What is it?

Document roles and responsibilities of those involved in a project.

Why is it useful?

• Ensures your team knows clearly who is responsible for which aspects of the work.
• Avoids duplication, prevents gaps where tasks could be missed, and improves efficiency.

Objectives

• To help your team understand who has responsibility for which aspects of the project and where hand-offs occur.
• To ensure clarity of roles, avoid overlaps, and build efficiency in delivery.

When would you use it?

• In the early stages of a project before starting the project plan.
• To bring multiple teams together behind a shared goal or objective.

Resources required

• 1 hour.
• A large quiet room with wall space to display completed templates.
• Multiple print-outs of the Roles and Responsibilities template (one for each team member).
• Marker pens for everyone.

Process

1. Identify roles

List all key roles needed to fulfil the project and generate a template for each role.

2. Clarify role scope

A role may only cover part of someone’s job. One person may also take on more than one role within the project.

3. Separate responsibilities

Distinguish between prime responsibilities and secondary tasks. This sets expectations appropriately.

4. Define interfaces

In the Interface column, note individuals or groups the role-holder must work with to discharge their responsibilities. Include stakeholders up and down the chain, as well as colleagues with interdependent roles.

5. Review with the team

Each completed template should be reviewed and agreed by the team so that everyone understands their respective and collective responsibilities.

6. Finalise

The completed templates act as Terms of Reference for each role-holder.

Secret Sauce

• Ask each role-holder to complete their own template to secure ownership.
• Ensure the full team reviews and agrees the set collectively.
• Do not complete a template on behalf of someone absent – ownership only comes if each person defines their own responsibilities.