What is a Directly Responsible Individual?

The concept of a Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) refers to assigning one person who owns and is accountable for each specific task, project, or objective. This approach, originally adopted from Apple and heavily utilized at DuckDuckGo, helps avoid diffusion of responsibility, which can lead to tasks being neglected. By clearly designating a DRI, organizations ensure that someone is explicitly responsible, which prevents ambiguity about task ownership and fosters accountability. This model is particularly effective because it ensures tasks are carried out and allows for validation and feedback loops without slowing down the process 1 .