Project management · Free templates and builders
Project management templates
Build a RACI chart, rate risks on a 5 by 5 matrix, and fill in six project templates to copy or print. Every example is made up. Free, nothing you type is saved or sent, no sign-up needed.
- RACI chart builder
- Risk matrix and register
- Six templates
- No sign-up needed
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Part 1 · RACI chart builder
RACI chart: build yours
A RACI chart lists the tasks down the side and the people or roles across the top, then puts one letter where they meet. The chart below is a made-up volunteer project. Change any name, then pick a letter in each box.
- R · Responsible
- Does the work to complete the task. Every task needs at least one.
- A · Accountable
- Answerable for the task being done correctly, and signs off on it. Some project-management theories say each task has only one.
- C · Consulted
- Gives input before the work is finished, such as a subject expert. Communication runs both ways.
- I · Informed
- Kept up to date on progress, sometimes only at the end. Communication runs one way.
Use A/R when one person is both Accountable and Responsible, which is common on small tasks. Some teams add a letter. RASCI adds Support, and DACI swaps the roles for Driver, Approvers, Contributors and Informed.
| Task | Remove row | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Every task has one Accountable and at least one Responsible.
Nothing you type is saved or sent. Copy or print before you leave the page.
Part 2 · Risk matrix and register
Risk assessment matrix and risk register
A risk matrix is a grid that rates a risk by combining how likely it is with how severe it would be. A risk register is the list behind it. Rate each made-up risk below and the matrix and the ranking update.
| 1Minor | 2Small | 3Moderate | 4Major | 5Severe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5Almost certain | 5Moderate | 10High | 15Very high | 20Very high | 25Very high |
| 4Likely | 4Low | 8Moderate1 risk | 12High | 16Very high | 20Very high |
| 3Possible | 3Low | 6Moderate | 9Moderate1 risk | 12High | 15Very high |
| 2Unlikely | 2Low | 4Low | 6Moderate | 8Moderate1 risk | 10High |
| 1Rare | 1Low | 2Low | 3Low | 4Low | 5Moderate |
Score = likelihood times impact, from 1 to 25. The bands (Low 1 to 4, Moderate 5 to 9, High 10 to 14, Very high 15 to 25) and the one-to-five labels are an example for learning. Your organization sets its own scales. Matrices are a rough ranking tool: different risks can land on the same score.
- Fewer than ten volunteers sign up9 · Moderate
- Hall booking falls through8 · Moderate
- Rain on the day of the outdoor tour8 · Moderate
Response words used here: Avoid (change the plan so the risk cannot happen), Reduce (make it less likely or less severe), Transfer (move the impact to someone else, such as through insurance) and Accept (carry on and deal with it if it happens).
Part 3 · Fill-in templates
Six project templates to fill in
Pick a template, type into the boxes, then copy the text or print the sheet. Leave boxes empty to print a blank form. Nothing you type is saved or sent.
Communication plan
Who needs to hear what, how, how often and from whom. One row per message.
Part 4 · Roles
What is a Scrum Master?
A Scrum Master is the person accountable for establishing Scrum as the Scrum Guide defines it, and for the Scrum team’s effectiveness. The guide calls Scrum Masters true leaders who serve the team and the larger organization.
For the team
- Coaches team members in self-management and working across skills
- Helps the team focus on valuable work that meets its Definition of Done
- Causes obstacles to the team’s progress to be removed
- Makes sure Scrum events take place, stay positive and productive, and stay within their time limit
For the Product Owner
- Helps find ways to define the product goal and manage the backlog
- Helps the team see why backlog items should be clear and concise
- Facilitates stakeholder collaboration when asked or needed
For the organization
- Leads, trains and coaches the organization in adopting Scrum
- Plans and advises Scrum rollouts
- Removes barriers between stakeholders and Scrum teams
A Scrum Master is a role on a Scrum team, not a manager of it. The Scrum Guide is the source for the lists above; read the guide itself for the full wording.
Part 5 · Practice questions
Ten practice questions
One question at a time, each answer explained. Your score is free and needs no sign-up.
Question 1 of 10
In a RACI chart, what does the Accountable person do?
Bonus
Three blank sheets to print
Locked until you enter your email in the box above
Blank RACI chart
Ten task rows and six role columns, with the four letters explained at the bottom.
Blank risk register and 5 by 5 matrix
The ten-row register and the matrix on one page, with the score bands written on it.
Project kickoff checklist
Twelve questions to answer before work starts: scope, roles, risks, communication and how success is checked.
Everything above this box stays free: the RACI builder, the risk matrix and register, the six templates and the practice questions.
Sources
Where the facts come from
Written in our own words from these public pages. Your workplace or course may use different scales, letters or layouts; follow them over these examples.
- Responsibility assignment matrix (RACI), Wikipedia
- Risk matrix, Wikipedia
- Risk register, Wikipedia
- Lessons learned, Wikipedia
- Executive summary, Wikipedia
- Business case, Wikipedia
- Corrective and preventive action, Wikipedia
- Request for proposal, Wikipedia
- The Scrum Guide (the Scrum Master section)
- Communications template, University of Nebraska-Lincoln research project management office
- Further reading: Project Management, an open textbook from BCcampus
More free tools: workplace communication and business letter format.
Questions
Common questions
A table with tasks in the rows and people or roles in the columns. Each box holds one letter: R for Responsible (does the work), A for Accountable (answerable for it and signs off), C for Consulted (gives input, two-way) or I for Informed (kept up to date, one-way). It is also called a responsibility assignment matrix.
Some project-management theories say exactly one per task or deliverable, and the builder on this page checks for that. Every task also needs at least one Responsible person. When one person does both, write A/R.
A grid that rates a risk by combining how likely it is with how severe its consequences would be. Common sizes are 3 by 3, 4 by 4 and 5 by 5. It is a quick way to see which risks to look at first, but it is a rough ranking: different risks can get the same rating, and the labels are subjective.
A typical register lists each risk with its likelihood and impact ratings, a score (often likelihood times impact) used to rank them, what you will do about it, a trigger that tells you it is happening, and an owner. The builder in Part 2 uses those columns.
A corrective action removes the cause of a problem that has already happened so it does not come back. A preventive action is taken before a problem happens, usually because a risk review pointed to it. The corrective action template asks for the root cause and for how you will check the fix worked.
No. Everything stays in your browser until you leave the page. Copy the text into your own document or print before you close the tab. The only thing you can send from this page is the email address for the bonus, if you choose to enter it.
Yes. The RACI builder, the risk matrix and register, the six templates, the Scrum Master explainer and the practice questions need no sign-up. An email unlocks three blank printable sheets, which open on this page right away and stay open on this browser.