Activity Overview
In this activity, you will use a RACI chart to assign roles and responsibilities to
project stakeholders. You will analyze a scenario and determine each
stakeholder’s relationship to project tasks and deliverables.
As a reminder, RACI charts help you determine who is:
Responsible
Accountable
Consulted
Informed
Be sure to complete this activity before moving on. The next course item will
provide you with a completed exemplar to compare to your own work. You
will not be able to access the exemplar until you have completed this activity.
Scenario
Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.
As the project manager for Plant Pals, you must assemble a team that can
develop and execute the marketing and sales strategy to prepare for the
launch. You must also assign roles and responsibilities for each of the project
tasks and identify stakeholders impacted by the project. You’ve determined
that the following people will be involved:
Director of Product: Oversees the product offerings, and serves as a
resource for marketing and sales questions. Their knowledge of
customer needs is vital to the project.
Marketing Manager: Makes key decisions about the service launch and
monitors task completion. They oversee all marketing efforts, including
concept development, and sign off on the service launch plan.
Marketing Coordinator: Creates the marketing strategy, including all
marketing assets. They work closely with the Copywriter and report to
the Marketing Manager.
Copywriter: Produces all Plant Pals ad content, writes product
descriptions, and creates promotional copy. They work with the
Marketing Coordinator on all aspects of the marketing strategy and
report to the Marketing Manager.
Head of Sales: Sets Office Green’s overall sales strategy and tracks the
company’s progress towards its sales goals. Their knowledge of
customers’ buying behaviors can help the marketing team develop
their campaign. The Head of Sales oversees the Sales Manager.
Sales Manager: Responsible for customer outreach and relationship
management strategies, so that Office Green meets its sales goals.
They need to understand the final marketing strategy and product
offerings and convey that information to the Sales team. The Sales
Manager reports to the Head of Sales.
To develop and execute the marketing strategy and sales, your team must
complete the following tasks:
1. Create a marketing plan for the new service
2. Write promotional copy
3. Design marketing assets (e.g., flyers, brochures, and online
advertisements)
4. Create a customer outreach and onboarding plan
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Access the template
To use the template for this course item, click the link below and select “Use
Template.”
Link to template: RACI Chart
OR
If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the template directly
from the attachment below.
Activity Template_ RACI chart - Phase 1
XLSX File
Step 2: Add tasks to the RACI chart
Add the four tasks from the scenario to your RACI chart template under the
Task/Deliverable heading. Replace “Task/Deliverable” with the name of each
task.
Step 3: Add team members to the RACI chart
Add your team members to the template. Replace “Role A” with “Director of
Product,” and so on.
Step 4: Assign letters in the RACI chart
For each task, assign the letters R, A, C, and I to the team members
involved. Consult the descriptions below to determine how your team
members relate to the tasks:
Responsible: Who is responsible for completing this task? Consider these
questions when determining who is responsible:
Which department manages the work?
Who should perform the work?
Accountable: Who is accountable if the task isn’t completed? Remember that
only one person should be accountable for each task or deliverable. When
deciding who is accountable, ask yourself:
Who might delegate the task to another team member?
Who makes final decisions about the task?
Who should review the work to confirm it is complete?
Consulted: Who should be consulted for their insights, expertise, or strong
opinions on the task? Here are a few questions to help identify whether
someone should be consulted:
Who can give feedback to responsible individuals to help them
complete tasks?
Who are the subject matter experts (SMEs) for the task?
Informed: Who should be kept informed about task progress or project
decisions? Key questions to ask yourself include:
Who is invested in task completion but not directly involved in the
work?
Who is affected by the project outcome?
Note: The number of stakeholders you keep informed about each task can
vary depending on your situation. In some cases, you might choose to inform
all stakeholders who aren't responsible, accountable, or consulted. In others,
you could leave some cells in your RACI chart blank for certain tasks. Both
approaches are fine for this activity.
Pro Tip: Save the template
Finally, be sure to save a blank copy of the RACI chart template you used to
complete this activity. You can use it for further practice or in your own
personal or professional projects. These templates will be useful as you put
together a portfolio of project management artifacts. You can use them to
work through your thought processes as you demonstrate your experience to
potential employers.
What to Include in Your Response
Be sure to address the following elements in your completed RACI chart:
The RACI chart includes all of the project roles from the scenario.
The RACI chart includes all the deliverables/tasks from the scenario.
The appropriate individuals are Responsible, Accountable, Consulted,
and Informed.
Only one individual is accountable for each task or deliverable.
At least one individual is responsible for each task. (Note: Some tasks
may not need Consulted or Informed individuals.)
Exemplar: Set project roles and responsibilities in a
RACI chart
Here is a completed exemplar along with an explanation of how the exemplar fulfills the
expectations for the activity.
Completed Exemplar
To view the exemplar for this course item, click the link below and select “Use
Template.”
Link to exemplar: RACI chart
OR
If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the exemplar directly from the
attachment below.
Activity Exemplar_ RACI chart - Phase 1
XLSX File
Assessment of Exemplar
Compare the exemplar to your completed RACI chart. Review your work using each of
the criteria in the exemplar. What did you do well? Where can you improve? Use your
answers to these questions to guide you as you continue to progress through the
course.
Note: Your answers may vary (particularly for Consulted and Informed individuals),
depending how you interpreted each stakeholder’s responsibilities.
In the exemplar for the Plant Pals service, each role has a RACI designation for each task
or deliverable. Let’s review each of the tasks:
Create a marketing plan for the new service.
The Marketing Coordinator reports to the Marketing Manager and is responsible
for creating the marketing plan.
The Marketing Manager is accountable for marketing efforts, including the
marketing concept. They have the final say in launching and advertising the Plant
Pals service.
The Copywriter writes and edits the promotional copy, therefore they are
consulted on the marketing plan.
The Director of Product and Head of Sales are consulted on marketing campaigns
since they understand customer needs and buying behaviors.
The Sales Manager can be kept informed of marketing efforts since they need to
convey that information to the Sales Team.
Write promotional copy.
The Copywriter is responsible for drafting and editing promotional copy.
The Marketing Manager is accountable for the Copywriter’s work.
The Marketing Coordinator is consulted on the promotional and sales copy as
they create the marketing plan.
All other members of the team can be kept informed about the status of the
promotional copy.
Design marketing assets.
The Marketing Manager delegates tasks to the Marketing Coordinator, who is
responsible for producing assets.
The Marketing Manager is accountable for marketing efforts because they make
the final decisions.
The Copywriter is consulted about the marketing assets by the Marketing
Coordinator.
All other team members can be kept informed about marketing design matters.
Create a customer outreach and onboarding plan
The Sales Manager is responsible for customer outreach and onboarding plan.
The Head of Sales oversees the Sales Manager, so they are accountable for the
customer outreach and onboarding plan.
The Director of Product is consulted on questions about customer needs, while
the Marketing Manager is consulted about the marketing plan.
All other team members can be kept informed about customer outreach.
