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The Responsibility Matrix is a project management tool for correlating project work assignments with project team members.
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Quick reference
Responsibility Matrix
The Responsibility Matrix is a project management tool for correlating project work assignments with project team members.
When to use
This technique is normally used with large teams and teams that are not co-located. Small co-located project team, assignment are normally managed in the day-to-day team interactions. When the team is large or members are not co-located, the assignment of responsibilities needs to be more formal to avoid confusion leading to duplication or omission of work.
Instructions
The Responsibility Matrix is an excellent communication and risk identification tool. It provides a visual communication of the contribution of each team member. It also will highlight if a team member is overloaded or who may not have the requisite skills to do the work assigned.
- List the project Team Members across the top of the matrix.
- List the project tasks (summary or detail) down the side of the matrix.
- For each task assign one person as the individual leading the task. This is often a Core Team member.
- Assign the roles of other project team members assisting on each task. This includes both Core Team and extended team members.
Assigning roles in the matrix
There are many techniques in use for assigning roles in the matrix. It is strongly recommended that you use one that assigns support roles in addition to lead roles for each task so that team members who must participate on a task are aware of that portion of their job.
The most common technique is based upon the CMMI methodology and uses the acronym RACI.
- Responsible – someone who must do a portion of the work on the task but is not the task leader.
- Accountable – the person who plans the task and ensures it is done correctly. Often they are the primary individual doing work on the task.
- Consult – a team member who may be asked to provide information for the task, but is not expected to do any significant work on the task
- Inform – a team member who needs to be informed about the work on the task because of its impact on their responsibilities
Another technique that I like to use is CALM.
- Contribute – a team member who provides supporting effort for a task.
- Approve – a team member who must review and approve the work of the task.
- Lead – the team member who is responsible for planning and leading the task. They often do most of the work.
- Monitor – a team member who tracks the progress on the task because of its impact on their responsibilities.
Definition
Responsibility Assignment Matrix: “A grid that shows the project resources assigned to each work package.” PMBOK® Guide
This definition is taken from the Glossary of the Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2017.
Login to download- 00:05 Hi, I'm Ray Sheen.
- 00:06 Let's look at the resource planning tool, the Responsibility Matrix.
- 00:10 The project management body of knowledge, the PMBOK Guide,
- 00:14 defines a Responsibility Assignment Matrix as
- 00:17 a grid that shows the project resource assigned to each work package.
- 00:21 Typically, we use a responsibility matrix on a large project.
- 00:25 On small projects, there are only three or four people and
- 00:27 everyone knows what each other is doing.
- 00:30 But on large projects there are many people and
- 00:32 responsibility matrix is very helpful to clarify roles and responsibilities.
- 00:37 In a responsibility matrix, each task has a person who's responsible for
- 00:41 that task and owner of that task.
- 00:44 They are the ones leading to project defects on that particular activity.
- 00:48 Responsibility matrix also shows what other individuals are involved in the task
- 00:52 and their type of involvement.
- 00:55 To create the matrix, we start by listing all of our project team members,
- 00:59 normally across the top of the matrix.
- 01:01 Then list all the project tasks down the side of the matrix,
- 01:05 now the matrix is created.
- 01:07 I usually assign the leaders for each task at this point.
- 01:11 In this case I'm using an A to designate the leader because that is the person
- 01:15 who is accountable for that task.
- 01:18 Notice there's only one person accountable on each task.
- 01:21 If you think you need two people, you probably have two tasks.
- 01:25 Then I assign the other individuals who have some other roles or
- 01:27 responsibility with the task.
- 01:29 That is determined by the task planning.
- 01:32 I'm using the RACI acronym for the assignment of roles in this example.
- 01:36 R stands for responsible, A for accountable, C for consult and
- 01:40 I for inform.
- 01:41 This acronym has become widely used because it's part of the CMMI approach
- 01:45 from.
- 01:47 However, there are several other assignment codes and
- 01:49 I've listed one that I have found to be very practical, CALM.
- 01:53 Use either of these acronyms or
- 01:56 one of your own to clarify the roles of each of the project team members.
- 02:00 By the way, notice the individual in column five,
- 02:03 they're involved in every task.
- 02:06 I'll come back to that in a minute.
- 02:08 The responsibility matrix provides clarity of expectations for
- 02:11 individuals on the project.
- 02:13 It also is a great tool for managing the human resources on the project.
- 02:18 It can be used to guide our personnel staffing decision,
- 02:21 making sure you have the right individual for the role.
- 02:25 One of the ways to use the matrix is to identify someone
- 02:28 who may be carrying too heavy a workload.
- 02:30 Remember the individual in column five, that may be more than a full time job.
- 02:35 You may need to split that individual role into two individuals.
- 02:38 The responsibility matrix highlights this type of risk.
- 02:42 Another type of risk is when you have the wrong individual for the position.
- 02:46 They do not have the skills that are required based upon the actual assignment
- 02:49 of responsibilities.
- 02:51 You may need to get training or coaching for that individual.
- 02:54 In fact, you may even request a different person be assigned to the project.
- 02:58 If you need to go to functional manager and
- 03:00 ask change individuals, it's much better to be using responsibility matrix and
- 03:04 make your argument base upon the skills required rather than it
- 03:08 being perceived that you just don't like someone.
- 03:11 Or if you're going to functional manager, and requesting a resource,
- 03:14 it's better to have the responsible matrix with you to the describe what you really
- 03:18 need on the project, rather than be forced to take whoever isn't busy at that moment.
- 03:23 The responsibility matrix helps you plan the human resource aspect of your project.
- 03:29 It's great for communicating expectations and for
- 03:32 highlighting risk that is based upon your team members' skills and availability.
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