Alignment

A RACI that actually works on tax technology projects

Tax technology projects cross tax, finance, IT, procurement and often an external implementer. That is exactly the shape of project where RACI is worth the effort — and exactly the shape where the usual RACI grid becomes wallpaper.

6 min read

Map decisions, not activities

The common failure is a grid of activities: “configure tax codes”, “run UAT”, “train users”. Activities have obvious owners, so the grid tells you nothing you did not know. Map the decisions instead: which engine, which jurisdictions in wave one, who signs off on a tax determination result, what happens when the ERP team and the tax team disagree on a field.

A useful rule: if two competent people could reasonably answer differently, it is a decision and belongs in the chart.

One accountable name, never a function

“Tax” is not accountable. A person is. Functions cannot be held to a date, cannot be escalated to, and cannot break a tie. Every row gets exactly one accountable individual, and if you cannot name them, you have found the real project risk.

Keep consulted lists short and time-boxed

Consulted is where schedules go to die. Each consulted party gets a window — typically three to five working days — after which the accountable owner proceeds. State this in the chart itself, not in a side agreement, so silence has a defined consequence.

Responsible: does the work. Can be several people.
Accountable: one named individual who decides and answers for the outcome.
Consulted: gives input inside a stated window.
Informed: told after the fact, no input right.

Handle the implementer explicitly

External implementers are usually marked Responsible across the board, which quietly transfers decisions to a vendor whose incentive is scope closure, not your operating model. Mark them Responsible for delivery and keep every configuration decision accountable inside your organisation, especially treatment logic and data ownership.

Re-run it at each phase gate

Decision rights change between design, build, and run. A chart written at kickoff describes a project that no longer exists by go-live. Re-confirm it at each gate; the exercise takes twenty minutes and prevents the escalation that costs a week.

Where this comes from

This note condenses Align stakeholders and communicate the decision and pairs with the Stakeholder RACI working tool.

Read two chapters free Ask about your problem

More field notes

Diagnosis