ITIL RACI Matrix

To illustrate the participation of the ITIL roles in the various ITIL processes, the ITIL® Process Map includes a complete responsibility matrix, following the familiar RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Contribution, Informed) model.

To see the RACI matrix in action, check out our video on the ITIL RACI matrix (4:19 min).

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Note: The RACI matrix included in the ITIL® Process Map is aligned with ITIL V3. Since ITIL 4 is not prescriptive about processes, there is no official ITIL 4 RACI matrix, but in the YaSM Service Management Wiki we describe a leaner RACI matrix that is a good fit for ITIL 4 with its focus on 'just enough process and governance'.

Highlights: The ITIL RACI matrix

Our ITIL RACI matrix comes in different formats, depending on the product platform: The Visio® version of the ITIL Process Map contains a RACI matrix in the form of an Excel table - this makes it easy for you to adapt the matrix to the specific needs of your organization.

The ARIS™ version contains an ARIS RACI matrix which updates automatically when roles are added to or removed from the process diagrams.

Setting filters on one or several columns allows you to easily create views of the ITIL RACI matrix showing the responsibilities for specific roles only.

The process names in the left-hand column and the role names in the top row of the ITIL RACI matrix (see figure) are configured with pop-up comments - which gives you instant access to brief process and role descriptions. If you need to know more about a process, a mouse-click will take you to the corresponding process diagram of the ITIL Process Map.

The RASCI matrix - an extension to the RACI model

The ITIL® Process Map uses a "RASCI matrix" to assign responsibilities to processes. RASCI is a variant of the RACI model, where "R" stands for Responsible, "A" for Accountable, "S" for Support, "C" for Consulted and "I" for Informed.

R - Responsible – Those who do the work to achieve a task. There is typically one role with a participation type of Responsible.
A - Accountable – Those who are ultimately accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the deliverable or task, and the one to whom Responsible is accountable. Typically, the Process Owner is Accountable for a process, and there must be only one Accountable specified for each task or deliverable.
S - Support – Resources allocated to Responsible. Unlike Consulted, who may provide input to the task, Support will assist in completing the task.
C - Consulted – Those who are not directly involved in a process but provide inputs and whose opinions are sought.
I - Informed – Those who receive outputs from a process or are kept up-to-date on progress, often only on completion of the task or deliverable.

More about RACI matrices

A RACI matrix, also known as Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), describes the participation by various roles in completing tasks or deliverables for a business process. It is especially useful in clarifying roles and responsibilities in cross-functional processes.

The matrix is typically created with a vertical axis (left-hand column) of processes, and a horizontal axis (top row) of roles - as illustrated in the image above of the ITIL Process Map’s RACI matrix.

There is a distinction between a role and individually identified people: A role is a descriptor of an associated set of tasks; it may be performed by several people, or one person can perform many roles. For example, an organization may have 10 employees who perform the role of project manager, although each project only has one project manager at any one time; and a person who performs the role of project manager may also perform the role of test manager.

Platforms and implementations of the RACI matrix

The ITIL process model and the ITIL RACI matrix are available for several platforms, including Visio® and ARIS™ of Software AG (formerly IDS Scheer). For more details, select your preferred platform from our overview of product versions.