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What is a Project Charter in Project Management?

What is a project charter in project management? A project charter is a formal, typically short document that describes your project in its entirety — including what the objectives are, how it will be carried out, and who the stakeholders are. It is a crucial ingredient in planning out the project because it is used throughout the project lifecycle.

Project Charter Overview

The project charter typically documents:

• Reasons for the project
• Objectives and constraints of the project
• Who the main stakeholders are
• Risks identified
• Benefits of the project
• General overview of the budget

How to Create a Project Charter

1. Understand project goals and objectives. Identify the project vision and determine the scope of the project
2. Define project organization. List all of the essential roles for the project, including customers, stakeholders, and day-to-day project team.
3. Create an implementation plan. Outline major milestones, dependencies and timeline for the entire team and stakeholders.
4. List potential problem areas. No one wants to be a downer, but adding potential risks and issues to the project charter helps everyone think ahead should the worst happen.

Further Reading:

• 10 Steps to a Kickass Project Kickoff: A Checklist for Project Managers
• Project Management Basics: 6 Steps to a Foolproof Project Plan
• 10 Reasons the Death Star Project Failed (Infographic)