RACI, DACI, and the decision rights model your team actually needs
RACI is over-used and often wrong. DACI is better for decisions. Here's when to use which, and the one-page template that turns 'who decides?' from a…
- RACI is for execution: who's Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed.
- DACI is for decisions: who's Driver, Approver, Contributor, Informed.
- Set decision rights at the start of a project. Re-fighting later is 10× the cost.
- One Accountable / one Approver. Multiple = no one.
The number-one cause of project drama isn't bad people — it's unclear decision rights. Two people each think they're the approver; three think they're the driver. RACI/DACI exists to surface that before kickoff.
RACI for execution
| Role | Means | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible | Does the work | 1+ |
| Accountable | Owns the outcome, signs off | Exactly 1 |
| Consulted | Two-way input before decision | Few |
| Informed | One-way update after decision | Many |
DACI for decisions
| Role | Means | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | Frames the decision, runs the process | Exactly 1 |
| Approver | Final yes/no | Exactly 1 |
| Contributor | Provides expertise / data | Few |
| Informed | Notified of the decision | Many |
When to use which
- A project has many deliverables
- Execution will run for weeks/months
- Multiple teams have parallel tasks
- You're at a specific decision point
- Stakeholders disagree on who decides
- Time-boxed (e.g. 2 weeks to decide)
One-page template
- Decision / project name + one-sentence outcome.
- Driver (DACI) or Accountable (RACI): named individual, not a team.
- Approver / Contributors / Consulted: named.
- Decision date or first review date.
- Where decisions get logged (link to decision log).
- Reviewed at week 1 of project; closed at end.
If your RACI says 'A' for three people, you have no Accountable. Pick one and let the others be C or I. Discomfort now beats deadlock later.
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