Written by Marijn Overvest | Reviewed by Sjoerd Goedhart | Fact Checked by Ruud Emonds | Our editorial policy
Stakeholder Collaboration — How to Set Clear Ways of Working
As taught in the Internal Stakeholder Management Course / ★★★★★ 4.9 rating
- Stakeholder collaboration is agreeing on shared practices, expectations, and behaviors so that cross-functional work moves from idea to action.
- In practice, it means clarifying who does the work, who decides, who is consulted, and who must be informed for each activity.
- Used consistently, it reduces confusion, speeds decisions, and builds accountability across Finance, Legal, R&D, Marketing, Operations, and end users.
What is Stakeholder Collaboration
Stakeholder collaboration is the day-to-day way you work with internal partners to deliver outcomes. It sits in the monitoring and evaluating phase of the Stakeholder Management Cycle, where plans become real, expectations are reinforced, and alignment is maintained.
Collaboration is not just a formal process. It also includes the unspoken habits and rhythms that determine whether a team moves smoothly or stalls.
One of the most practical tools for setting clear ways of working is the RACI matrix. RACI makes responsibilities visible so everyone understands their role and how decisions flow.
The RACI Model Explained
RACI stands for four roles you assign to each task or decision:
- Responsible (R)
The people who do the work to complete the task or deliverable. There can be several Rs.
- Accountable (A)
The single owner of the outcome. Only one A per task. This person approves the work and ensures completion.
- Consulted (C)
People who provide input, expertise, or feedback before and during the work.
- Informed (I)
People who are not involved in execution but need updates on progress or results.
Why teams use RACI? Because it creates clarity on approvals, avoids duplicate effort, coordinates across departments, and provides a simple framework for accountability. According to PMBOK, RACI is especially useful when roles are cross-functional and dynamic.
A Short Case Example:
A manufacturing company launching a new product involved Marketing, Finance, Procurement, Quality, and Logistics. Despite having a timeline, execution kept slipping. Samples expired in the warehouse, meetings ran over, and emails were ignored. Root cause: no shared view of who was responsible, who to consult, or who to inform. After building a RACI:
- Procurement and Manufacturing are aligned on testing timelines.
- Quality tracked shelf-life monitoring.
- Logistics planned deliveries against real dates.
Within three weeks, delays fell, and trust returned because everyone knew who did what and how decisions flowed.
Benefits of RACI
1. Clear ownership and faster decisions
One Accountable per activity removes ambiguity about who signs off, shortening cycle time and reducing rework.
2. Reduced overlap and better handoffs
Explicit responsibilities prevent duplicate effort and make handoffs visible across phases and deliverables.
3. Stronger cross-functional communication
Consulted and Informed roles ensure the right experts weigh in while avoiding FYI overload.
4. Traceable accountability for KPIs
With ownership explicit, metrics like on-time decisions and issue closure rate can be tied to roles for continuous improvement.
5. Fewer meeting inefficiencies
When A, R, C, and I are known, only necessary attendees join, and agendas stay focused on outcomes.
6. Smoother onboarding and continuity
New joiners can learn how work flows from a single page, and ownership handoffs are clear if people change.
7. More resilient risk management
Compliance, quality, and security appear as consulted on risk-bearing steps, so issues surface earlier.
8. Higher stakeholder trust
Transparency about who decides and who is heard reduces friction and clarifies when decisions will land.
Challenges of RACI
1. Time to build well
Mapping activities and aligning roles takes effort. Start with the top five decisions or deliverables and expand.
2. Perceived rigidity
Some teams see role definition as bureaucracy. Position RACI as a clarity aid and review it on a set cadence.
3. Role confusion
Teams may equate Accountable with doing the work or treat Consulted as optional. Share plain-language definitions and a worked example.
4. Too many Consulteds
Overloading C slows progress. Limit Cs to critical expertise and mark the rest as Informed with a readout.
5. Multiple Accountabilities
Two As create stalemates. Enforce a single A and define a tie-break rule or escalation path.
6. Goes stale as projects evolve
People and scope change. Revisit at phase gates and after major changes, paired with your action log.
7. Over-detailing micro tasks
A bloated matrix gets ignored. Keep RACI at the decision or deliverable level and use work plans for task granularity.
8. Cultural or hierarchy tensions
Clarifying A can challenge unwritten power dynamics. Align decision rights with sponsors early and document escalation routes.
Five Rules To Make RACI Work
1. One size does not fit all
Define roles for each context. Similar projects still need fresh assignments.
2. Use judgment
Some responsibilities sit in gray areas. Treat RACI as a guide, not a cage.
3. Keep it living
Review milestones or when ownership, timelines, or risks change.
4. Only one Accountable
Multiple Rs are fine. A must be singular to avoid delay.
5. Pair structure with healthy dynamics
Open discussion and a practical mindset make the framework work.
Quick Reflection Template
Take a moment to reflect. We are providing you with a template with questions to help you uncover whether your team truly understands who does what and whether responsibilities are clearly assigned, reviewed, and communicated. A RACI matrix is a simple but powerful tool for avoiding confusion, delays, and duplicated efforts. Answer the following questions:
- Do you have a RACI matrix in place for your current projects?
- How often do you review it?
- How well do your teammates understand their role in delivering outcomes?
- Are there recurring delays or miscommunications that might point to unclear responsibilities?
By answering these questions, you can spot where expectations might be unclear or where key people are missing from the process. This reflection helps you move from assumptions to clarity and from individual work to coordinated teamwork.
Starter RACI Table
Begin with one current initiative you’re involved in. Start small, choose one core process or decision, list the people involved, and assign R, A, C, or I to each. This exercise often reveals hidden gaps or overlaps you didn’t see before and gives you a clear path to better collaboration.
Here’s how it might look:
Now, fill in the table with your project activities and assign roles using the RACI model.
Use one row per activity and make sure each role is clearly assigned. This helps everyone understand their part and keeps the project running smoothly.
How Collaboration Connects To Governance and Performance
Clear ways of working power everything else in the cycle. When RACI is defined, meeting governance gets easier because you know who must decide, who brings inputs, and who receives outputs. Performance reviews and KPI reporting also become clearer because ownership is explicit, and follow-through can be tracked. As roles evolve, you update RACI and your meeting cadence together, keeping collaboration aligned over time.
Conclusion
Stakeholder collaboration becomes reliable when roles and responsibilities are explicit. Use RACI to clarify who executes, who approves, who contributes expertise, and who needs updates.
Review it at milestones, pair it with disciplined meetings, and adjust as projects evolve. With these habits, decisions move faster, miscommunication drops, and teams share ownership of results.
Frequentlyasked questions
What is stakeholder collaboration in procurement?
It is the shared practices, expectations, and behaviors that guide how procurement and internal teams work together to deliver outcomes.
What is the fastest way to improve collaboration on a live project?
Create a one-page RACI for the top five activities. Confirm the single A per activity, identify Cs and Is, and share it with the team. Review it in your next checkpoint.
How often should we update RACI?
At least at phase gates and after major scope or ownership changes. For fast-moving work, revisit it monthly along with your meeting action tracker.
About the author
My name is Marijn Overvest, I’m the founder of Procurement Tactics. I have a deep passion for procurement, and I’ve upskilled over 200 procurement teams from all over the world. When I’m not working, I love running and cycling.
