Template

Decision Rights Canvas & RACI Patterns

An interactive Decision Rights Canvas to capture who decides, who advises, who executes, escalation paths, review cadence, and common RACI patterns — with examples and guidance for product, hiring, budget, and vendor decisions.

Interactive Tool

Decision Rights Canvas

Use this canvas to clarify who decides, who advises, who executes, and how to escalate or review common decisions.

Why this matters: ambiguous decision rights slow work, create rework, and erode trust. Capture a compact, shareable record for each recurring or important decision so teams move faster with less friction.

Quick tips: keep entries role-focused (not people-focused), be concrete about limits and thresholds, and tie review cadence to how frequently the context changes. Below are brief RACI patterns and short examples to help you choose a pattern that fits the decision.

Common RACI patterns (short)

  • Classic RACI — R (Responsible / does the work), A (Accountable / signs off), C (Consulted), I (Informed). Good for structured approvals.
  • Decider + Executor — One accountable decider, delegated execution owner. Works for hiring or tactical launches.
  • Committee Approval — Committee approves; single owner executes. Use for high-risk or strategic choices.
  • Consultative Product — Product owner decides (A), cross-functional teams consulted (C), stakeholders informed (I).

Examples: Product feature prioritization (Product Owner A, Engineering R, UX C, Marketing I); Hiring manager role (Hiring Manager A, People Ops C, Hiring Panel R/C, Finance I for budget). Use fields below to capture the pattern and supporting notes.

Short name for this decision (e.g., Hire Manager, Launch Feature, Approve Budget).
What is included and excluded? financial thresholds, organizational boundaries, time limits, or product areas. Be specific so people know when this canvas applies.
Role or person ultimately accountable for the decision (the one who signs off or has final call). Prefer role names (e.g., Head of Product) over individual names where possible.
Roles, teams, or people who must provide analysis, data, or consultation before a decision can be made.
Roles or committees whose approval is required before execution. List approvals and any limits (e.g., Finance approval for > $50k).
Role or team responsible for carrying out the decision after it's made.
List core roles and their R/A/C/I assignment, e.g. 'Product Manager: A; Engineering: R; UX: C; Marketing: I'. Use role names, not people, so assignments remain clear as staffing changes.
Select a starting pattern for this decision. If Custom, describe assignments in 'Core roles & RACI assignments'.
Who to escalate to when issues arise or thresholds are exceeded? Include contact roles, thresholds (e.g., cost, timeline), and expected SLAs for escalation responses.
How often should this decision and its outcomes be reviewed or revalidated?
If yes, note typical decision SLA in notes below.
How critical is this decision relative to others?
Links to templates, forms, budgets, vendor quotes, or decision memos that support this decision.
Important constraints, dependencies, budget considerations, or follow-up actions required after decision. Include who must be notified and any expected timelines.
Brief example of when this canvas applies and why this pattern was chosen (helps future reviewers).
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