Project Management Best Practice 8 – Roles and Responsibilities Matrix

Projects optimally progress toward the achievement of their ultimate goals when team members individually and collectively contribute to the completion of project tasks in a non-redundant fashion. While project schedules should assign individuals or groups of individuals to each task, the schedule itself is not likely to include minute tasks or to clearly assign the very specific nuanced contribution of each individual within a group assigned to a task. Another tool, the roles and responsibilities matrix, provides the needed performance assignment clarity for those minute undocumented tasks and group activities; helping eliminate the risk of redundantly performed work that would unnecessarily slow progress and raise costs.[wcm_restrict plans=”41122, 25542, 25653″]

Key Characteristics of a Roles and Responsibilities Matrix

An effective roles and responsibilities matrix communicates to all team members the expected contribution of each team member to the overall completion of project deliverables. Such matrices seek to prevent redundant task performance while at the same time providing for the continuity of project work should an individual team member becomes unavailable. Key characteristics and fields commonly contained within a roles and responsibilities matrix include:

Characteristics

• The matrix is most often created in a tabular form
• Each project deliverable, interface role, and collateral duty is assigned one individual who is primarily responsible for ensuring the work/function is completed in a timely and quality fashion
• Each project deliverable, interface role, and collateral duty is assigned one or more individuals who serve in a back-up role to the individual primarily responsible. These team members remain apprised of the associated item’s progress and take direction from the individual primarily responsible for the item
• Color coding is often used to distinguish between individuals primarily responsible for an item and those in a back-up role
• Color coding is often used to distinguish between the types of deliverables, interface roles, and collateral duties listed
• A legend and term definitions are provided, as appropriate
• The roles and responsibilities matrix is printed in a large font so it is easily read and prominently displayed in a conspicuous team area

Fields

• Names of all project team members (usually listed in a logical order down the left-most column)
• Team roles (usually listed in the column directly to the right of the team members’ names)
• Primary deliverable list (usually listed from the left in a logical order across the top row)
• Secondary deliverable list (usually listed to the right of the primary deliverable list across the top row)
• Intra-team interface list (usually listed to the right of the secondary deliverable list across the top row)
• Collateral duties list (usually listed to the right of the intra-team interface list across the top row)

The roles and responsibilities matrix should be periodically reviewed by project leadership to ensure it is up-to-date and that individuals are adequately performing their assigned tasks. This review is often conducted at the end of a project phase or at the completion of a major project deliverable or milestone. At the same time, project leaders should review and reinforce the roles and responsibilities of team members as highlighted by the matrix to ensure individuals not only remain aware of their obligations but also know who to go to for insight and information regarding the several deliverable, interface, and collateral duty areas.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember plans=”41122, 25542, 25653″]

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