| Accountability in business and in government is the | | | | internal customers and to staff turnover as all the |
| cornerstone of good governance and ultimately, good | | | | knowledge of the process left when the person who |
| performance. Without single point accountability for | | | | executed the process left. |
| processes, organisations have no means of ensuring | | | | In addition to processes not having an appropriate |
| that what have been determined as the goals for | | | | single accountable person allocated, we also find |
| the organisation are likely to be met. | | | | problems where individuals are allocated too many |
| Before discussing why accountability is such an | | | | processes for which they are accountable. Whilst |
| important issue, let me proffer an opinion on the | | | | many organisations recognise span of control issues |
| difference between responsibility and accountability. A | | | | as a function of direct reports or a monetary value, |
| person, who is responsible for a process, executes | | | | they often ignore the issue of span of control over |
| the process. A person who is accountable for a | | | | processes. |
| process has the authority to change the nature of a | | | | Individuals with too many processes to control have |
| process, its business purpose and is held accountable | | | | little ability to understand how well processes are |
| for the aggregate performance of the process over | | | | performing or to conduct analysis to understand how |
| time. | | | | processes can be improved. Whilst there are no hard |
| When we work in organisations we see weaknesses | | | | and fast rules, we find that as the number of |
| in the way in which people are made accountable for | | | | processes under the control of one individual |
| processes. | | | | increases over eight, the issues of inappropriate span |
| In many cases we find processes for which no one is | | | | of control become more evident. |
| accountable. In these cases it is clear that the | | | | A useful tool for identifying who is responsible and |
| processes are not being tracked for effectiveness or | | | | accountable for a series of processes is the RACI |
| efficiency. When the business environment changes it | | | | framework. R is Responsible, i.e. performs the work, |
| becomes next to impossible for an organisation to | | | | A is for Accountable, i.e. the ability to take decisions |
| effect changes to the process that are necessary to | | | | about a process. C is for Consulted, i.e. is asked for |
| reflect that change in the business environment. | | | | an opinion. I is for Informed, i.e. the outcome of |
| In most cases we find processes with multiple people | | | | processes is made known to them. |
| being accountable. An example is when one person is | | | | They interact as follows. Responsible liaises with |
| accountable for the budget for a process, another | | | | Consulted to identify the context, data, rationale and |
| for approving, say overtime, for a process and yet | | | | options for a process and executes the process. |
| another for how the process is carried out. Multiple | | | | Responsible escalates if necessary to Accountable. |
| accountability delays decision making and ensures that | | | | Accountable ensures the process works effectively |
| no one makes an effort to improve the process. | | | | and efficiently. Responsible then tells Informed of the |
| Another problem we encounter frequently is | | | | outcome of the process. |
| delegated accountability where the responsible person | | | | When carrying out a RACI analysis it is of great |
| is also delegated the accountability for a process. | | | | benefit and takes little time to also determine what |
| Whilst delegation of responsibility for processes is a | | | | measures are being used to determine whether the |
| healthy phenomenon, delegation of accountability is | | | | process is being executed well or not. The measures |
| not. | | | | for a process or process Key Performance Indicators |
| Difficulty in separating responsibility for the iterative | | | | (KPIs) should be a major tool for a person to |
| outcomes of a process versus accountability for | | | | understand if the processes for which they are |
| aggregate outcomes of a process over time, leads | | | | accountable are in fact operating at the level desired |
| to confusion. Where one-up managers are not | | | | by the organisation. |
| accountable for processes under their control, it | | | | Having processes with an accountable person |
| becomes difficult to understand how the process | | | | identified and no means of determining how |
| itself can be improved or controlled. | | | | efficiently the process is being executed or how |
| Delegated accountability most often comes without | | | | effective the process is, is not significantly better |
| delegated authority, making it even more difficult for | | | | than not having an accountable person at all. |
| processes to be improved. | | | | Ensuring that accountable people are identified for |
| In one organisation we have encountered, twenty | | | | processes and that adequate process measures are |
| five percent of processes had no accountable person | | | | in place enables organisations not only to ensure that |
| and a further fifty percent of the processes had the | | | | their processes are under control, but also provides |
| accountability delegated to the responsible person. | | | | the organisational basis for ensuring that processes |
| The organisation in question found it impossible to | | | | are efficient, effective and aligned to the |
| respond to changing business requirements of its | | | | organisational goals. |