Project Charter
Project Charter
Project Charter
PROJECT CHARTER
VERSION <1.0>
<DD/MM/YYYY>
REVISION HISTORY
<MM/DD/YYYY <0.00> <Type brief description here> <First Initial & Last Name>
>
DISTRIBUTION LIST
APPROVALS
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Notes to the Author
[The Project Charter is issued by the project initiator or sponsor. It formally authorizes the existence of a
project, and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project
activities.
Instructional text in this document is bracketed. Other text may be used in your actual plan. Please
remove the instructions when the document is finalized.
The project initiator or sponsor create the charter or delegate the duty to the Project Manager. Typically
the Project Sponsor, and Project Board/Steering Group authorize the Project Charter’s contents. The
signed Project Charter authorizes the project.]
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CONTENTS
PROJECT CHARTER...................................................................................................................................... 1
Version <1.0>.......................................................................................................................................................1
<dd/mm/yyyy>.......................................................................................................................................................1
REVISION HISTORY........................................................................................................................................................2
DISTRIBUTION LIST........................................................................................................................................................2
APPROVALS.................................................................................................................................................................2
PURPOSE/PROJECT JUSTIFICATION...................................................................................................................... 6
PROJECT ORGANIZATION.................................................................................................................................... 8
APPENDICES........................................................................................................................................................ 9
[Describe the purpose of the project and the requirements the project should to address. Describe the
justification for conducting this project.]
[Briefly discuss the intended goals and expected outcomes of the project. If possible, relate these
objectives strategic business plans, the table below may help. Describe each objective using
measureable success criteria, such as anticipated productivity improvements, cost reduction,
improvements in business processes, revenue enhancements, technical efficiencies, etc. The stated
objectives will become the basis for the acceptance criteria.]
REQUIREMENTS
[Briefly describe the high level requirements. This might be a summary with the detail in an appendix.]
[Describe any constraints and assumptions that are currently known about the proposed project. These
constraints and assumptions may include regulatory or legislative requirements, funding limitations,
sunset dates, etc. Assumptions are statements taken for granted or accepted as true without proof.
Assumptions are made in the absence of fact.]
[List and describe any risks that can be identified. Consider the project constraints and assumptions to
help identify potential risks. Include known risk mitigation strategies. Risks and mitigations strategies
may be in bulleted lists.]
[Risk]
[Risk]
[List projected project milestones and their forecasted completion dates. This schedule is of preliminary
nature only. Once the project has been approved to move forward a comprehensive Microsoft Project
Plan will be developed.]
[The table below can be used or a high level Gantt Chart. Get an Excel Gantt Chart template.]
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Project Milestone Forecast Date Owner
[Initiation]
[Concept Development]
[Planning]
[Requirements Analysis]
[Design]
[Development]
[Detail the current estimated costs to conduct the project and identify the source of funding. Add any
additional categories to the table below as needed.]
The forecasted budget for the <Project Name> project is $<amount>. It is to be funded through <funding
source/budget>. This forecasted amount will be adjusted during the Concept Development, Planning,
and Requirements Analysis Phases to derive a more precise budget.
[Describe how the project will be managed and overseen, who decides the project is successful, and who
signs off on project progress, changes, and completion. It is not necessary to provide named resources
at this point. Sample project governance requirements are provided in the paragraph below.]
This project shall be internally managed by the Project Manager with direct oversight from the Steering
Committee. The Steering Committee is chaired by the Project Sponsor and comprises selected
stakeholders. The Project Manager will report the project status to the Steering Committee and present
issues, options, and recommendations to the Steering Committee for authorization.
[Describe project management responsibilities and the authority granted to the Project Manager. Sample
project management responsibilities are provided in the paragraph below.]
The Project Manager <Project Manager Name> is hereby authorized to interface with the Project Sponsor,
Executive Sponsor, and Steering Committee as required, negotiate for resources, delegate
responsibilities within the scope of the project, and to communicate, as required, with all team members,
contractors, and management to ensure timely and successful completion of the project. The Project
Manager is responsible for developing the Microsoft Project Plan, managing the schedule, cost, and
scope of the project, measuring performance, and taking corrective action.
PROJECT ORGANIZATION
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PROJECT ORGANIZATION CHART
[Provide an Organization chart of the project team. It will typically begin with the project sponsor and
include the project team and other stakeholders. An example is below:]
[Describe the Roles and Responsibilities of the project team and include key stakeholders.]
[It can be useful to include a RACI chart in this section. RACI Chart - a how to guide to using RACI an
example is below:
APPENDICES
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[Use the appendices to include detailed documentation that has been summarized in the main body of the
charter. For example, project schedules, estimates, project team job descriptions etc.]
Project Management Templates – FREE project management templates in Word and Excel
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