How to write a project charter.
Create a comprehensive charter that defines objectives, scope, and responsibilities by following these steps:
- Start with a high-level discussion. Project managers should begin by holding a strategic discussion with their team to gather insights and align on key details. Since these team members will be responsible for executing the project, their expertise is invaluable in shaping its direction.
- Define the project scope. Use the insights gathered to clearly outline the project’s scope — what the work will accomplish and, just as importantly, what it won’t. A well-defined scope helps prevent scope creep and keeps the project focused on its objectives.
- Identify key personnel and stakeholders. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all individuals involved, including project team members, stakeholders, and any external teams that will contribute at various stages. This ensures accountability and alignment across the board.
- Establish the project’s direction. With a clear understanding of the project’s scope and stakeholder expectations, teams can begin executing with confidence. Setting clear goals and deliverables upfront helps streamline workflows and minimize roadblocks.
- Draft, review, and refine the project charter. When drafting your project charter, be sure to include all eight essential elements outlined earlier. Once complete, share the document with your broader team for feedback and approval, so all key stakeholders are aligned before moving forward.
Who signs off on a project charter?
Typically, a project sponsor signs off on a project charter as a high-ranking individual within a project team. This individual is also largely responsible for creating project cost estimates and the overall project scope.
What are the benefits of a project charter?
Creating a project charter means giving stakeholders across your business a better understanding as to why a project is valuable to a business. There are five benefits to having a project charter in place before you execute your project:
Creates a project roadmap.
One of the main purposes of your project charter is to establish expectations and vision for the project. Whenever the team has doubts about the project’s direction, they can look to the project charter for guidance.
Project roadmaps can allow any stakeholder to understand and communicate the potential impact a successful project can have.
Can help sell stakeholders on a project.
A well-drafted project charter serves as your project’s principal internal marketing document, which you can show to stakeholders, managers, executives, and clients to help justify the cost, secure resources, and gain buy-in.
Tactics that lead to measurable results which are aligned to top-level business goals can also convince top executives the return on investment is worth the upfront cost.
Can prevent scope creep.
Project charters give clear definitions to the scope of a project. They help minimize the risk of needing to move working boundaries at any stage, which could otherwise result in wasted resources and time, and even risk project failure.
Project goals and result measurements should be defined clearly to ensure there is no miscommunication between senior executive project and project managers.
Authorizes project kickoff.
Project managers will use the project charter as the authorization they need to begin adjusting workflows, redirecting resources, and spending budget. Without authorization, these moves will cause confusion and delay project execution.
Ensures project team continuity.
Projects can often change hands prior to completion for a variety of reasons. New workers may be replaced or recruited, which is why the project charter serves as a vital part of keeping your timelines and objectives on track.
A project charter is a north star for any new team members and can allow for a more seamless transition between project team members without the need to adjust the charter.
Project charters vs. project plans.
There are some similarities between a project charter and a project plan, but the most obvious difference is the order in which they’re created.
- Project charter. This serves as the business case for executing the project. A charter is the document you’ll need to get your project authorized, so no work should be done until the project charter has been signed off.
- Project plan. This will include timelines, scope of work and other more project management-oriented elements. It’s where you lay out the work that needs to happen and by whom.
- Project brief. Briefs land somewhere between the charter and plan. It should serve as an at-a-glance guide for stakeholders who want to know why a project is being executed, as well as how you intend to carry it out.
What’s the difference between a project charter and project scope?
Unlike a project charter, project scope includes granular detail about a project’s requirements for success. This could include budgets, deliverables and work breakdown structures (WBS).
A project charter is mainly focused on the need-to-know aims and benefits of the project. However, both project charter and project scope statements can be used as a reference point to keep a project on track and ensure it doesn’t stray from its original plan.
Should you update a project charter during a project?
It is uncommon to update a project charter during a project. This is because project charters are signed off before the execution phase of the project lifecycle.
Changing the charter halfway through a project could change the overall project’s objectives, which could make a lot of work already completed redundant.
Identifying project risks.
It is a good idea to interview all project stakeholders to ensure that project expectations and measurable results are agreed upon. Additionally, it is valuable to speak with internal project team members who have completed a similar project to help assess what potential challenges can impact project execution.
Assumptions identified early can help prevent them from impacting project execution. These assumptions need to be reviewed consistently throughout the completion of a project. Typically, project managers should make a list of assumptions at the beginning of the project.
Assumptions are an integral part of every project, but false assumptions can prevent a project from being executed successfully. They should be documented and then assigned for review to individual team members. This can help align expectations between executives and individual project team members.
The following are a few best practices when it comes to managing project risks:
- Speaking with leadership and senior stakeholders prior to creating a project charter
- Speaking with the internal project team to brainstorm what day-to-day risks or issues can come up and how to plan for contingencies
- Reviewing and updating the plan regularly to address new issues as they arise
- Ensuring project contingencies are aligned with a team’s project goals
Manage your project with confidence.
A well-crafted project charter sets the stage for a successful project by aligning teams, defining objectives, and establishing clear expectations. But creating and managing project charters efficiently requires more than just documentation — it demands seamless collaboration, visibility, and real-time updates.
Adobe Workfront helps streamline this process by providing a centralized platform where teams can define project goals, assign responsibilities, track milestones, and manage approvals — all in one place. With built-in automation, dynamic workflows, and real-time reporting, Workfront ensures that your project charter stays up to date, keeping teams aligned and projects on track from kickoff to completion.
Take a product tour of Adobe Workfront today and start managing your projects the right way.
