It can sometimes be complicated to know exactly who should make a particular decision. Doubly so in healthy organisations with a strong sense of shared ownership. The concept of Directly Responsible Individuals (DRIs) addresses this by identifying up-front who is responsible for what.
One person that is directly responsible or accountable for fulfilling the success of a certain task, project or area or responsibility.
The idea is that every project is assigned a DRI who is ultimately held accountable for the success (or failure) of that project or objective. Apple coined the term DRI a long time ago.
What does a DRI do?
DRIs are usually assigned to specific projects, targets or initiatives. They won’t necessarily be the people doing the work, but they will likely be responsible for…
- Getting necessary tools, knowledge, people and resources together.
- Making decisions or acting as a tie-breaker.
- Defining done.
- Holding contributors accountable.
- Setting expectations on the project.
- Communicating progress to the wider organisation.
- Managing risks associated with the project.
Further Reading
If you want a more comprehensive overview of how this can work in practice, read GitLab’s comprehensive guide on DRIs…
Directly Responsible Individuals (DRI)
Directly Responsible Individuals (DRIs) at GitLab own particular projects, initiatives, or activity.
handbook.gitlab.com
And maybe check out a few other useful tools in this toolbox…
- Making Decisions
- Decision Meetings