Which of the following BEST represents a strategy to enhance stakeholder accountability in a large-scale NPD initiative?

Which of the following BEST represents a strategy to enhance stakeholder accountability in a large-scale NPD initiative?

• A. Assign task lists verbally during the kickoff meeting to encourage informal ownership.
• B. Involve executive sponsors in post-project evaluation but not initial planning.
• C. Develop a RACI matrix and share it with all stakeholders at project launch.
• D. Limit project documentation to core team members to reduce complexity.

Answer: (C)

Clear assignment of roles and responsibilities through a structured governance artifact is essential for stakeholder accountability in a large NPD initiative. A RACI matrix defines who is Responsible for executing tasks, who is Accountable for final sign-off, who should be Consulted, and who must be Informed. Publishing this at project launch sets explicit expectations, avoids ambiguity, and creates traceability for decisions and deliverables. When everyone knows who owns what, handoffs are smoother, decisions occur at the right level, and you can hold people to commitments. This contrasts with verbally assigned task lists, which often fade or become reshaped, leaving gaps in accountability; involving sponsors only after planning misses early buy-in and clear authority; and restricting documentation to core teams, which hides progress and responsibilities from the wider group and undermines governance.

Clear assignment of roles and responsibilities through a structured governance artifact is essential for stakeholder accountability in a large NPD initiative. A RACI matrix defines who is Responsible for executing tasks, who is Accountable for final sign-off, who should be Consulted, and who must be Informed. Publishing this at project launch sets explicit expectations, avoids ambiguity, and creates traceability for decisions and deliverables. When everyone knows who owns what, handoffs are smoother, decisions occur at the right level, and you can hold people to commitments. This contrasts with verbally assigned task lists, which often fade or become reshaped, leaving gaps in accountability; involving sponsors only after planning misses early buy-in and clear authority; and restricting documentation to core teams, which hides progress and responsibilities from the wider group and undermines governance.