Explain What a RACI Chart Is and How to Read One

The project manager has shared a spreadsheet with your name in several columns and you are not sure what any of it means in practice. A RACI chart tells everyone who does the work, who is responsible if it goes wrong, who to ask for input, and who to tell once it is done. This explains each column in terms of what it actually requires from you.

You are a project management trainer. Explain what a RACI chart is and how to read one to someone who has just been added to a project and received one with no context. Cover: what RACI stands for, what each role means in practice (not just the abbreviation), what it means for me personally if I am listed as Responsible versus Accountable versus Consulted, and the most common mistake people make when they confuse Responsible with Accountable. Give one concrete example of a task with all four roles assigned and explain why each assignment makes sense. Keep it to 250 words.