In project management, the first phase is the definition of the project. It includes defining the project scope, objectives, and deliverables. It defines the project in all of its details.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Project charter refers to the fundamental project documentation that provides essential information about the project and the management team that is responsible to handle it.
Before the presentation of the project plan, the project charter is presented to the investors to let them have an insight into the project.
- The charter templates are used in all phases of project management.
- The project charter is a little different from the project scope of work.
- It is a formal comprehensive document that describes the project scope, objectives, deliverables, and systematic.
- The approach of project completion and the stakeholders of the project.
This is why it’s really important to make an effective, accurate, and proper project charter in the first place. As an investor to have a clear understanding of the project, the project charter plays an important role in project management.
About Project Charter Template
A project charter template helps to write brief details of a specific project that includes, objectives, the purpose of the project, project scope, and working staff who are participating in this project.
Now, we need some data (information) that covers project specifications i.e; project name, type, industry, numbers of employees, project manager name, experience, date of starting and ending dates, etc.
A project is just a contract between the client and the agency while the formal form of SoW is a project charter. Project charter discusses the 7W’s of a project while project SoW just describes the project scope, deliverables, objectives, and assumptions.
Components & Objectives of Project Charter Template
A typical project charter is a formal document that covers all the project details with reasoning for everything. The main components of a project charter are; project overview, details, scope, team organization, resource planning, communication planning, signatories, and timeline.
It also serves an important role in developing a clear understanding of the project’s key stakeholders and is used as a marketing tool for getting funds. The fundamental elements of a simple project charter document are;
- Introduction
- Project statement and scope of the project
- Success criteria of the project
- Project key requirements and deliverables
- An estimated budget for the project
- Project schedule and milestones
- Project assumptions and constraints
- Potential risks and mitigation strategies
- The project team and the overall view of the organization
- Space for the stakeholder’s approvals
Project Charter Structure Details
Here is a brief detail of the project charter structure:
Issue/Business Value Statement
Define here the project issue details and business value statement.
Project Vision and Project Approach
First describe the project vision here, project scope that includes (in-scope and out-scope), after that draft issues resolving solution. You have to describe project deliverables and project details. Also, describe how you are going to monitor progress or evaluation procedures.
Stakeholders
This section explains how you will manage stakeholders and ranked them according to their interest/investment in the project.
Project Team
This section explains project whole team from the project sponsor (owner of the project) to labor with details of their roles and responsibilities.
Budget and Schedule
Here define project budget details that cover all kinds of investments, market shares, loans, etc. Moreover, you have to describe a project schedule that includes the project phase-wise task roaster, activities, and milestones.
Tasks & Outcomes
In this section, we draft project task details according to priority, dependencies, and importance. We also explain here who will do what, and when? Also, what kind of benefits we can get from them in the long term.
Assumptions & Restrictions
In the assumption section, we explain our assumptions on stakeholders, managers, and team members that help to understand their set skills for this project. For example, a stakeholder will dedicatedly give time to the project for participating in project activities, as to complete a task when asked. The project sponsor and major stakeholders are responsible to make executive decisions for project success. That is called assumptions.
Restrictions include:
- Scope (in-scope or out-scope)
- Time (either project is time-bound or not)
- Cost (either increase in project cost will affect the project or not)
Risk and Dependencies
In this section, we describe project risk factors (known and unknown) and their impact on a project. Also, explain how we can reduce or eliminate their effects on the project. However, project dependencies are those factors that are directly related to tasks and their completion.
Steps to Make A Project Charter
There is no standard practice to make an effective project charter in project management. It is different based on the nature of the project. Basic guidelines can be described to develop a useful project charter;
- Do the research and gather information about the project. Discuss the details with the stakeholders and the team
- Take and organize the notes of discussions with the stakeholder and teams about the project objectives and deliverables
- Use pre-formatted project charter templates for the drafting purpose at the same time and no value-adding efforts.
- Include information about the communication channels
- Review the drafted project charter with the team leaders
- Present the project charter for approval of sponsors and stakeholders
There are a lot of benefits of a project charter in each phase of project management. It helps to determine the project value, saves time down the road, and gives budget clarity.
It also gives guidelines to the project team about the project activities, inspires the confidence of core project teams, and boosts their morale to play an important role in the success of the project.
Project Charter Template Excel
Here is the specific format that helps us to make a project charter;
- Project Identification
- Project Managers Names
- Project Objectives
- Scope of Project
- Purpose of Project
- Project Requirements
- Risk Management Plan and Risk Factors
- Milestones
- Success Rate
- Project investment capital or Budget
- Clients List, Stakeholder requirements
- Employees, roles, and responsibilities
What a Project Charter Template Includes
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Project Title: A short, descriptive name for the project.
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Project Sponsor: The person or organization providing resources and support for the project.
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Project Manager: The person responsible for planning, executing, and closing the project.
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Project Objectives: A list of the project’s goals and desired outcomes.
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Project Scope: A description of the work to be performed, including boundaries or limitations.
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Key Stakeholders: A list of individuals or groups with a vested interest in the project’s success, including their roles and responsibilities.
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Project Deliverables: A list of tangible outputs or products resulting from the project.
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Project Timeline: A high-level schedule showing the project’s major milestones and deadlines.
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Project Budget: An estimate of the financial resources required for the project, including contingencies.
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Project Risks and Assumptions: A list of potential risks and assumptions that may affect the project’s success, along with strategies for mitigating or addressing them.
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Project Approval: Signatures from the project sponsor and other stakeholders, indicating their agreement with the project charter and their commitment to supporting the project.
Six Sigma Project Charter Excel Template
As we know, DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analysis, Improve, and Control) plays a vital role in Defining Phase, that why DMAIC has important in Project completion. In any Six Sigma project, we can say that Project Charter is the first step towards the Six Sigma project.
Both the Six Sigma Project and Project Charter have Identical points but the Six Sigma project provides us more details about the project.
Here are Points that must include in a Six Sigma Project Charter:
Project Title (identity)
In this section, we write down the project name, and identity number.
Black Belt
Where we mention the project manager’s name who is leading the project.
Project Champion
The project champion is the person who makes project execution strategies and assists working for staff in the process of the Six Sigma process. This person is also responsible for setting goals, and deliverables, creating a business case, constraints, and dependencies, making and assigning tasks among the working staff, etc. In fact, this person has the authority of signing off on the Project Charter.
Executive Sponsor
Here we put info about the project executive sponsor’s name.
MBB Mentor
This person deals with a Black Belt person when an issue arises black belt concern with MBB Mentor.
Starting Date
This date defines when a project will start or when project leaders start a project.
End Date
The projected date of completion is defined by MBB Mentor. This evaluation involves the project/business’s current progress.
Primary Metric: In this section, we put info about direct measuring the process outputs, process objective, improvement goal, etc.
Business Case
B.C explains the purpose of the project and its overall outcomes that could affect a company.
(Review: Project Business Case Template)
Problem Statement
In this section, we write down except and calculate problems that are going to be dealt with. This statement also defines problems and their impact on a project, where it occurs, their scope, and critical-to-quality aspects. For this purpose, we can also use SWOT Analysis Method.
Goal Statement
This Statement defines project goals, evaluated outcomes, and targets that are the project purpose. Note: our Goals must be SMART.
Project Timeline
This section defines the project timeline.
Project Constraints & Dependencies
This section explains limitations and project dependencies means which things to do first to complete other tasks.
Project Risk
Where we explain project risk factors and its solution. For this purpose, we use a project risk management plan or risk mitigation plan.
Impact on Stakeholders
This section helps us to identify core stakeholders and their impact on a project. And helps to work for staff on how they can communicate with them.
Project Milestone
In this area, we define project milestones and complete the task list.
Financial Benefits
It defines what kind of financial benefits we can get from this project. And how we can save capital.
Agile Project Charter Document
In an agile project plan, a project charter must contain a project strategic plan and project teams. Because a devoted team can be more effective for project progress. You can achieve your project goals on time save time and cut extra expenses.
The basic function of the Agile Project Charter is to draft such document that focuses on issue-solving solutions that are:
Brief
Like agile project management methodology, an agile project charter must be short and brief that explain all aspects of a project. This helps the board of directors to make decisions appropriate.
Easy To Understandable
Draft this document precisely short. A lengthy document takes time to review and sometimes leads to misunderstandings. Although, in some cases, you have to make a large document for bigger projects. But that is an exceptional case.
Collaborations
An agile project charter based on collaboration with the project sponsor, project manager, and project team suggestions. For this purpose, you can conduct meetings with them before drafting.
Components of Agile Project Charter Template
Here are the key components:
| Components |
Details |
| Project Vision | Here you must clear the project vision. |
| Project Objectives | Write down project objectives. What do you want to gain from this project? |
| Project Size Estimate | Here we summarize the evaluation of resources and materials that are needed to complete the project and deliverables. However, this evaluation is based on project feasibility for agile. |
| Project Complexity | Here we explain project complexity that is based on scope. |
| Scope | In this section, we describe the project scope and customer needs, and requirements. |
| Project Structure | This Section explains the project board of directors, clients, project teams, stakeholders, and project governance hierarchy. |
| Resources | A complete list of resources that includes, workers, materials, or any other resource must include here.
Also, you can allocate resources here. |
| Approaches | Explain what kind of approaches, strategic plans, and methodology, will adopt |
| Priorities | Setting priorities helps the team achieve them according to their level of severity and order. |
| Success Criteria | It’s an important section, here we explain project success criteria and factors that evaluate project progress. |
| Product Roadmap | It describes where the product is headed and what the goal is. |
| Risks & Issues | It includes all known risk factors and issues as well as their possible solutions. However, you can also mention here a risk management plan for unknown risk factors. |
| Project Approval | The project sponsor and stakeholders are responsible to approve a project. After that project plan is ready to execute. |
Example Project Charter Summary Template
As we know, a project charter is a detailed document because it explains everything about a project including background, scope, risk factors, and other important aspects that may affect a project. So, if we are working on Megaprojects, then their project charter document gets lengthy. Project Charter Template Free Download.
That’s why we create a Project Charter Summary for executives and clients and stakeholders that concludes the project charter details and highlights those essential parts and factors that are crucial and important for the board of directors.
This summary of the project charter helps executives and top management to review it fast which expedites the decision-making process.
Some important sections of this summary document are:
- Project Identity
- Project Briefings
- Starting and ending Date
- Project Costs
- Goals
- Project Team
- Project Milestones
Some Tips For Drafting The Project Charter
As we know that writing a professional Project Charter is not an easy task, however, there are some tips that help you to write in a professional way:
Make It Brief
If we write in a brief way this will help readers to understand better and save time. (Try not to make it lengthy)
Should Be Clear
Always create these types of project documents clearly. Because any misunderstanding will lead the project to disaster or loss. But a clear version helps clients, top management, and stakeholders to understand it better.
Project Sponsor Involvement
As we know that a project sponsor is an owner or big investor of a project, so, whenever you need to create a Project charter you must concern with the project sponsor for guidance. This step leads you to make this document accurate and according to the project sponsor’s requirements.
