Accountability well defined for improvement projects, yet, avoiding extremes

The RACI / RASIC matrix merged with the 5W2H plan to secure the proper planning and communication that complex improvement / innovation projects need. Further considerations are made on when it is necessary and when it is too much.

“Viele Köche verderben den Brei” (too many cooks spoil the broth) – German proverb

“All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison.” - Paracelsus

You can have the best idea ever, even prove it’s functionality but, if too few or too many people are involved, a disaster may be expected. Besides understanding which are the right ones to talk to, one should understand how they need to be involved and correctly detail the tasks to be held, avoiding misunderstandings and rework. Furthermore, as mentioned in a previous text [1], we already know that approximately one in five projects fail due to ineffective communication [2] and the PMI (Project Management Institute) suggests that a project manager should invest 90% of his/her time in communication [3].

The 5W2H table

If you worked with quality and improvement projects, you probably know the 5W2H matrix. The acronym stands for seven dimensions to be used in order to detail the action plan during a project.

The first three “W’s” are the minimum dimensions for any basic action plan: What, Who and When. Even in the most straightforward project you must define these three items which are, respectively: the action to be taken, who is responsible for executing it and when it is expected to be completed. One important rule here is related to the German proverb above. Only one person is responsible for the action. Another famous saying to reflect the impact of not following this rule is: “a dog with two owners dies of hunger”.

The remaining “W’s” stand for Where the action should be held (e.g. the affected areas or products), and Why one should execute this (e.g. what are the expected results). The two “H’s” mean: How this should be performed and How much it will cost (the financial impact, how many people are involved, how much time is needed..). Sometimes when we are filling some of these dimensions as “Why” and “How much”, we revisit the action scope or even abandon it because we realize the cost x benefit is not so appealing as we felt it at first.

The RASIC matrix

This matrix is helpful to secure proper communication among project stakeholders. This acronym stands for who is Responsible for the activity (the single person who will execute the task), who is Accountable (also a single person, who can say “the buck stops here”, the person ultimately committed with the result of the task, many times the direct manager), who must give Support to make it happen (usually with resources such as time or money), who must be Informed (usually the ones impacted by the action) and who must be Consulted (usually the specialists). In any culture, it is necessary to clarify responsible persons and involve all stakeholders when we are changing a process to avoid headaches.

Merging the two tools

We can take benefit of both approaches by merging them as in the example below. Of course, for making a pizza, this would be (a good example of) too much!

For either the merged or standalone tools, we should follow the following steps:

1. Identify key activities;

2. Identify key resources;

3. Align the roles and responsibilities with the project team;

4. Certify there is only one person responsible and one accountable for each activity;

5. Secure all key resources clearly understand the plan;

6. Share with all stakeholders.

Conclusion

The 5W2H matrix helps us in organizing the action plan and detailing tasks within seven dimensions. Not all of them are completely necessary for all projects. Simple projects may require action plans with at least What/Who/When dimensions. For complex projects, merging this matrix with the RASIC tool may be helpful. A communication plan or stakeholders analysis such as RASIC is most times helpful anyway.

References

1 - Ferreira, P. When our beliefs blind us from facts and data, LinkedIn, Published in October 25th, 2020 - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-our-beliefs-blind-us-from-facts-data-ribeiro-ferreira/?trackingId=JGzCrhF72T%2FLEJrRO3N6zQ%3D%3D

2 - ©2013 Project Management Institute, Inc. Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report: The High Cost of Low Performance: The Essential Role of Communications, May 2013. PMI.org/ Pulse

3 - © 20|20 Business Insight Ltd - Communication The Key to Successful Project Management https://2020projectmanagement.com/resources/communication-management/communication-the-key-to-successful-project-management