RACI–C2O Hybrid Guide
Keep compliance intact while empowering Drives to move outcomes forward
Hybrid mindset
This guide shows how to run RACI and C2O side-by-side so governance stays strong while collaboration accelerates. Use it when sponsors want to keep formal accountability but teams need the verb-based clarity of C2O.
Decision Tree
- 1Is compliance sign-off required? Keep a named RACI Accountable and capture gate artifacts.
- 2Will multiple teams collaborate across phases? Apply C2O verbs per phase and record them in the POP.
- 3Is velocity more important than hierarchy? Empower Drives to make day-to-day calls without escalating every decision.
- 4Are escalations frequent? Revisit the POP to clarify triggers, then run a governance retro.
Operating Model
| Phase | RACI Accountable (WHO) | C2O Drive (HOW) | Shared Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | Business Sponsor | Product / Strategy Lead | Sponsor validates POP; Drive orchestrates discovery sprints | |
| Decide | Portfolio Governance | Product + Finance | Accountable approves investment; Drive coordinates trade-offs | |
| Build | Tech Owner | Engineering Lead | Accountable approves releases; Drive manages backlog + quality | |
| Run | Operations Exec | Service Owner | Accountable safeguards SLAs; Drive manages incidents & learnings | |
| Adopt | Change Executive | Change Lead | Accountable tracks value realization; Drive leads enablement |
Cadence & Artefacts
- Weekly contributor sync hosted by Drives (focus on outcomes + risks).
- Bi-weekly Enable council to unblock support teams.
- Phase-gate review chaired by Accountable; record decisions and POP updates.
- Monthly governance retro: compare escalations, decision latency, and outcome health.