DACI ⚑

tool · management · organizing-schema

Driver, Approver, Contributors, Informed — decision-roles variant of RACI.

DACI is a decision-making framework typically attributed to Intuit in the 1980s-90s and subsequently popularized through Atlassian's online resources and adoption among technology companies. The four roles are: Driver (the single person who runs the decision-making process and ensures it stays on track); Approver (the single person who has final decision authority); Contributors (people who provide expertise and input to inform the decision); and Informed (people who must be told the decision once made). DACI's distinction from RACI is its sharper focus on decisions rather than tasks and its explicit separation of process ownership (Driver) from decision authority (Approver). The framework is particularly common in technology companies, product management, and design disciplines for structuring decision-making across cross-functional teams.

Originators

Intuit (commonly attributed); subsequent popularization through Atlassian and product-management practice low

Year / Decade

1980s-1990s emergence; 2010s broader popularization low

Primary sources

Atlassian. DACI: Decision-making framework (online playbook), various practitioner sources low

Core components

Driver (runs the decision process)
Approver (single decision authority)
Contributors (input providers)
Informed (notified after decision)
Decision-focused vs RACI's task focus
Process owner / decision authority separation
Common in tech and product management

Primary use case

Cross-functional decision-making in technology companies; product management decisions; structuring decision-making roles in design and engineering organizations; alternative to RACI for decision-heavy contexts.

Common criticisms

Attribution and origination history is informal and not well-documented
substantial overlap with RAPID, RACI, and similar frameworks creates which-tool-when confusion
works only as well as the rigor with which Approver authority is genuinely respected
can be gamed by Drivers who select friendly Contributors
the Driver-Approver split, while analytically clean, can create coordination overhead
becomes ritual when applied to too many decisions
doesn't address how to handle Approver disagreement with consensus.

Lineage

Child of: RACI Matrix
Siblings: RACI Matrix
Derived from: RACI Matrix