Use this play to…
Decisions, decisions. It’s estimated that we make over 35,000 of them every day. But making good decisions (and making them efficiently!) isn’t always easy. Especially when there’s a group involved.
The DACI (Driver, Approver, Contributor, Informed) framework outlines who’s responsible for what and when, and helps eliminate the confusion that can sometimes come along with group decision making.
Here’s a quick breakdown of DACI roles and responsibilities:
- Driver: in charge pushing the team to the best possible outcome
- Approver: has the final say on which path the team should take
- Contributors: provide background info, data, and expertise
- Informed: not expected to contribute, but need to be aware Having defined and properly documented roles and responsibilities at the start of a decision will leave you feeling more confident coming out on the other side. This Play will help bring clarity to your decision-making process while also serving as a reference for showing other teams (and reminding you 6 months later!) how you got to the end result.
Before you begin…
For remote teams, start by creating a MIRO board. You can use the templates provided (coming), if you’d like, or create one of your own.
For in-person teams, create a collaboration document that you will project on a screen during the session.
Send the document to attendees in advance to complete as much information as possible before the session.
Who is involved
Think of any people or teams whose work could be affected by the decision. Examples include PMs, APMs, Coordinators etc
Materials
Zoom with screen share
Whiteboard or large sheet of paper
Sticky notes and markers
Timer
Running the Play
Step 1: Set the stage (5mins)
Start the meeting by:
- Recapping the decision that needs to be made and its impact on displacement affected people
- Letting the team know that the goal of the session is to create a plan for getting all of the information needed to make the right decision
Step 2: Assign roles (15mins)
DRIVER’S SEAT
Drivers e.g. Regional Advisors, ensure a decision is made but don’t necessarily influence the decision.
DRIVER: The team will first need to agree on a Driver for the decision. This is the one person who will be driving the team to a decision. They’ll be responsible for making sure all stakeholders are aware of what’s happening, gathering information, getting questions answered and action items completed. Once everyone’s decided on a Driver, write it down in the collaboration document.
APPROVAL NEEDED
Approvers are typically directors or managers with decision-making authority.
APPROVER: Next, assign an Approver for the decision. This is the one person who has the final say in approving the decision.
NEED TO KNOW
Think of any people or teams whose work could be affected by the decision. Examples include Grants, HR, Finance, Logistics….
INFORMED: Under Informed, include anyone affected by the decision who isn’t directly involved in making the decision. These are people and teams who may need to change their work as a result of the decision made and will need to know the outcome.
Step 3: Create a plan (30mins)
Consider all the information that will need to be collected to make the decision. There’s no need to answer the questions in this session, this is just to get the team thinking. Here a few things that may be useful to consider:
- Due date – the deadline for making the decision.
- Background – the reason this decision is required.
- Supporting data – metrics to help support your decision.
- Options considered – a brief explanation of each option for the decision, including feedback from a wide variety of sources grouped by theme, or a rating based on factors of importance for your project, such as scope, cost, and time.
Step 4: Wrap up (5mins)
Answer any outstanding questions and assign action items and due dates to owners before ending the meeting.
Wondering…The RACI framework is similar to DACI, with a slight change in acronym: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. Responsible is those who will complete the work. Accountable is the final approver of the work. Consulted and Informed are the same
