RACI vs RASCI: Differences, Examples and How to Choose

A reminder: the 4 RACI roles

A RACI matrix is a table that crosses the tasks of a project (in rows) with the people or functions involved (in columns). Each cell holds a letter that states the person's role for that task:

• R, Responsible: does the work;
• A, Accountable: answers for the result and approves the work. There is only one per task;
• C, Consulted: gives an opinion or expertise before or during the work;
• I, Informed: is kept up to date on progress or on the outcome.

If these basics are new to you, start with our step-by-step guide on how to create a RACI matrix, or with our overview of the RACI matrix.

One matrix, many variants

The success of RACI has led to many adaptations, with names such as DACI, RAPID, CAIRO, PARIS or RASIQ. DACI puts the driver of a decision first, RAPID focuses on decision making, and CAIRO adds the people who are deliberately kept out of the loop. All of them answer the same two questions: who does what, and who needs to know what?

Most variants keep the four founding roles and add or replace one or two of them to fit a particular type of process. In practice, two variants come up far more often than the others in companies: RASCI and RACI-VS. These are the two we compare here.

RASCI: the Support role

What does RASCI stand for?

• R: Responsible;
• A: Accountable;
• S: Support (sometimes called Supportive);
• C: Consulted;
• I: Informed.

Who is the Support?

The Support takes an active part in carrying out the task, alongside the Responsible person, without owning it. A task can have several Supports, but only one Accountable, and ideally a single Responsible.

The most frequent confusion is between Support and Consulted. A Consulted person gives advice or expertise but does not do the work. A Support rolls up their sleeves: they produce part of the deliverable, run an analysis, prepare data.

RASCI works especially well when tasks are defined at a fairly broad level, which is what you want to keep a matrix readable: at that level, a single task often involves several people working together. It is also the model used in Perfony action plans, where Supports are called Contributors.

RACI-VS: verify and sign

What does RACI-VS stand for?

RACI-VS keeps the four classic roles and adds two more:

• V, Verifier: checks that the result complies with the applicable requirements, standards or procedures;
• S, Signatory: formally approves the result once it has been verified, and puts their signature on it.

Verifier, Accountable, Signatory: who does what?

The Accountable person answers for getting the result. The Verifier makes sure the result is compliant, which is a different question: a deliverable can be finished on time and still fail to meet the standard. The Signatory validates the Verifier's decision and formally closes the task, confirming to management that the work has been done properly. The Signatory can be the same person as the Accountable, but not necessarily.

This separation is useful in sectors where compliance is a strong requirement: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, aerospace, and more generally any activity subject to audit or certification. It is too restrictive for most everyday projects.

If your organization needs this level of control, you can start from our ready-made RACI-VS matrix in Excel.

RACI vs RASCI vs RACI-VS at a glance

How to choose the right matrix

There is no wrong answer between these variants: each one brings clarity. The real risk is using none of them. Without an explicit split of roles, the same problems keep coming back:

• Nobody takes ownership. When people are not sure a task is theirs, they rarely pick it up, and the project slows down.
• Endless "who does what?" questions, which eat up time in every meeting.
• Slow decisions, because it is never clear who has the final say.
• Mental overload for team members who do not have a clear view of their role on each task.
• Inaction: when people do not know what is expected of them, they tend to wait.

Three questions are enough to choose:

1. Does your activity require formal compliance checks? If so, RACI-VS is probably justified, at least for the tasks concerned.
2. Do your tasks regularly involve several people producing the work together? If so, RASCI saves you from putting several R's on the same row, which dilutes responsibility.
3. Otherwise, stick with RACI. Its simplicity is its strength: a matrix everyone understands and keeps up to date is worth more than a precise one nobody reads.

Nothing stops you from using RACI for the whole project and RACI-VS only for the deliverables that will be audited. To get started quickly, pick a RACI matrix template to download in the format you prefer. And if you are curious about where the method comes from, read the history of the RACI matrix.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Several Accountables on one task. Whatever the model, one A per row.
• Supports instead of a Responsible. The S helps, it does not replace the R.
• Too many Consulted. Each C adds delay. Consult the people whose opinion actually changes the result.
• Tasks that are too detailed. A 200-row matrix is never kept up to date. Stay at the level of deliverables and decisions.
• A frozen matrix. Roles change as the project moves forward: review the matrix whenever the team or the phase changes.

The hardest part is not filling in the table, it is keeping it alive. When roles are attached directly to the actions in a tracking tool, the matrix stays up to date without extra effort: everyone sees what they have to do, what they have to approve and what they are consulted on.