain owner retains A; others become R or C.

**Issue: No one marked R on an activity**
Action: PM escalates to John immediately. A without R = activity will not get done.

**Issue: Too many C's (>4) on a single activity**
Action: Review each C — can they be demoted to I? Consult only those who provide unique value.

**Issue: Key stakeholder says "I didn't know about X"**
Action: Review their I assignments; add missing I designations; improve communication plan frequency.

**Issue: Team member disputes their R assignment**
Action: Discuss with PM; if skill gap, arrange training or reassign; document decision.

---

## 7. Review Cadence

<!-- GUIDANCE: The RACI matrix should be reviewed at key project milestones.
Team changes always trigger a RACI review. -->

| Trigger | Review Type | Owner |
|---------|-------------|-------|
| Project phase change | Full matrix review | PM |
| New team member joins | Role assignments update | PM |
| Team member leaves | Responsibility reassignment | PM |
| Scope change approved | Impact on roles | PM + PO |
| Monthly | Sanity check; any gaps? | PM |
| Project retrospective | Lessons for next RACI | PM |

---

## Approval

| Role | Name | Date | Signature |
|------|------|------|-----------|
| Author | | | |
| Reviewer | | | |
| Project Manager | | | |
| AI Director (John) | | | |
| Project Sponsor | | | |