Project Charter

Purpose

The Project Charter is the single document that gives a project permission to exist and defines its boundaries. By collaboratively filling it out, the team and sponsors align on why the project matters, what is in and out of scope, who is involved, and how success will be measured. It prevents scope creep and miscommunication from day one.

At a glance

How to run

1. Purpose and background (5 min): Why does this project exist? What problem does it solve?
2. Goals and objectives (8 min): Define 3–5 measurable goals.
3. Scope (8 min): What is in scope? What is explicitly out of scope?
4. Stakeholders and roles (5 min): Who is the sponsor, project lead, team members, and key stakeholders?
5. Risks and constraints (8 min): What could go wrong? What are the budget, timeline, and resource constraints?
6. Success criteria (5 min): How will we know the project succeeded?
7. Timeline and milestones (4 min): Key dates and checkpoints.
8. Sign-off (2 min): All present agree this is the project they are committing to.

Materials needed

• Project Charter template (one-page, printed A3 or digital)
• Sticky notes and markers
• Background materials (business case, research)

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Filling it out alone: The charter gains its power from collaborative creation. Do not hand out a pre-filled version.
• Too long: One page. If it needs more, the scope is probably too big.
• No sign-off: Without explicit commitment, the charter is advisory, not binding.
• Never referenced: Post it visibly and reference it when scope discussions arise.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Share background materials in advance so all participants come prepared.
• Use structured sections to keep the discussion focused and time-bounded.
• Allow asynchronous input for stakeholders who cannot attend.

Variations

• Lean Canvas Charter: Combine with Lean Canvas elements for startups.
• Team Charter: Focus on team norms and working agreements rather than project scope.
• Sprint Charter: A lightweight version for individual sprints.

When NOT to use this

• For tiny tasks that do not need formal scoping.
• When the project is already well underway and scope is settled.
• When the organisation has a mandatory charter template that must be used instead.

Source & further reading

• Project Management Institute (PMI), *PMBOK Guide*
• Atlassian: Project Charter template
• Harvard Business Review: "How to Write a Project Charter"