Accountability

Accountability is the obligation to answer for one's actions, decisions and results to someone entitled to ask: a manager, colleagues, shareholders, clients, citizens or a regulator. It goes further than being responsible for a task, because the accountable person has to explain what happened and bear the consequences, whether they acted alone or the decision was collective.

The word applies to financial management, regulatory compliance, the quality of work and ethical decisions. Corporate governance, public administration and corporate social responsibility (CSR) all rely on it. Organizations make it concrete through reports, audits, performance reviews and transparent communication. It builds trust because people can see who answers for what. It also brings errors, abuses and poor practices to light sooner.

Accountability in role-based governance and in a RACI

Role-based governance and the RACI matrix each give the word a narrower meaning.

The accountabilities of a role are the ongoing activities other roles can expect from it, such as "answering press requests". The role's purpose says what it aims for and its domain says what it decides alone. Its accountabilities list the work others can count on.

In a RACI, which covers a single project, the A for Accountable marks the one person who answers for the result of each deliverable.