RACI in project management is an acronym which stands for “Responsible, Approver, Contributor and Informed”. It is one of the most important project management tools in the industry today because it enables managers to identify and specify roles and responsibilities in the entire project life cycle. Useful on the early parts of scoping, RACI charting gives a straightforward and a clearer structure of roles and responsibilities that is very helpful in project completion. Here is a RACI charting sample:
Figure 1: RACI Charting Courtesy of PM Foundations
RACI in Project Management
Tagged, as Responsible (R), this pertains to the person who manages the overall project. A person who is Responsible, makes the important decisions. Two or more people can also be Responsible in project completion; as they have a broad knowledge and understanding of the project. On the other hand, the person who is Accountable (A) is the exact individual who performs the task. Accountable individuals could span from stakeholders to project teams, relative to the task that needs to be completed. Note though, that more often than not, there is only one person Accountable for a task. Consulted (C) are the people who provide expert opinions and judgment for the project. Before a task is executed, it is important to get their final say on things. Finally, people who are Informed (I) are those who needed to be regularly included on the loop. Normally composed of stakeholders, regular updates are important to them to see if the project is still parallel with their goals and objectives.
SharePoint Project Management
There are many project management tools in the market that enables managers to perform RACI charting; but for those who’s already utilizing SharePoint, its project management component should be utilized. Implementing RACI in SharePoint 2013 can be done in as easy as 10 steps.
Step 1 in building SharePoint RACI
Click the gear icon on the upper right hand corner of your site and select Add an app.
Step 2 in building SharePoint RACI
Use the search box and type Tasks, the search result will display the Tasks application.
Step 3 in building SharePoint RACI
Upon creating a Task application, SharePoint 2013 will ask you to create a name. On this one, I typed the name of the project which is Portal Integrators Project Blue Bottle.
Step 4 in building SharePoint RACI
Once you hit create, the new Task app will show on your site contents. Click your new app from the list.
Step 5 in building SharePoint RACI
Upon clicking, you will be directed to your project summary dashboard. Select new task from there.
Step 6 in building SharePoint RACI
You will be directed to a form, which you need to enter the details of the task.
Step 7 in building SharePoint RACI
Once you hit save, it will show on your summary dashboard. From there, select edit this list.
Step 8 in building SharePoint RACI
SharePoint 2013 will allow you to create columns. From there, enter the RACI components.
Step 9 in building SharePoint RACI
Entering RACI components is easy. You will just have to type on the designated column text box.
Step 10 in building SharePoint RACI
Now, you have completed your RACI chart, it simple to enter the names of the respective individuals assigned in each RACI component.
If you want to utilize your SharePoint 2013 better to serve as a project management tool, our team of experts at Portal Integrators can help. Contact us to know more.
