How to Write a Project Charter (with Examples)
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:22 am
Successful projects do not emerge from nowhere, but rather begin with a solid foundation: the project charter.
Although the concept of a project charter has been around for some time, its importance was only recently highlighted by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide.
In the third edition of the PMBOK Guide, a new process of "Developing the Project Charter" was added, making it a more visible and essential deliverable in project management.
However, creating a project charter is a challenge. Stakeholders need to keep track, deadlines are approaching, and a team of professionals needs to be coordinated.
With so much at stake, you can't afford to wing it. The last thing you want is to stumble into the dreaded "death by a thousand paper cuts," caught up in those little decisions that can slowly bleed your project dry.
If you want to prepare your project for the right attempt, this article will guide you step by step in creating a project charter.
From understanding project charter basics and best practices to other project charter alternatives, we have you covered.
What is a project charter?
The PMBOK Guide, 3rd Edition, describes the project charter as "the document that formally authorizes the project"
**At its core, a project charter bosnia and herzegovina number data lists the objective of the project, determines the roles and responsibilities of the people involved, provides an estimated budget, identifies risks, and provides a timeline and metrics to measure the successful completion of the project.
But why do we need one? Well, a project charter:
It provides clarity and transparency to all parties involved, facilitating communication and strengthening teamwork.
Helps keep the project on track, reducing the chances of misunderstandings, missed deadlines or budget overruns
Provides a single point of reference, ensuring that all stakeholders have access to the same information and understand the scope and objectives of the project.
Let's look at each of the components of the project charter in detail.
Composing a project letter
A project charter should provide an overview of the project, typically in 2-4 pages, depending on its complexity and length.
Here are the key components of a well-written, detail-oriented project charter.
1. Project name and description
The project name should be concise but descriptive. Along with the name, you should also write a brief description of the project in a few lines that captures the essence of your idea.
Description: Revamp customer portal to improve user experience, performance and engagement
2. Vision and purpose (objectives)
The vision dictates the direction of the project and what you want to achieve as a broader goal. This information is crucial to help you understand why you are undertaking the project.
The goal is to translate this vision into smaller, achievable, actionable tasks to deliver a clearer perspective.
For example,
Vision: Improve our online presence and increase customer engagement by 25% within six months
Before starting a project, it is best to define everything that it encompasses to avoid confusion or project scope creep later. **This section details the pending activities or tasks that fall within the scope of the project and those that do not.
Here's what this section would look like in a renewed project letter:
Scope: Redesign the homepage, product pages and navigation menu_
out of scope: Blog Rewriting_
4. Key stakeholders
The Key Stakeholder List includes all the people involved or essential to the successful completion of the project. It helps maintain smooth communication throughout the project and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder.
Although the concept of a project charter has been around for some time, its importance was only recently highlighted by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide.
In the third edition of the PMBOK Guide, a new process of "Developing the Project Charter" was added, making it a more visible and essential deliverable in project management.
However, creating a project charter is a challenge. Stakeholders need to keep track, deadlines are approaching, and a team of professionals needs to be coordinated.
With so much at stake, you can't afford to wing it. The last thing you want is to stumble into the dreaded "death by a thousand paper cuts," caught up in those little decisions that can slowly bleed your project dry.
If you want to prepare your project for the right attempt, this article will guide you step by step in creating a project charter.
From understanding project charter basics and best practices to other project charter alternatives, we have you covered.
What is a project charter?
The PMBOK Guide, 3rd Edition, describes the project charter as "the document that formally authorizes the project"
**At its core, a project charter bosnia and herzegovina number data lists the objective of the project, determines the roles and responsibilities of the people involved, provides an estimated budget, identifies risks, and provides a timeline and metrics to measure the successful completion of the project.
But why do we need one? Well, a project charter:
It provides clarity and transparency to all parties involved, facilitating communication and strengthening teamwork.
Helps keep the project on track, reducing the chances of misunderstandings, missed deadlines or budget overruns
Provides a single point of reference, ensuring that all stakeholders have access to the same information and understand the scope and objectives of the project.
Let's look at each of the components of the project charter in detail.
Composing a project letter
A project charter should provide an overview of the project, typically in 2-4 pages, depending on its complexity and length.
Here are the key components of a well-written, detail-oriented project charter.
1. Project name and description
The project name should be concise but descriptive. Along with the name, you should also write a brief description of the project in a few lines that captures the essence of your idea.
Description: Revamp customer portal to improve user experience, performance and engagement
2. Vision and purpose (objectives)
The vision dictates the direction of the project and what you want to achieve as a broader goal. This information is crucial to help you understand why you are undertaking the project.
The goal is to translate this vision into smaller, achievable, actionable tasks to deliver a clearer perspective.
For example,
Vision: Improve our online presence and increase customer engagement by 25% within six months
Before starting a project, it is best to define everything that it encompasses to avoid confusion or project scope creep later. **This section details the pending activities or tasks that fall within the scope of the project and those that do not.
Here's what this section would look like in a renewed project letter:
Scope: Redesign the homepage, product pages and navigation menu_
out of scope: Blog Rewriting_
4. Key stakeholders
The Key Stakeholder List includes all the people involved or essential to the successful completion of the project. It helps maintain smooth communication throughout the project and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder.