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Guide Guide Eng PDF
Guide Guide Eng PDF
Please contact:
IT Project Review and Oversight
Chief Information Officer Branch
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Ottawa ON K1A 0R5
Canada
Email: itprod-despti@tbs-sct.gc.ca
Bibliography...................................................................................... 22
Introduction
This guide explains the steps needed to create a project charter for the delivery of a project. The
guide is meant to be used together with a document called the Project Charter Template, and,
where relevant, it includes examples to illustrate the content.
The first section, titled “Use of the Project Charter,” gives background information on the
purpose of the charter, who is responsible for creating it, work that should be carried out
beforehand in order to prepare the charter, how the charter should be customized, and key
sections required at the beginning.
In addition to its contract purpose, the project charter includes most elements of a preliminary
project scope statement, which describes what is and what is not included in the project. It also
helps to control changes to the scope of the project throughout its duration or life cycle. The
intent is to cover, in a single document, all activities of the initiating process group2 as defined in
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge.
1. Project Management Institute (2004). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition, p. 368.
2. Those processes performed to authorize and define the scope of a new phase or project or that can result in the continuation of
halted project work.
This guide also contains a section called “Use of the Project Charter Template” that explains
how to complete each topic covered in the template.
Adapting the project charter to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Project
Complexity and Risk Assessment Tool
The project manager is expected to provide a comprehensive overview of the project in the
project charter. The following table lists, in the left column, four classes of projects and suggests
some areas to consider when developing a project charter, based on the results obtained through
a risk assessment. This assessment would be contained in the business case for the project. To
help with a risk assessment, a Project Complexity and Risk Assessment Tool is under
development.
although technology
Negligible new capability interfaces may be different— Deliverables should be expressed
or functionality added. minimal retraining is required mostly in terms of updates to existing
at the business level. Minimal product, service, or result.
Business-initiated
change management.
changes are likely Cost estimate should determine if the
minimal. Risks more likely associated updates affect the ongoing costs
with technology than (operation).
Scope confined to a
business. Higher
single system or asset Risks and interdependencies should
implementation risks in
within a single program; include technology and implementation
systems with demanding
one or few stakeholders. risks (such as parallel run or business
performance or availability
disruption).
(i.e. non-functional)
characteristics. “Project References” section should
refer to a requirements document.
risk and related risk of scope Scope should clearly indicate the
Capability added may be creep; development risk business processes that are affected.
functional or non- increases according to portion
Time constraints should be documented.
functional. being redeveloped or added.
Interdependencies with multiple
Scope may involve Technology risk may be high
systems, programs, or organizational
multiple systems, if significant performance or
entities (departments) and consequent
programs, or availability (i.e. non-functional)
risks should be addressed.
organizational entities enhancements required.
(departments) but with a The governance and roles and
Implementation risk medium,
clear authority and a responsibilities should be well defined.
ranging to high if underlying
simple governance
technology base replaced. “Project References” section should
structure.
refer to a requirements document.
Major changes and High business risk due to Conversion and implementation
additions to capability, significant change activities should be visible in the
affecting business management and business schedule and cost estimates.
processes, job content, process change. The more
Special attention should be paid to
and service delivery pervasive the effect of the
interdependencies between the project
model. Often a solution across the business,
and business processes.
combination of business the greater the risk.
Evolutionary Project
In this assessment, the knowledge areas with the lowest scores, which indicate lower project
management capacity, should be addressed in the project management plan. This will help to
ensure that the project charter addresses any issues or concerns regarding the capacity of the
organization to implement the project.
This section is used to document any changes and serves to control the development and
distribution of revisions to the project charter. It should be used together with a change
management process and a document management system. Document management procedures
of the sponsoring organization should be applied to determine when versions and sub-versions
must be created. This practice keeps an accurate history of the original document that was first
approved.
All projects, no matter how large or complex, are initiated in support of a departmental or
organizational mandate and strategic priorities. The project charter should give the reader enough
information to demonstrate that the project contributes to improving the ability of a program or a
department to meet the needs of Canadians. What is the effect of the product or service on the
clients of the program?
The summary provides some background information on the project that includes the reasons for
creating the project (e.g. business needs or legal requirements) and mentions the key
stakeholders who will benefit from the project results.
As well, the executive summary should cover the project charter and elements that require the
approval of stakeholders, sponsors, or both, such as the project goals, project objectives, major
milestones, key deliverables, primary risks, and estimated total costs.
1.3 Authorization
This section contains the signatures of the project sponsor or sponsors, the project manager, and
other key project stakeholders, confirming that they agree to their roles, the description of the
project, and the project deliverables and outcomes presented in the project charter.
Project goals are high-level statements about what the project is trying to accomplish. They are
broad, general intentions and are typically intangible and abstract.
Business outcomes are results expected at the end of the project. Outcomes can often be
expressed in just a few words that describe a general aim. This information may be presented
using the outcome map, which is a visual model that shows how a project and all of its activities
contribute to the realization of the outcomes. Refer to the Outcome Management Guide and
Tools on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat website at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/emf-
cag/outcome-resultat/outcome-resultat-eng.asp.
Project objectives, in contrast, are concrete statements describing a particular desired outcome
of the project. They are tightly bound to goals. Sometimes objectives represent steps toward
achieving the goals.
Measurement criteria are attributes of objectives and business outcomes that you can track
over a period of time. They are used to confirm that an objective has been met.
This section on scope definition is to give the reader a clear sense of what is being created by the
project. Scope definition should also include additional information about the nature of the
project, such as its physical location and legal context, the people and processes affected, and so
on.
2.3.2 Boundaries
This section outlines the major activities required to successfully complete the project and
describes each activity in a way that specifies what is and what is not included in the activity.
While the “Scope definition” section describes the main characteristics of the product(s) or
service(s) to be produced by the project, the “Boundaries” section gives a broader view.
This section identifies activities that are “out of scope”; including these activities will greatly
reduce ambiguity. It is especially important for projects that are multi-phased or part of a bigger
picture (i.e. program or portfolio) to define what is being delivered in the undertaking covered by
the charter.
The boundaries of small-scale projects can be defined in terms of activities while the boundaries
of larger projects may be defined in terms of work streams or subordinate projects.
1. Design a new business model for Program “X” 1. Building interfaces with corporate applications
2. Develop a change management strategy 2. Communication with external clients
3. Develop an online catalogue of services 3. Translation services
The table above is presented as an example. In many cases, further explanations may be required
for a comprehensive presentation of the boundaries. The author may prefer to use the table as a
summary and expand the description of each element in a narrative form.
2.4 Milestones
This section identifies the significant milestones or events in the project such as phases, stages,
decision gates, or the approval of a deliverable. It presents a high-level project schedule.
2.5 Deliverables
This section defines the key deliverables that the project is required to produce in order to
achieve the stated objectives. It also includes internal project deliverables that are required in the
project management process for review and approval (e.g. project plan, transition plan,
communication plan, and lessons learned).
The deliverables identified in this section could be used to develop the top levels of your work
breakdown structure, which “subdivides the major project deliverables and project work into
smaller, more manageable components.”3 The criteria that will be used to assess the quality and
completion of each deliverable should also be included.
3. Project Management Institute (2004). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge,
Third Edition, p. 103.
Itemize and break down the costs by project stage or phase and show multi-year projects by
fiscal year. The estimate identifies other costs driven by the project in order to support decision
making. Categories such as salaries and operations and maintenance (O&M) should include the
A-base funding in addition to the project-specific funding. The intent is to document the full cost
of the project.
Ongoing costs are those that are permanently required for operations as a result of the project
(e.g. additional support, licenses, and hardware maintenance). While not technically considered
pure project costs, ongoing costs provide valuable information for decision making. One-time
costs can include non-recurring purchases needed for project administration and preparation for
gating processes.
For more information on the costing process, please refer to the Guide to Costing at
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/dcgpubs/TBM_133/guide_e.asp.
(Phase 1/ Deliverable)
Salary
O&M
Professional services
Capital
Subtotals
(Phase 2/ Deliverable)
Salary
O&M
Professional services
Subtotals
TOTAL
2.7 Dependencies
Many projects depend on external factors, whether within or outside the organization, such as the
following:
If this project is part of a program, the program charter may contain this information. The related
project information should be included here or may be referred to in the program charter. This
reference should be noted in “Section 4: Project References.”
For each related project, add an entry to the table below. In the dependency description, specify
the organization or stakeholder that should be kept informed of the project’s progress. If there are
no related projects, this should be mentioned in the form of a generic statement.
Probability Effect
No. Risk Description Planned Mitigation
(H/M/L) (H/M/L)
1. Business owners may not be M H Resources have been secured with the
available during validation manager of related divisions.
phase; this may affect the A supply arrangement is in place to
schedule. provide testers on a casual basis.
Statement of work is ready.
2. Training manuals may not be M M Wikis will be used as an alternative
ready by planned training date; solution to publish essential training
this may affect the schedule. material.
2.8.2 Assumptions
This section specifies all factors that are, for planning purposes, considered to be true, real, or
certain but without including proof. During the planning process, these assumptions will be
validated. If any assumptions are inaccurate, inconsistent, or incomplete, they will create project
risks and may adversely affect project scope, timeline, and cost.
The following table lists the items that cannot be proven or demonstrated at the time of
publication but are documented to stabilize the project approach or planning.
3. Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) will be completed in time as an input to the architectural system
design.
2.8.3 Constraints
This section identifies the specific constraints or restrictions that limit or place conditions on the
project, especially those associated with the project scope such as a hard deadline, a
predetermined budget, a set milestone, contract provisions, or privacy or security considerations.
The following table lists examples of the fixed or pre-set factors that the project must respect:
Deadline The online registration service must be available for the 2008–09 campaign starting
1.
(time) on October 23, 2008.
The online registration service must meet the requirements of the Canada Water
2. Legal
Act.
3. Resources End-user will not be available for testing during February and March 2008.
A human resources strategy should be developed and included in the project charter if there are
any clearly identified key positions that are vacant and must be filled for a successful project
delivery. The purpose of the strategy is to address any potential staffing-related risks before the
start of the project.
The establishment of the project team is an important success factor. Information on a number of
the skill sets required for key roles in project management can be found in the Treasury Board of
Canada Secretariat’s IT Community Generics Resource Centre at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/oro-
bgc/it/generics/index-eng.asp.
An example of roles and responsibilities assigned to the project team members is presented in the
Appendix to this document.
Project facilities and resource costs should be included in section 2.6.1, “Project cost estimate.”
If these costs are significant, the activities involved in procurement and logistics activities should
be documented as internal deliverables in section 2.5, “Deliverables.” The risks associated with
project facilities and resources should also be considered.
initiating processes Those processes performed to authorize and define the scope of a new
phase or project or that can result in the continuation of halted project work.
sponsor The person or group that provides the financial resources, in cash or in kind,
for the project.
stakeholder Persons and organizations such as customers, business owners or program
managers, performing organization and the public that are actively involved
in the project or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by
the execution or completion of the project. They may also exert influence
over the project and its deliverables.
Business area team • Is responsible for the technical quality of the product or
leader service assigned to his or her functional area
———. Canada Revenue Agency (2008). Project Charter Template, Ottawa, Information
Technology Branch, Version 1.4, February 18, 2008.
———. Public Works and Government Services Canada (2007). A Guide to ITSB Project
Management Process, Ottawa, Information Technology Branch, Project Management
Office.
———. Public Works and Government Services Canada (2007). ITSB Project Management
Template, Ottawa, Information Technology Branch, Project Management Office.
———. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (2008). Guide to Costing, Ottawa. Also available
online at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/dcgpubs/tbm_133/guide.
———. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (1996). An Enhanced Framework for the
Management of Information Technology Projects, Ottawa, Chief Information Officer
Branch.
———. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (2006). Outcome Management Guide and Tools,
Version 1.0 for discussion purposes only, Ottawa, Chief Information Officer Branch.
Also available online at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/emf-cag/outcome-resultat/outcome-
resultat-eng.asp.
———. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (page accessed on October 11, 2007). Policy on
the Management of Projects in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat [Online],
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/dcgpubs/TBM_122/mp-gp.
———. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (page accessed on October 11, 2007). Standard
for Organizational Project Management Capacity in the Treasury Board of Canada
Secretariat [Online], http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/dcgpubs/TBM_122/sopmc-
ncogp.
———. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (page accessed on October 11, 2007). Standard
for Project Complexity and Risk in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat [Online],
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/dcgpubs/TBM_122/spcr-ncrp-e.asp.
Gartner (2007). Gartner for IT Leaders Tool: Developing a Project Charter, USA, Gartner Inc.,
p.10.
Government of British Columbia (page accessed on October 8, 2007). Project Charter Standards
in Ministry of Environment, Information Management Branch [Online],
http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/imb/3star/project_mgmt.html.
Information Technology CIO Executive Board (page accessed on October 12, 2007). Corporate
Executive Board website [Online], https://www.cio.executiveboard.com/Public/Default.aspx.
Office of Government Commerce (page accessed on October 15, 2007). Office of Government
Commerce website [Online], http://www.ogc.gov.uk.
Office of Government Commerce (page accessed on October 16, 2007). Governance, in Office
of Government Commerce [Online], http://www.ogc.gov.uk/
delivery_lifecycle_governance.asp.
Project Management Institute (2003). The PMI Compendium of Project Management Practices,
Pennsylvania, Project Management Institute.
Project Management Institute (2004). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge,
Third Edition, Pennsylvania, Project Management Institute.
Texas Department of Information Resources (page accessed on October 18, 2007). Project
Charter Instructions in Texas Department of Information Resources [Online],
http://www.dir.texas.gov/pubs/framework/gate1/projectcharter/instruction.pdf.
University of Notre Dame (page accessed on October 18, 2007). Project Charter Template in the
University of Notre Dame [Online], http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/MWR0316.pdf.