Project charters provide a guiding light for any new initiative. So, whether you work as a project manager or operations professional, you\u2019ll need to become a pro at writing these documents.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Besides providing you with the authorization to begin projects, project charters<\/a> help you sell your project\u2019s viability to stakeholders. This document will also help get your entire team on board with your plans and deadlines.<\/p>\n In this guide, we\u2019ll explore everything you need to know about project charters. We\u2019ll cover:<\/p>\n What is a project charter?<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cThe project charter is such an important document that a project cannot be started without one,\u201d says Rita Mulcahy<\/a>, a renowned project manager, trainer, and author. This document can keep your team on track to achieve your project objectives on deadline.<\/p>\n Here are other benefits of creating a well-written project charter:<\/p>\n You\u2019ll decide on a project budget. Next, we\u2019ll explore best practices for writing a project charter.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n When writing your project management charter, it\u2019s important to get it right from the onset. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t change a project charter after its approval,\u201d says Mary Beth Imbarrato, author of The Project Roadmap<\/a>. Last-minute changes can make stakeholders question the project\u2019s feasibility.<\/p>\n This step-by-step guide will help you write a great project charter from the get-go.<\/p>\n Talking to your team members is essential when creating project charters. Your colleagues can help you set realistic project timelines. They can also help you uncover the goals, scope, and risk mitigation plans for the project.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should set aside time for your team members to discuss the project, how they want to approach it, and what’s their current bandwidth,\u201d says Will Yang, Head of Growth at <\/a>Instrumentl<\/a>. \u201cDoing this ensures your project team is on the same page.\u201d<\/p>\n To foster collaboration, store your project charter in a central hub so team members can comment on and edit it.<\/p>\n This gives everyone a sense of ownership of the project. Programs like Google Drive and Dropbox offer co-editing capabilities.<\/p>\n You may be tempted to capture every detail in your project charter. But remember: You should go in-depth in your project planning document, not in the project charter.<\/p>\n “Stakeholders won\u2019t have the time to read a verbose 15 pages charter because they have other priorities,\u201d advises Konstandinos Christofakis, head of marketing at ULTATEL<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s why charters should be a high-level overview of projects, remain short enough to be useful, and long enough to be valuable.”<\/p>\n If information is digestible, the chances of project approval rise, according to Christofakis.<\/p>\n Using images or design elements can help improve the readability of your project charter and keep your document brief.<\/p>\n For instance, if you want to outline a lengthy communication plan or milestone in your charter, a Gantt chart can help. These charts also stand out in the project charter, allowing team members to reference them easily.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Have you written a project charter in the past? Or perhaps the document you just completed is a masterpiece. Turn these documents into templates that you can use in the future.<\/p>\n Having a template for your project management charter helps you save time and maintain consistency in the future. This approach to project charters also ensures you don\u2019t skip important elements in your document.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>If you don\u2019t already have a template, you can browse options online. HubSpot offers a free project charter template that you can download at any time.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Now that you know the basics of creating project management charters, let\u2019s go over the anatomy of a project charter.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n After developing a project charter, project managers send them to the project sponsor to get approval. A sponsor may include the government, individual financier, or top management of the organization executing the project.<\/p>\n Here are the elements your project charter needs to get approval from sponsors.<\/p>\n The project objective is the high-level reason for undertaking the project. Tying objectives to your company goals is a brilliant way to pique stakeholders\u2019 interest in your project.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Use the SMART framework<\/a> to make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.<\/p>\n Your project overview goes into greater detail about the timeline and ownership of a project. This section outlines details like the project name, project sponsor, project Manager, expected start and completion dates, and estimated budget.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Add a table to your project overview. This makes information skimmable and easy to find.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n This is a list of the services or products the project team will provide to stakeholders. Be clear on what your team is delivering to avoid any disagreements that\u2019ll make you extend your deadline.<\/p>\n The project scope explains the boundaries of the project. While PMs typically write detailed project scopes, keeping it brief in the project charter is a best practice. Why? You can create a detailed scope statement in the project planning phase.<\/p>\n This is a list of the names and responsibilities of the parties involved with a project. Stating who\u2019s responsible for different tasks holds your team members accountable.<\/p>\n Outlining the risks to a project will help you identify blockers to the success of your project and their potential impact. Doing this enables you to devise risk mitigation strategies.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Create a table of potential risks. Be sure to explain why the risk poses a threat to your project and the mitigation strategies you plan to enact.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Always create a list of resources your project will need. And that\u2019s not just money. Your resources should include team members, facilities, equipment, and other essential items which are critical to the success of your project. This helps you account for everything you need to take the project to the finish line.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n This sample project charter follows the Lean Six Sigma format, one methodology for project management. Teams that already use this framework may opt to structure their project charter in this way.<\/p>\n What we like:<\/strong> The Lean Six Sigma project charter offers a clear scope of work. Project goals also follow the SMART framework, making how the project will benefit the company extremely clear.<\/p>\n Project charter limitations: <\/strong>While this charter outlines key information, including the project goal and problem statement, some key information is missing. The process owner didn\u2019t state the project costs or risks. If you emulate this format, be sure to include this information.<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em> In this project charter, the University of Guelph explores exactly what its web team must do to redesign the school\u2019s library website. That includes all of the necessary stakeholders and who\u2019s owning the project.<\/p>\n What we like: <\/strong>This project has a well-defined scope and timeline. Sponsors know exactly who is working on what and when.<\/p>\n Project charter limitations: <\/strong>While this project explores the risks associated with the project, mitigation plans would improve this section of the document.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Every project should have a clear goal and purpose. But sometimes, the primary objective becomes unclear. To combat this, apply the illusory truth effect, which states the use of repeated information increases understanding.<\/p>\n
\n The Benefits of Creating Project Charters<\/a>
\n How to Write a Project Charter<\/a>
\n The Anatomy of a Project Charter<\/a>
\n Project Charter Examples<\/a>
\n Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Project Charter<\/a> <\/p>\nThe Benefits of Creating Project Charters<\/h2>\n
\n You can define the project outcome.
\n You\u2019ll avoid scope creep and meet your deadlines.
\n You can get stakeholders\u2019 buy-in for your project.
\n You can set the expected start and end dates of the project.
\n You can clearly explain how your project goals align with organizational objectives. <\/p>\nHow to Write a Project Charter<\/h2>\n
1. Gather insights from your project team.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Store the charter in a central location.<\/h3>\n
3. Keep the project charter brief.<\/h3>\n
4. Add visuals to your charter.<\/h3>\n
5. Create a project charter template.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The Anatomy of a Project Management Charter<\/h2>\n
1. Project Objective<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Project Overview<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Project Deliverables<\/h3>\n
4. Project Scope<\/h3>\n
5. Project Stakeholders<\/h3>\n
6. Project Risks<\/h3>\n
7. Project Resources<\/h3>\n
Project Charter Examples<\/h2>\n
1. Project Management Charter for Lean Six Sigma<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
2. Project Management Charter for Website Redesign<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
<\/em><\/p>\nMistakes to Avoid When Creating Project Management Charters<\/h2>\n
1. Missing a Clear Purpose Statement<\/h3>\n