7. Org Design

RACI

Decision hygiene in one grid

Use when

Seam agreements, project governance, any 'who owns this' friction

Responsible

Does the work; can be several

Accountable

Owns the outcome; exactly one name

Consulted

Input before the decision; two-way

Informed

Told after; one-way, no veto

“Most RACI failures: two A's, or C's who behave like A's.”

How to use it

Strong uses: VP-to-VP seam charters, program governance, anything where two functions co-deliver. Keep grids to the 10-15 decisions that cause friction; a 90-row RACI is a novel nobody reads. Revisit quarterly; drift is normal.

Card details

Model type: Grid
Origin status: Synthesis
Content last reviewed: 28 July 2026

Origin

Synthesis

Standard responsibility-assignment practice, in wide use since the 1970s.

Used in these workflows

HR Operating Model

Neighbouring models

Galbraith's STAR Spans and layers Centralize, CoE, or federate The Ulrich Model Ulrich's Four HR Roles The enterprise HR leader The Manager Load Budget

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