Practical Process Patterns: RAAP

This practical processes pattern RACI As A Process (RAAP) shows the use of the well-known technique RACI (Responsible – Accountable – Consulted – Informed) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_assignment_matrix in processes.

• Responsible - to do the work
• Accountable - to control and approve
• Consulted - to be solicited to provide some input (two-way communication)
• Informed - to be kept up-to-date (one-way communication)

Let us consider that any business activity can be decomposed into four logical steps (similar to the PDCA cycle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDCA ) connected in a simple process:

1. PLAN: preparation for the work to be done;
2. DO: execution of an indivisible unit of work;
3. VALIDATE: checking the correctness and quality of the work carried out;
4. REFLECT (or “re-factor”): analysis of the work experience and results to see whether it is useful to propose/implement any improvements for future similar work.

The illustration below shows that different roles are involved in different extend in different steps:

• actually perform (depicted by double lines)
• involved as a core team member (depicted by solid lines)
• involved as an observer (depicted by dashed lines)

In addition, some exceptions (e.g. an escalation because of the too long execution time) should be addressed to Accountable.

Thanks,
AS