Planning - RAMs

What is a RAM? 

One of the best things you can do when in the planning phase of a project is create a RAM, or a Responsibility Assignment Matrix. A RAM helps define and communicate the roles and responsibilities of team members involved in your project and is one of many tools you should have in your arsenal.

The standard set of roles and responsibilities is broken down into who is ultimately responsible, accountable, consulted and informed for each task or deliverable within a project. Or, more commonly referred to as RACI. There are many (read: better) articles on creating RAMs and, specifically RACIs, across the web so I am going to focus this article on the importance of why and how implementing one is important in creative project management.

Why RAMs Are Important

Role Clarity - RAMs eliminate ambiguity by clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of project team members, usually visually in a table or list. They identify who is accountable for doing the work, who is the ultimate decision-maker, and who needs to be consulted or informed during the project.

Resources and Coordination - RAMs facilitate effective coordination and collaboration within a project team. By clearly identifying responsible parties for each task, RAMs help team members know who to reach out to for information, support, or decision-making. This reduces the chances of duplication of efforts or tasks falling through the cracks.

Accountability - Subsequently, by assigning clear ownership of tasks and deliverables, RAMs help ensure accountability of the work. Team members are able understand their individual areas of responsibility and are more likely to take ownership of their work (or reach out to you if something is off or a timeline can’t be met).

Communication and Stakeholder Management - By setting a RAM, you’ve now set communication expectations for each level. You'll know who needs to be involved in decision-making, who needs to be updated on progress, and who can provide support or guidance. For example, a VP does not need to be in the weeds of the project (unless requested) so they should only be receiving a high-level status updates to know the project is progressing and whether it is on track to deliver on time. In essence, know your audience.

Tip: I think this is the most important reason to implement a RAM in your process because it can help you work up credibility and trust with your stakeholders and leadership.

Risk Management - RAMs can also help identify potential bottlenecks or areas of dependency. Once you’ve identified who is in your matrix, you can start to review timelines, team bandwidth, approval workflows and identify any blockers. 

Tip: cross-reference project timelines with team OOOs (out-of-offices).

Scalability - RAMs enable scalability by providing a structured framework to assign responsibilities as the project evolves, new tasks arise or responsibilities shift. RAMs help project managers easily identify gaps or overlaps in responsibilities and make necessary adjustments. This scalability ensures that roles and responsibilities adapt to the changing needs of a project.

When to Implement a RAM

RAMs can be a useful tool especially for medium and large-sized creative teams. Specifically for in-house roles, RAMs will be effective when you have stakeholders spanning multiple departments, and especially if you have a hands-on leadership team. If you find tasks or stakeholder visibility are falling through the cracks, a RAM could be an easy fix as it’s low effort to implement and is a small step that can be added to your project planning phase of work.

There’s a reason this article is in the Planning section, as a RAM should be created prior to scheduling a project kickoff, but after the brief has been reviewed and approved. A RAM will inform who should be invited to the kickoff by identifying the team and key stakeholders assigned to the project. 

Sidebar

It’s worth it to note that the RACI method may not work for all situations. In one of my more current roles, RACI didn’t quite fit so we made up our own. We work to identify “Viewers” of the project who need to be informed or consulted – we don’t have a need to distinguish between the two as the level of communication for this level of stakeholder is the same for us. 

Takeaways

RAMs are a visual way to define roles and responsibilities on your projects. They are a key part of the planning process to help ensure accountability, coordination, and help avoid late-stage changes and scope creep by keeping the right people apprised of a project’s progress.