DACI Framework
DACI is a decision-making model that defines roles for example, Driver, Approver, Contributor, Informed, to clarify who does what in key product choices.
What is DACI Framework?
Your team decisions drag on endlessly because it's unclear who should be involved, who makes the final call, and how input should be gathered, leading to revisited decisions, frustrated stakeholders, and delayed progress while everyone debates without resolution.
Most teams make decisions through meetings where everyone shares opinions without clear roles, missing the structured approach of DACI that clarifies Driver, Approver, Contributors, and Informed parties to streamline decision-making and prevent endless deliberation.
DACI is a decision-making framework that assigns clear roles: Driver (who manages the decision process), Approver (who makes the final decision), Contributors (who provide input), and Informed (who need to know the outcome), creating efficient decisions with appropriate involvement.
Teams using DACI reduce decision time by 60%, achieve 70% better stakeholder buy-in, and experience significantly less decision reversal because everyone understands their role and decisions follow clear process rather than informal discussion until exhaustion.
Think about how successful startups like Atlassian use DACI to maintain decision velocity while scaling, or how large organizations like IBM accelerate innovation by clarifying decision rights through frameworks like DACI.
Why DACI Matters for Team Effectiveness
Your important decisions get stuck in committee paralysis because without clear roles, everyone feels they should approve everything, leading to lowest-common-denominator choices that please no one and miss opportunities while competitors move faster.
The cost of unclear decision-making compounds through every delayed choice and reopened decision. You waste time in circular discussions, frustrate team members with unclear influence, miss market windows, and create decision fatigue when everything requires group consensus.
What effective DACI implementation delivers:
Faster decision velocity and reduced bottlenecks because clear approvers and processes eliminate waiting for undefined consensus rather than hoping agreement emerges naturally.
When teams use DACI properly, decisions happen in days rather than weeks of scheduling meetings to include everyone who might have opinions.
Better decision quality through appropriate input as contributors provide expertise without everyone trying to approve, ensuring informed decisions without committee paralysis.
Enhanced accountability and ownership because drivers and approvers can't hide behind group dynamics rather than taking responsibility for outcomes.
Improved stakeholder satisfaction and buy-in through clear involvement expectations rather than surprising people with decisions they thought they'd influence.
Reduced decision fatigue and meeting overload as DACI clarifies who needs involvement rather than including everyone in everything just in case.
Advanced DACI Approaches
Once you've mastered basic DACI, implement sophisticated decision optimization and scaling approaches.
Decision Templates and Playbooks: Create DACI templates for common decisions rather than starting fresh, accelerating setup while ensuring consistency.
Nested DACI for Complex Decisions: Use hierarchical DACI structures rather than single-level, managing complexity without losing clarity about ultimate accountability.
DACI Metrics and Optimization: Track decision velocity and reversal rates rather than just using framework, continuously improving based on outcomes.
Cultural DACI Integration: Embed DACI thinking in daily work rather than special occasions, making role clarity natural part of organizational culture.
Recommended resources
Courses
Accessibility Foundations
Wireframing
Introduction to Figma
3D Design Foundations
Product Discovery
Introduction to Product Management
Introduction to Design Audits
Building Agile Teams
Government Design Foundations
Introduction to Customer Journey Mapping
FAQs
Step 1: Identify Decision Type and Scope (Day 1)
Define what decision needs to be made and why it matters rather than vague problem statements, creating clear boundaries for DACI application.
This creates DACI foundation based on specific decisions rather than general authority that leads to confusion about when framework applies.
Step 2: Assign the Driver Role (Day 1)
Select someone to manage the decision process who has time and context rather than defaulting to most senior person, ensuring active facilitation rather than passive hope.
Focus driver selection on process skills rather than subject expertise, recognizing that driving decisions differs from making them.
Step 3: Identify Single Approver (Day 1-2)
Determine who has final decision authority based on impact and expertise rather than committee approval, maintaining accountability and preventing diffusion of responsibility.
Balance approver seniority with decision scope to ensure appropriate level without unnecessary escalation that slows velocity.
Step 4: Select Contributors Based on Expertise (Day 2)
Choose people who add specific value rather than including everyone tangentially related, respecting time while ensuring critical input isn't missed.
Step 5: Define Informed Parties and Communication Plan (Day 2-3)
List who needs to know outcomes and how they'll be updated rather than forgetting communication, preventing surprise and ensuring implementation readiness.
This ensures DACI drives real decisions rather than just categorizing people without improving decision process or outcomes.
If DACI doesn't accelerate decisions, examine whether roles are truly clear rather than theoretical assignments without behavioral change.
The Problem: Approvers who won't actually approve, delegating decisions back to groups rather than taking accountability DACI intends to create.
The Fix: Coach approvers on decision-making rather than consensus-seeking, reinforcing that DACI means someone decides rather than everyone agrees.
The Problem: Contributors who act like approvers, derailing process by insisting on agreement rather than providing input for approver consideration.
The Fix: Clarify contributor role explicitly rather than assuming understanding, emphasizing input value without decision rights to maintain velocity.
The Problem: DACI becoming bureaucratic overhead for simple decisions, slowing rather than accelerating choice-making through unnecessary process.
The Fix: Reserve DACI for significant decisions rather than everything, maintaining framework value without creating process paralysis.
Create DACI implementations that accelerate quality decisions rather than adding framework overhead without velocity improvement.