R: Responsible
The person or team who does the work. There can be more than one.
A: Accountable
The one person who owns the outcome and signs it off. If it goes wrong, the buck stops here. There is only ever one A per task.
C: Consulted
People whose input you need before the work is done, such as security or a subject expert. It is a two-way conversation.
I: Informed
People who are kept updated on progress or the result, like support or leadership. It is one-way.
Golden rule
Many people can be R, C or I, but only one person is A.
Example: releasing a new feature to production
- R: DevOps engineer runs the release
- A: Tech lead approves it
- C: Security reviews it first
- I: Support team is told it's live
Why it matters for your career
Engineers who can set up clear ownership get trusted with bigger projects. Expect RACI questions in team-lead and project interviews.
