What is DACI?
Tempo Team
DACI definition
DACI is a decision-making framework that clarifies roles and responsibilities within teams by assigning individuals as Driver, Approver, Contributor, and Informed. The definition of DACI showcases its purpose of streamlining collaboration and ensuring accountability in group decisions.
What is DACI?
When asked what DACI is, it refers to a structured model used to define who leads, who approves, who contributes, and who stays informed during a project or decision-making process. Originating in product management, DACI helps reduce confusion, speed up decisions, and improve transparency in collaborative work.
In practice, DACI ensures that every person understands their role, minimizes overlap, prevents bottlenecks, and fosters more effective teamwork. It is often applied in fast-paced industries where clarity and efficiency are critical.
How the DACI framework works
The DACI model breaks down decision-making into four key roles:
Driver (D): The individual responsible for coordinating the decision-making process and keeping the project moving forward.
Approver (A): The person with final decision-making authority, often a manager or executive.
Contributors (C): Team members who provide expertise, data, or feedback to inform the decision.
Informed (I): Stakeholders who need updates on the decision but are not directly involved in the process.
This structure ensures clarity by preventing too many decision-makers and balancing efficiency and inclusivity.
Benefits of using DACI
Adopting the DACI framework offers several advantages:
Clarity: Everyone knows their role in the process.
Speed: Decisions are made faster because responsibilities are clearly defined.
Accountability: A single driver and approver reduces ambiguity and improves ownership.
Collaboration: Contributors are included without slowing down decision-making.
These benefits make DACI particularly effective in product management, cross-functional projects, and organizations with multiple stakeholders.
DACI examples
To better understand DACI with some real-world examples, here are a few scenarios:
Example 1: Product launch A product manager is the driver, leading the decision-making process for launching a new app feature. The VP of Product is the Approver with final say. Designers, engineers, and marketers act as Contributors, while executives and customer support teams are Informed about the decision.
Example 2: Marketing campaign A marketing coordinator is the Driver for a new social media campaign. The CMO acts as the Approver. Copywriters and data analysts are Contributors, while the sales team is kept informed of campaign updates.
Example 3: IT infrastructure upgrade An IT project lead is the Driver of a system migration. The CTO is the Approver. System administrators and security experts serve as Contributors, and department heads are kept Informed throughout the project.
These DACI examples show how the framework applies across industries and project types, ensuring decisions are structured, inclusive, and efficient.
Why DACI matters for modern teams
Unclear decision-making often leads to delays, conflicts, or wasted resources. DACI helps avoid these pitfalls by establishing a simple yet powerful structure for assigning responsibility. It is particularly useful in agile environments, where decisions must be made quickly and cross-functional teams are common.
By aligning decision-making roles, DACI also improves communication, reduces rework, and enhances accountability across the organization.
Wrap up
What is DACI? DACI is a framework that assigns decision-making roles as Driver, Approver, Contributor, and Informed. Understanding what DACI is shows how it creates clarity, speeds up processes, and improves collaboration.
Ultimately – it has been a proven success and a practical tool for any team seeking to make better, faster, and more transparent decisions.
