Data Migration RACI Matrix
This is a practical guide to building a raci matrix for a data migration project — a grid mapping tasks to who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed, adapted to the realities of moving data from legacy systems into a new platform.
What a RACI Matrix is
A raci matrix is a grid mapping tasks to who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed. For the full concept and how it works in general, see RACI Matrix. On a data migration project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a Data Migration project
Data Migration projects live or die on moving data from legacy systems into a new platform. A well-built raci matrix gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how data migration projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Activities as rows
- Roles as columns
- One Accountable per row
- Responsible / Consulted / Informed
Data Migration-specific considerations
Tailor the raci matrix to the risks that most often derail data migration projects:
- Data quality and lineage
- Field mapping errors
- Reconciliation and cutover
Example
On a real data migration project, the raci matrix would be shaped by moving data from legacy systems into a new platform. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — data quality and lineage, field mapping errors, reconciliation and cutover — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.