How to Make a RACI Matrix in Excel (with Checks)
A RACI matrix shows who does the work, who owns it, who is asked and who is told, for every task. Build one in Excel for an online shop project, then add formulas that catch tasks with no owner or two owners.
Try it yourself
Copy this table into a blank sheet, then follow the steps below.
Paste at cell A1:
| Task | Business analyst | Product owner | Developer | Tester | A count | R count | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gather requirements | R | A | C | I | |||
| Write user stories | R | A | C | C | |||
| Build checkout | C | A | R | I | |||
| Test checkout | C | I | C | R | |||
| Release to customers | I | A | A | C |
Step by step
- RACI matrix. A RACI matrix shows who does the work on every task and who signs it off. That way nothing gets dropped and nobody argues later. Here we build one in Excel and add formula checks.
- The matrix. The example is an online shop project in A1:E6. Tasks go down column A. 4 roles go across B1:E1. Each cell holds one letter.
- R and A. R means Responsible: the person who does the work. A means Accountable: the one person who owns the result and signs it off. For gathering requirements, the analyst is R (B2) and the product owner is A (C2).
- C and I. C means Consulted: asked before, a two-way talk. I means Informed: told after, one way. Here the developer is C (D2) and the tester is I (E2).
- Header row. Select A1:H1, make it bold and give it a light blue fill. Now the roles stand out from the letters.
- Count the A's. Now the checks. Every task needs exactly one A. In F2, =COUNTIF(B2:E2,"A") counts the A's in that task's row. Drag the fill handle down to F6. Test checkout shows 0 and Release to customers shows 2. Both are a problem.
F2
=COUNTIF(B2:E2,"A") - Count the R's. Every task also needs at least one person doing the work. In G2, the same formula counts the R's: =COUNTIF(B2:E2,"R"). Fill it down to G6. Release to customers shows 0. It has two owners but nobody doing the work.
G2
=COUNTIF(B2:E2,"R") - One check. In H2, one formula turns the counts into a result: =IF(F2<>1,"Fix A",IF(G2=0,"Fix R","OK")). If the A count is not 1, it shows Fix A. If there is no R, it shows Fix R. Otherwise it shows OK. Fill it down to H6. Test checkout and Release to customers show Fix A, and the other 3 tasks show OK. Release to customers also has no R, but the A check comes first, so Fix R only appears once its A is fixed.
H2
=IF(F2<>1,"Fix A",IF(G2=0,"Fix R","OK")) - Colour the problems. Select H2:H6. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cells Rules > Text that Contains. Type Fix and pick the light red format. Both Fix A cells now show in red. The rule will also colour any Fix R, because it looks for any cell that contains Fix.
- Colour the owners. Select the letters in B2:E6. Go to Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cells Rules > Equal To, type A and pick a yellow format. Now you can see every owner at a glance.
- Fix the gaps. Now fix the gaps. The product owner signs off the testing, so type A in C5. The check for Test checkout turns to OK. For Release to customers, the developer does the work, so change their A in D6 to R. Now there is one owner and one doer, and every task shows OK.
C5
AD6
R - 3 RACI rules. 3 rules: exactly one A on every task, at least one R, and keep the C's and I's few, or every meeting gets too big.
Common mistakes
- Two A's on one task. If two people both own a task, neither really does. Keep one A, and change the other person to R, C or I, the way the developer on Release to customers became R.
- Two letters in one cell, like A/R. COUNTIF(B2:E2,"A") only counts cells that hold exactly A, so a cell with A/R isn't counted and the task shows Fix A. Keep one letter per cell, as this matrix does.
- A hidden space after the letter. A cell holding "A " with a space at the end doesn't match "A", so the count comes out wrong. Retype the letter, or clean the cells with TRIM.
- Adding a new role after column E. The checks only count B2:E2, so a role added outside that range is ignored. Insert new role columns between B and E so Excel widens the range for you, or update the formulas.
When a business analyst uses this
Before requirements sign-off, list the deliverables down the side (business requirements, UAT, cutover plan) and the stakeholders across the top. The Fix A check shows which deliverables have no single approver, so you can settle it in the workshop instead of finding out at sign-off.
Questions people ask
How do I make a RACI matrix in Excel?
List tasks in column A and roles across row 1, then type R, A, C or I in each cell. Add =COUNTIF(B2:E2,"A") and =COUNTIF(B2:E2,"R") to check every task has one A and at least one R.
Is a responsibility matrix the same as a RACI matrix?
A RACI matrix is the most common kind of responsibility matrix, also called a responsibility assignment matrix. Some versions use other letters, but the layout is the same: tasks down the side, roles across the top.
Is a RACI chart the same as a RACI matrix?
Yes. Both names mean the same grid of tasks and roles with R, A, C and I letters, so you build them the same way in Excel.
