How Clear Innovation Governance Uses RACI to Boost Innovation Results

Do you really know how your innovation teams spend their time and resources? Probably not in detail—and that’s fine, as long as they deliver results. But are they truly performing?

The reality may be sobering. Over 90% of executives are dissatisfied with their company’s innovation performance. If you’re among them, it’s time to reassess. And if you're part of an innovation team, ask yourself: Are we creating real impact?

In either case, a good place to start is your innovation roles and responsibility model. Do your teams know what they’re expected to deliver? Is there clarity on roles, responsibilities, and decision rights? Without a governance framework, innovation efforts risk becoming scattered, inefficient, or misaligned.

Too often, innovation is still seen as a mystical process, sparked by genius, luck, or creativity in isolation. But in reality, innovation is about solving problems better than ever before. It’s about maximizing the return on hours of development work. And it’s a space where even the biggest, best-funded companies frequently fall short.

So, how do you fix it? By making innovation accountable, measurable, and structured, with the right governance in place to support performance, not hinder it.

What is innovation governance, and why does it matter?

Innovation governance refers to the systems, roles, and decision-making frameworks that guide innovation activities within an organization. It defines how innovation projects are initiated, evaluated, prioritized, and executed, ensuring alignment with business goals.

Without clear governance models, innovation efforts risk becoming scattered, inefficient, or misaligned. Effective governance brings structure to uncertainty.

It creates accountability by assigning clear project roles and responsibilities across teams, using tools like the RACI chart or responsibility assignment matrix. This ensures that project managers, senior leadership, and the development team understand who is responsible for what, reducing friction and delays.

From innovation theatre to disruptive innovation results: The role of clear governance

Many organizations struggle to move from vague aspirations to measurable innovation results.

Clear governance frameworks make that transition possible by embedding innovation control and oversight into every project to-do, breaking down responsibilities by phases to improve clarity and manage expectations throughout the project lifecycle. Whether the goal is incremental improvement or disruptive change, governance provides the clarity to allocate resources, evaluate risk, and maintain focus.

Disruptive innovation often requires breaking internal silos and engaging multiple people. Without structured project planning and defined team roles, such efforts can stall. Governance provides the backbone to scale ambitious innovation initiatives with confidence.

Aligning governance with business and innovation strategy

Innovation efforts must serve business strategy, not run parallel to it. Governance frameworks connect project decisions with strategic priorities, enabling smooth workflows and consistent evaluation of innovation performance. This ensures that resources are spent on projects that matter most to the organization.

The best governance frameworks are flexible enough to accommodate different innovation models. Whether you're pursuing customer-driven innovation or firm-led initiatives, governance ensures alignment between goals, execution, and outcomes.

Strategic alignment also improves communication between project managers, product owners, and senior leadership.

Why innovation needs structure without stifling creativity

Innovation thrives in a space that encourages ideas but also delivers results. Without structure, too many cooks or unclear roles can derail promising concepts. But with the right governance and tools, such as a RACI matrix and project management software, creativity can flourish within a scalable framework.

Governance doesn’t kill creativity—it supports it by reducing confusion. Clear roles and approval workflows free up innovators to focus on solving problems. The result is innovation that’s both inspired and accountable.

How agile methodology challenges traditional governance

Agile methodology reshapes how teams approach product innovation, replacing rigid processes with adaptive workflows. Unlike traditional governance, which often assigns responsibility to a single person, agile promotes shared ownership for each specific task.

Teams no longer follow the same way for every project phase but adapt to context and new technologies. This flexibility can make it harder to define who approves what, especially when multiple contributors work on parts of the final product.

To stay effective, agile teams must still clarify ownership of each particular task, ensuring decisions are made quickly without sacrificing accountability.

Key components of a clear governance framework

A strong innovation setup requires more than ideas—it needs defined structures that guide new projects from concept to execution. Instead of vague intentions, organizations need operational clarity to manage innovation performance, roles, and outcomes.

Clear frameworks prevent duplicated efforts, delays, and resource waste by organizing who does what, when, and how.

Objectives and key results

Innovation should always serve broader business goals. Setting specific objectives and measurable key results (OKRs) helps accountable parties stay focused, align across departments, and prioritize projects with real impact. These OKRs also provide a reference point for evaluating project progress, innovation performance, and strategic fit.

Using tools like project management software allows teams to link each task or project milestone to an objective. This supports transparency and keeps both project managers and development teams on track. It also enables continuous improvement by comparing outcomes to set expectations.

Responsibilities and jobs to be done

Innovation teams often get stuck when roles are unclear or responsibilities overlap.

To avoid confusion, teams should define RACI roles using tools like the RACI chart, clearly mapping out who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed at each stage, and ensuring that all relevant consulted parties are included to provide comprehensive input.

This helps project teams focus on execution instead of navigating approval bottlenecks.

Breaking work down into “jobs to be done” makes it easier to assign ownership of specific tasks to individuals or teams. Product managers, software developers, and support teams can align more effectively when tasks are specific and tied to outcomes. Defining responsibilities also supports agile methodology and smooth workflows across challenging projects.

Accountability and reports

Without accountability, even the best ideas can fail in execution. Regular reviews and reporting cycles help ensure that projects stay on track and deliver against expectations. These can take the form of status updates, innovation performance dashboards, or structured project reviews.

Accountability should sit with clearly accountable parties, not just “the team.”

Whether it’s a project manager or a senior decision maker, assigning ownership ensures that risks are addressed and goals are met. Reports also help align leadership, product owners, and project teams around common metrics and key results.

Coordination and coordination tools

Innovation rarely happens in isolation. Coordinating across multiple stakeholders and team members from business units to external partners is essential to move projects forward efficiently. This requires more than meetings; it demands structured communication and the right digital tools.

Project management platforms, RACI templates, and collaboration boards help teams manage complexity and avoid dropped handovers. For example, integrating project roles directly into your project management software can streamline decision-making and reduce delays.

Clear coordination also makes it easier to adapt to new demands or pivot in response to feedback from consulted parties. The right structure doesn’t slow teams down; it gives them the clarity and tools to innovate faster and with greater impact.

The RACI chart as a tool for strict governance

When projects stall, it’s often due to unclear responsibilities. The RACI chart—short for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed—is a simple but powerful tool that brings clarity to team roles.

It enables strict role definition across complex projects, helping organizations assign ownership and avoid confusion. RACI charts clarify roles, enhance communication, and improve project workflows across different phases, making them essential for effective responsibility assignment and team coordination.

In innovation environments with many moving parts, a RACI chart ensures everyone knows their part. From the project manager to the product owner to external stakeholders, the RACI chart maps out who leads, who contributes, and who gets updates. This reduces delays, decision fatigue, and duplicated work.

What is a RACI chart, and how does it support governance?

A RACI chart is a type of responsibility assignment matrix that defines four key roles for each task: who is Responsible for doing the work, Accountable for the outcome, Consulted for input, and Informed about progress. It helps establish clear communication channels and approval workflows.

In projects where team members often juggle multiple roles, it's crucial that each team member clearly understands their specific responsibilities within the RACI chart to avoid confusion.

A RACI chart reduces overlap and task ownership conflicts. It supports decision-making by identifying the right team members to involve at every step of the process. Ultimately, it reinforces innovation control and ensures structured execution.

RACI matrix vs. RACI chart: Practical differences

While the terms are often used interchangeably, a RACI matrix typically refers to the full table format, where tasks and roles are listed in rows and columns. In a standard RACI matrix, tasks are typically listed in the left-hand column, while roles or stakeholders are labeled in the top row of the table. The RACI chart, on the other hand, may refer to the simplified visual representation used for quick reference or presentations.

The matrix is better suited for detailed project planning involving multiple stakeholders, especially in complex projects or innovation initiatives with cross-functional teams. A chart, however, helps communicate high-level role assignments during early phases or in agile setups. Choosing between the two depends on your need for depth vs. clarity.

How to define project roles using RACI

The basic steps to create a RACI chart include listing all tasks, assigning roles for each task, and validating these assignments with team members.

Start by listing out all project tasks and phases. Then, for each one, assign a Responsible person to execute the work and an Accountable individual to ensure it gets done, ensuring clarity at the task level to prevent confusion. Next, identify who needs to be Consulted and who should be Informed.

Use input from team members, senior management, and project managers to validate the assignments. Make sure each task has only one person accountable—this avoids ambiguity. Regularly reviewing the RACI framework helps teams adapt to changing requirements, evolving roles, or shifting project timelines.

Clarifying project roles in innovation teams

Innovation teams often include contributors from different departments, backgrounds, and functions. Without clear roles and responsibilities, even small decisions can cause confusion, duplication of effort, or delays. Clarifying team members' roles is essential to ensure smooth workflows and fast, informed action.

A well-structured project team should be aligned not only on goals but also on who takes initiative, who supports execution, and who communicates updates. This is especially important in complex projects where coordination across multiple departments is required.

Team collaboration improves when each team member understands their responsibilities and dependencies.

Typical project roles in innovation management

Common roles include the initiative lead, team coordinator, technical expert (e.g., software developers), and support from legal experts or external consultants. Each role contributes differently to the development and delivery of novel revenue models or product solutions. These roles should be connected to specific project tasks and tracked using planning tools.

Defining roles early in the project lifecycle helps prevent bottlenecks during project planning and execution. Innovation leaders must also ensure that team members have access to the right information and communication channels. This empowers faster progress and more confident decision-making.

RACI definitions every innovation leader should know

Instead of assuming responsibility, use a structured method like RACI templates to define who’s doing what. Responsible individuals execute the task; accountable people oversee results; consulted experts provide input; informed parties stay updated. RACI definitions help innovation leaders align team roles with expectations.

Applying these definitions early can avoid last-minute escalations or miscommunications. It also ensures that innovation processes scale more easily across departments.

Avoiding decision paralysis with clear role allocation

When too many people are involved in approval processes or no one feels accountable, teams risk stalling. Clear role allocation prevents “too many cooks” from interfering with progress. In fast-moving innovation environments, knowing who to involve, outlined by the RACI model, in each decision is critical to maintaining momentum.

Clarity reduces hesitation, avoids redundant loops, and accelerates delivery timelines.

Governance in open innovation environments

Open innovation environments connect internal teams with external contributors—startups, partners, research institutions, and sometimes even end users. While this model increases access to ideas and accelerates development, it also introduces complexity in decision-making and team collaboration.

Traditional internal workflows often fail when applied to networks involving multiple stakeholders and unclear boundaries.

Innovation leaders must balance openness with structure to ensure momentum and alignment. This requires clearly defined interaction models, timely information sharing, and reliable coordination mechanisms. Without these, complex projects can spiral into delays, missed expectations, and duplicated efforts.

Unique challenges of governing external innovation

Unlike internal projects, external networks involve diverse teams with differing incentives, working styles, and communication norms. Coordinating these groups can be difficult, particularly when there’s no shared understanding of roles or authority. Conflicts can arise in project planning, intellectual property rights, or task ownership.

One core challenge is managing the approval process when accountability is distributed. External collaborators may contribute critical components but not operate within the company’s usual project management tool or reporting system. This demands extra clarity around who makes what decisions, and how feedback loops are handled.

Who owns decisions in open collaboration ecosystems?

In open environments, the question of ownership is more nuanced. Decision-making may shift depending on the project phase, topic, or the expertise involved. Internal teams might hold final approval rights, but external partners often lead specific workstreams or co-develop solutions.

To avoid ambiguity, it's essential to define roles for both internal and external participants. This includes outlining who approves what, how updates are shared, and how conflicts are resolved. Without this structure, even small tasks can result in misalignment or project stalls.

How to adapt RACI charts for open networks

A traditional RACI chart can be too rigid for open systems, but RACI templates can be tailored. For example, a joint initiative might assign Responsible to an external team, Accountable to an internal lead, and include both parties as Consulted and Informed at different milestones. Flexibility is key.

Define roles clearly at the beginning of the collaboration and revisit them regularly. Include team roles from both sides and keep communication channels open. With the right level of coordination and role clarity, open innovation can scale without chaos.

Governance for firm-led innovation strategies

Firm-led innovation relies on structured internal processes to drive new offerings, improve efficiency, or expand capabilities. This approach concentrates control within the company, requiring consistent alignment across the entire organization. The goal is to ensure that innovation supports strategic priorities and delivers measurable value.

These strategies often face complex challenges such as siloed teams, unclear priorities, or a lack of role ownership. A clear understanding of responsibilities and structured project management processes can help overcome these barriers.

Managing internal innovation funnels with structure

Internal innovation funnels must be designed to track ideas from concept to delivery while filtering based on relevance, feasibility, and impact. Structured workflows—supported by project management tools—ensure that ideas are reviewed, prioritized, and advanced efficiently. Without such processes, valuable concepts can be lost or duplicated.

Assigning a clear, accountable person at each funnel stage helps manage complexity and maintain focus. Using RACI roles to define responsibilities across functions prevents confusion and streamlines approvals. Teams working at the same level must have visibility into who leads, supports, or reviews each initiative.

Governance in innovation and the role of executive sponsorship

Executive sponsorship is critical in firm-led innovation. Leaders provide direction, unlock resources, and ensure that innovation remains connected to the company’s broader strategy. They also ensure alignment across departments, bridging gaps in communication and expectations.

Sponsors must receive relevant information on progress, blockers, and risks, without micromanaging day-to-day tasks. A well-structured reporting process helps translate team activity into strategic insights. With strong leadership and clarity around roles, firm-led innovation becomes scalable, repeatable, and impactful.

Business model innovation and governance

Business model innovation introduces new ways of creating, delivering, and capturing value. It often cuts across traditional departments, requiring coordination beyond the boundaries of standard project teams. Because of this, it demands a flexible structure that supports experimentation without sacrificing control.

Unlike traditional projects, shifting to novel business plans creates complex challenges, from adjusting revenue streams to changing customer relationships. Managing this change requires a clear framework for defining roles, responsibilities, and decision-making thresholds.

Why business innovations need flexible governance

Iterative change is the norm in business plan innovation. Teams must test, adapt, and pivot based on early signals, requiring fast decisions and fluid collaboration. A rigid structure can slow this process down and limit the space needed for exploration.

At the same time, teams still need clear communication and defined workflows. Without them, key ideas may never progress through the necessary approval process. Flexibility doesn’t mean chaos—it means creating adaptable yet transparent processes that evolve with the model.

Tracking accountability in iterative business changes

As strategies shift, so do roles. Assigning an accountable person to each stage of the model’s evolution ensures that key tasks are delivered and evaluated. Accountability frameworks like the RACI model can help maintain clarity across cycles of change.

Tracking who is responsible for what—and when—helps teams stay aligned. This is especially important when new business models challenge traditional reporting structures.

Integrating governance into blue ocean strategy execution

Blue ocean strategies often require bold, unconventional moves. Success depends on both visionary thinking and structured follow-through. Embedding accountability and defining roles early in the strategy process ensures ideas don't stall during execution.

Clear processes help manage risk while exploring new territory. With the right RACI model, innovation teams can execute bold ideas confidently and effectively.

Measuring innovation performance to support clear governance

To drive effective innovation, companies must go beyond idea generation and measure what matters. Performance metrics help assess whether innovation activities are aligned with goals, resourced properly, and executed efficiently.

Clear measurement also supports accountability, ensuring every project team understands expectations and outcomes.

How governance impacts innovation performance

Strong structures around roles and responsibilities directly influence innovation outcomes. When each responsible party knows their tasks and decision rights, it reduces delays and confusion. Effective frameworks also enable clear communication, allowing faster adjustments when projects veer off course.

A project manager plays a central role in connecting strategic direction with daily execution. They help translate abstract goals into actionable plans for team members and keep track of risks, dependencies, and handovers.

Key KPIs for governance in innovation projects

Common KPIs include time-to-market, resource utilization, number of tested ideas, and success rate of implemented solutions. These indicators help teams assess project progress at every stage and identify blockers early. More mature setups track alignment to strategic goals, stakeholder satisfaction, and ROI.

Using RACI roles in performance tracking adds structure. For example, those accountable review results, those responsible report metrics, and informed roles receive updates.

Software tools to support innovation project management

Managing new development requires more than ideas; it demands structure, visibility, and coordination across teams. Software tools play a critical role in enabling this by making roles and responsibilities transparent and trackable throughout the entire project lifecycle. Whether you're coordinating sprints, managing dependencies, or assigning ownership, digital platforms provide the backbone for efficient innovation workflows.

These tools help ensure that every project manager and responsible person stays focused on delivery while keeping all team members aligned. With the right platform, innovation leaders can plan, assign, monitor, and adjust projects in real time.

Interactive lists to support any view of interest

One core feature of modern innovation tools is customizable lists that adapt to different user needs. These interactive views allow decision makers, developers, and strategists to filter and sort by priority, status, or owner. For team members, this means they always have access to the most relevant tasks and deadlines without being overwhelmed by unnecessary data.

Whether tracking long-term initiatives or day-to-day activities, users can switch perspectives instantly, saving time and improving clarity across roles.

Support project management with clear roadmaps and assignment overviews

Digital roadmaps visually outline how initiatives move from start to finish, helping project managers and stakeholders understand progress and upcoming milestones. These roadmaps link tasks to responsible parties, allowing managers to address delays or gaps quickly.

Assignment overviews show who is responsible for what, making it easy to ensure that every responsible party is aligned with expectations. Even a simple spreadsheet can serve as a responsibility assignment chart for smaller teams or simple projects. Combined, these tools prevent misunderstandings and keep innovation efforts focused on delivering outcomes.

Support project managers with clear task lists

Effective software enables project managers to assign tasks with detailed instructions, deadlines, and dependencies. For the responsible person, this clarity reduces delays and minimizes back-and-forth communications.

Task lists can also be grouped by status, team, or project phase, making it easy to track project progress. These tools help monitor the project's progress in real time, providing up-to-date visibility for all stakeholders. For larger teams, these lists help ensure that no responsibility falls through the cracks, especially when roles and responsibilities shift during the project lifecycle.

Clear task lists and assignment tools are just as valuable for simple projects as they are for complex ones.

Use dashboards to track open and closed tasks

Dashboards provide real-time insights into what’s moving forward and what’s falling behind. By visualizing open and closed tasks, teams can spot roadblocks early and improve delivery precision.

When paired with a RACI matrix, dashboards also highlight any gaps in ownership or follow-through. By regularly reviewing these views, teams stay aligned and can course-correct quickly, ensuring new product development projects run smoothly.

Best practices for implementing clear governance and control

When teams juggle too many tasks across disconnected systems, even the best innovation strategies can falter. One of the main differences between high-performing teams and those that struggle is the use of a unified tool. Replacing scattered spreadsheets and multiple project management tools with a single platform improves alignment, transparency, and execution.

Using one system ensures all team members, from strategists to technical leads, have access to the same data. It also allows decision makers to view project status in real time, without having to chase updates. This streamlines reporting and supports faster decision-making.

Use one tool instead of scattered spreadsheets or multiple project management tools

A consolidated tool allows teams to embed the RACI framework directly into their workflows. By mapping out RACI roles and responsibilities from the beginning—before work begins—organizations can ensure clarity and accountability from the outset, avoiding duplication, delays, and confusion. This also helps align cross-functional teams around a common understanding of tasks and outcomes.

A good tool should also clarify who is accountable and who the informed parties are, especially in fast-moving projects. With everything centralized, communication is smoother, and the risk of oversight is reduced.

Engage project managers and cross-functional leaders with real-time updates

When project managers and cross-functional leads can view and act on live updates, projects stay on track. These updates help reinforce the RACI model, ensuring that every responsible and accountable role is clearly defined and visible.

Leaders can focus on outcomes rather than micromanaging task execution.

Connect project management with market intelligence data and customer insights

True innovation control connects internal delivery with external relevance. Integrating customer insights and market intelligence into your project workflows allows teams to adapt quickly.

This ensures that innovation remains aligned with user needs and competitive shifts, while still maintaining clear roles and responsibilities internally.

Improve innovation results with clear governance. Today.

The ITONICS Innovation OS is the best innovation management software to run a successful innovation program. It will help you to:

Eliminate Information Silos: Dispersed teams and disconnected data often result in missed opportunities and duplicated efforts. With ITONICS, all your innovation initiatives, most innovative ideas, and market insights are centralized in one place. Create transparency and reduce inefficiencies by keeping everyone on the same page.

Track NPD progress across teams: Monitoring the progress of multiple innovation initiatives across departments isn’t easy. ITONICS provides visual dashboards and roadmapping that give you a real-time overview of ongoing projects, ensuring you can quickly address roadblocks, identify risks, and keep everything on track.

Foster a culture of innovation: Innovative breakthroughs often come from collaboration. ITONICS enables your teams to collaborate in real time, regardless of location, by sharing insights, feedback, and updates directly within the platform. This fosters a culture of innovation where great ideas can emerge from any corner of your organization.