<Insert Project Name>

Project Charter

<Date>
Version 1.0
 Table of Contents
1.0 About the Project Charter..................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Description........................................................................................................................ 2
1.2 Disclaimer......................................................................................................................... 2
2.0 Executive Summary............................................................................................................. 3
2.1 Business Need or Problem............................................................................................... 3
2.2 Proposed Solution............................................................................................................ 3
2.3 Business Benefits............................................................................................................. 3
2.4 Strategic Alignment........................................................................................................... 3
3.0 Project Scope....................................................................................................................... 4
3.1 Scope Inclusions............................................................................................................... 4
3.2 Scope Exclusions............................................................................................................. 4
4.0 Project Goals, Objectives and Success Criteria...................................................................5
4.1 Goals & Objectives........................................................................................................... 5
4.2 Completion Criteria........................................................................................................... 5
4.3 Success Criteria................................................................................................................ 5
5.0 Business Case..................................................................................................................... 6
5.1 Costs................................................................................................................................ 6
5.2 Benefits............................................................................................................................. 6
6.0 Project Team........................................................................................................................ 7
6.1 Project Sponsor................................................................................................................ 7
6.2 Project Manager............................................................................................................... 7
6.3 Project Steering Committee.............................................................................................. 7
6.4 Project Core Team............................................................................................................ 8
6.5 Roles & Responsibilities................................................................................................... 9
7.0 Project Milestones & Checkpoints......................................................................................10
7.1 Project Milestones.......................................................................................................... 10
7.2 Go / No-Go Checkpoints................................................................................................. 10
8.0 Project Assumptions and Constraints.................................................................................11
8.1 Project Assumptions....................................................................................................... 11
8.2 Project Constraints......................................................................................................... 11
8.3 Project Dependencies..................................................................................................... 11
8.4 Project Outputs............................................................................................................... 11
9.0 Project Risks and Opportunities.........................................................................................12
9.1 Project Risks................................................................................................................... 12
9.2 Project Opportunities...................................................................................................... 12
10.0 Communication Plan....................................................................................................... 13
11.0 Charter Acceptance / Approvals.....................................................................................14
<Project Name>

Project Sponsor:

Project Manager

Version Date Author Description / Changes Made

1.0 First draft of Project Charter

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1.0 About the Project Charter

1.1 Description
The purpose of a Project Charter is to authorize the creation of a project that will solve a business
problem. Generally, this document will identify what the project is, why the project exists, who is
involved in the project, when the project will start and stop, and how the project will interact with the
organization.

The Project Charter provides preliminary definitions of the critical roles required to ensure successful
project delivery, including the Project Sponsor’s responsibilities and the Project Manager’s
responsibilities. The Project Charter is one of the first pieces of documentation created and will
identify project success indicators, in-scope and out-of-scope items, the project assumptions and
risks, and the project communication plan.

It is highly recommended that a project does not begin without a Project Charter being signed off by
the Project Sponsor and Project Manager.

1.2 Disclaimer
Many of the sections contained in this Project Charter are used to build more detailed views of how
the project will achieve its goals and objectives. For example, a separate Scope Statement, Project
Schedule and the Risk Register should be created using the Project Charter as a starting point. It
should be noted that the information documented in the Project Charter is a snapshot in time at the
creation of the project, and much of the information collected in the Project Charter is subject to
change as the scope and schedule is further defined, and any other changes are implemented as part
of the Change Control Process.

Projects come in a variety of different formats and delivery methodologies, and may also be defined
by underlying organizational culture and norms that have been established. These will all affect what
information should be collected in a Project Charter. Therefore, this template will probably not contain
every piece of information that you will need to document for your project and it is recommended that
you modify this template as required to meet your needs.

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2.0 Executive Summary
Insert a summary of the project goals, objectives and the overall purpose of the project. Identify what
caused this project to be created, what business problem it sets out to solve, how the project will
solve this problem, what the end state will look like, how it aligns to organizational strategy, etc. This
summary of the project may also be considered the “vision statement” or even an “elevator speech” to
describe the project in a few sentences.

For example: For our organization, we have a need to effectively manage and track the issues our
customers are reporting. This project will change the way we have tracked issues in the past and
moves us beyond our legacy tool to a more effective and integrated system. This will allow us to
quickly respond to issues, drive down costs and increase customer satisfaction.

2.1 Business Need or Problem

Insert a description of the business problem that needs to be resolved and why it needs to be
resolved.

For example: The business does not have an effective system for issue tracking. This is causing
issues to be lost through the existing manual process and issues are not resolved in a timely manner.

2.2 Proposed Solution

Insert a description of how the project will provide a solution to the business need or problem. The
proposed solution may be a piece of hardware or software that has already been identified, it may be
a process improvement opportunity identified, or there may not be a proposed solution this early in
the project.

For example: The XYZ system has been identified to be a capable issue tracking system for the
business’ needs.

2.3 Business Benefits

Insert a description of the high-level benefits that the solution will offer by solving the business
problem. Include a link to the Business Case document for further detail.

For example: Implementing the XYZ system will allow for process efficiencies through automating the
issue tracking process with an estimated benefit of $XX in cost savings per year and will increase the
number of issues resolved resulting in a further $XX in cost savings.

2.4 Strategic Alignment

Insert a description of how the project aligns to the organizations strategy. This may have been
determined by the Project Sponsor and the organization’s leadership team prior to the conception of
the project, or it may be determined through a conversation between the Project Sponsor and the
Project Manager while building the Project Charter.

For example: This project directly aligns to the organization’s strategic goals to reduce costs and
improve customer experience by making the issue tracking process more efficient and accelerating
the process for resolving customer issues.

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3.0 Project Scope
Insert a high-level description of the project scope. If possible, include a link to the Project Scope
document for further detail.

For example: The scope of this project is to install the XYZ System to track issues reported by
Service 1, 2 & 3 customers.

3.1 Scope Inclusions

Insert a description of what is included in the scope of this project. This may include geographical
regions, categories of customers, deliverables the project will produce, major pieces of functionality or
features that will be delivered, etc.

For example:
 Tracking issues for Canadian based customers with the following service types: Service 1,
Service 2, Service 3.
 XYZ system add-on named “Issue Reporting Generator”

3.2 Scope Exclusions

Insert a description of what will be excluded from the scope of this project. This may include specific
parts of the organization that are exempt, specific teams that will not be included, data sources that
will not be used, etc.

For example:
 Tracking issues for our customers residing outside of Canada.
 Customers with the following service types: Service 4, Service 5.
 XYZ system add-on named “Extra Issue Tracker”.

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4.0 Project Goals, Objectives and Success Criteria
4.1 Goals & Objectives

Goals: Describe the high level goals of the project. Often these goals can be categorized by People,
Process or Technology.
Objectives: For each goal, describe the project objectives that will be met to support achieving the
goal. Objectives may support multiple goals, but only need to be listed once. An objective should
follow the SMART criteria: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound.
Deliverables: For each objective, describe the deliverables that will be produced by the project team
by the time the project completes.

Goal Objective Deliverable

XYZ System Installed
Deploy XYZ System to Team ABC All Team Members Trained on XYZ
System
E.g. Reduce Cost of Issue Tracking
Issue Tracking Report Created
by $xx Per Year
Improved Issue Tracking Capabilities Issue Tracking Report Scheduled for
Reoccurring Delivery to Team ABC
Objective Deliverable
Goal Objective Deliverable
Goal Objective Deliverable

4.2 Completion Criteria

Insert a list of criteria that must be passed to consider the project complete.

For example:
1. XYZ system installed on ABC server and verified by IT Support Team.
2. User acceptance documentation signed off by Team ABC.
3. All severity level 1 and 2 issues/bugs resolved by project team.
4. Acceptance documentation signed off by Project Sponsor.

4.3 Success Criteria

Insert a list of key success indicators and expected targets that the project will be evaluated against.
These may be project specific goals (i.e. Project Budget), organizational goals (i.e. Customer
Satisfaction Score), external environmental goals (i.e. Industrial Regulations) or other success
indicators specific to your organization.

For example:
1. Issue tracking target of XX achieved by December 31.
2. Issues Closed per Month target of XX achieved by December 31.
3. Cost per Issue target of $XX achieved by December 31.

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5.0 Business Case
The following represents a high-level estimate of the project costs and benefits at the outset of the
project. Some of the costs and benefits may not be identified or estimated at this time, therefore it is
recommended to document a separate and detailed Business Case if required.

5.1 Costs

Insert a list of high-level costs associated with project delivery. This may include capital costs,
operational costs, direct costs, indirect costs, labour, materials or travel costs depending on the
nature of the project.

Category Description Cost Estimate

Labour Internal Employees
Labour Contractor Employees
Materials Hardware Purchase
Materials Software Purchase
Travel Travel
TOTAL TOTAL

5.2 Benefits

Insert a list of high-level benefits this project will deliver. This may include additional revenue realized,
cost savings, time savings, efficiencies for the organization, customer satisfaction or improved
productivity depending on the goals and objectives of the project. Where possible, it is encouraged to
assign a monetary value to each benefit in order to effectively compare costs and benefits.

Category Description Benefit Estimate

Revenue New Source of Revenue
Cost Savings Reduced Support Cost
Productivity Quicker Issue Resolution
Customer Customer Satisfaction
TOTAL TOTAL

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6.0 Project Team
6.1 Project Sponsor

The Project Sponsor will champion the goals and objectives outlined in this Project Charter, the value
of the project to the organization, ensure support and continuation of financials and make sure that
changes are accepted in the business units affected. General responsibilities include:
 Provide clear direction for the project
 Ensure the project aligns to organizational strategy
 Ensure project objectives are clear
 Secure necessary resources
 Review/approve change requests impacting schedule, budget, scope or quality
 Assist in resolving escalations raised by the project team
 Active member of the Project Steering Committee
 Review project success and sign off on project closure documentation

Project Sponsor Name Title

6.2 Project Manager

The Project Manager will develop, manage and champion the project plan and ensure schedule,
budget, scope and quality are balanced appropriately against what has been outlined in the Project
Charter. General responsibilities include:
 Lead the project team to deliver on goals and objectives
 Provide guidance to project team members
 Make project decisions in order to deliver on the project plan
 Manage project communication among the Project Team and stakeholders
 Ensure the Project Sponsor and Project Steering Committee is aware of all risks and
appropriately escalating issues affecting project success

Note: The Project Manager does not need to have a job title of “Project Manager” in order to fill this
role.

Name Title

6.3 Project Steering Committee

The Project Steering Committee will ensure that the project is progressing according to strategy,
champion the change management plan to reduce scope creep, and assist the project team in
eliminating roadblocks affecting project delivery. General responsibilities include:
 Champion and provide organization-wide leadership in support of the project
 Resolve issues escalated by the Project Manager or project team leads
 Resolve or forward policy issues to appropriate decision-making bodies
 Advise the Project Manager of corporate issues or changes to corporate strategy that may
impact the project

Note: It is recommended that the steering committee contain 5-7 resources. A minimum of 5 ensures
a balance of opinions and less than 7 ensures that those who participate are active in the
discussions.

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The Project Steering Committee consists of the following members:

Name Title

6.4 Project Core Team

The Project Core Team will ensure that project deliverables are created according to the project plan
and schedule. General responsibilities include:
 Contribute to the success of the project by taking ownership of deliverables most appropriate
to the role
 Proactively identify to the Project Manager all issues and risks affecting project success
and/or completion of deliverables the team member is responsible for
 Provide accurate estimates of task durations to support developing an effective project
schedule

Note: It is recommended that the core team contain 3-7 resources. More than 7 resources on a core
team may indicate that some roles are being filled by multiple resources, or that a smaller sub-team
team should be created to support the core team.

Note: The entire core team may not be known at this point in the project. It is recommended to
identify the key roles that will be required even if the resource name is not yet known.

The Project Core Team consists of the following members:

Name Role
Name Business Analyst
Name Product Owner
Name Scrum Master
Name Lead Developer
Name Change Management Prime
Name Test Prime
Name Vendor Prime

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6.5 Roles & Responsibilities

The following descriptions represent general roles and responsibilities for roles that may or may not
be part of your project. It is recommended that the responsibilities identified here are reviewed with
the team members filling these roles to ensure that clear expectations are set and any gaps are
identified.

Name Role Responsibilities

 Champion the project to provide exposure to and buy-in from the
leadership team
 Define the strategic direction of the project
 Prioritize cost, scope, schedule and quality for the project
 Authorize changes to the project
 Accelerate the decision-making process
 Launch the Project Initiation phase
 Authorize capital budget, if applicable
Name Project Sponsor  Approve Project Charter, Business Case and Project Plan
 Participate in reviewing proposed changes to the Project Plan and
approve agreed changes
 Participate in revising the Business Case, as required, and
approving any resultant changes and funding requirements
 Act as single communication channel between project team and
the leadership team
 Attend lessons learned meeting
 Sign off on project completion
 Ensure project team completes the project
 Secure acceptance and approval of deliverables from the Project
Sponsor and Stakeholders
 Determine and manage the project interdependencies and critical
path for all project activities and artefacts
Name Project Manager
 Estimate, negotiate, and coordinate project resources
 Develop and maintain the Project Charter, schedule, issues log,
budget and risk management plan
 Run regular status meetings with core team
 Provide information as required to Project Management Office
 Act as a liaison among stakeholders to recommend solutions that
enable the organization to achieve its goals
 Create and own the Business Requirements Document
Name Business Analyst  Document the As-Is processes and the To-Be processes
 Contribute to the development of the Business Case
 Prepare test cases to ensure deliverables satisfy business
requirements
 Convey the vision for the product to the scrum team
 Carry out product roadmap planning
 Describe the desired user experience and product features
Name Product Owner through user stories
 Prioritize next steps and select next sprint goal
 Manage project budget and communicate project progress
 Coordinate product launch activities
 Coach the team to execute on the scrum process
 Determine the definition of done and the project success criteria
Name Scrum Master
 Keep the team moving forward by removing roadblocks
 Facilitate regular team meetings
 Translate business and functional requirements into technical
requirements and technical specifications
Name Lead Developer  Assist in determining time and cost estimates
 Ensure project deliverables meet business requirements
 Prepare test cases and ensure effective testing is conducted
 Lead all change management activities
 Assess change impact and create change management strategy
Change Management
Name  Identify, analyze and prepare risk management strategies
Prime
 Support communication and training efforts
 Evaluate and ensure user readiness

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7.0 Project Milestones & Checkpoints
It is recommended that a separate and detailed project schedule is documented to identify and
manage all project related activities utilizing the Project Team’s tool of choice (MS Project, MS
PowerPoint, Excel, Kanban, etc.). If possible, include a link to the Project Schedule document for
further detail.

The table below should also be modified based on the delivery approach chosen by the project. For
example, a traditional software delivery lifecycle approach will have a different set of milestones
compared to an agile project delivery approach, or your organization may have established project
milestones that you are required to follow.

7.1 Project Milestones

Milestone Date
Concept Phase Complete
Assessment Phase Complete
Design Phase Complete
Launch Phase Complete
Closing Phase Complete

7.2 Go / No-Go Checkpoints

Insert a list of checkpoint events that will examine the progress of the project and determine if
corrective action is required. Generally, checkpoint events coincide with the completion of project
phases or sprint cycles.

Checkpoint Event Date

Checkpoint 1
Checkpoint 2
Checkpoint 3

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8.0 Project Assumptions and Constraints
8.1 Project Assumptions

Document all factors that are considered to be true, real or certain, without proof or demonstration.
Also describe the potential impact of those factors if they prove to be false.

For example:
 It is assumed that System XYZ will integrate with our existing legacy systems without the
need to build a custom data interface. If a custom interface is required, this will result in a
schedule delay of approximately 3 months to create a new interface.
 It is assumed that IT resources will be made available to support project delivery. If resources
are not made available, this will result in an undetermined schedule delay.

8.2 Project Constraints

Document all factors that may limit the ability of the project to be successful or to execute effectively.

For example:
 The project has a pre-defined budget of $XX to spend this year, however all of the costs for
System XYZ have not yet been determined (purchase, licensing, ongoing support, etc.). If the
costs are estimated to be higher than $XX, the project may need to be split into two phases
with the second phase delivering next year.
 The project must have System XYZ installed before November. If the system is not delivered
by November, new industry regulations will not be satisfied and regulatory fines will be levied
against the organization.

8.3 Project Dependencies

Document anything that the project is reliant upon from an outside source. This may include the
successful completion of another project which provides this project with a deliverable required in
order to complete a specific task or activity, or a program receiving funding approval which will be
providing financial support for this project.

For example:
 The project is dependent on Project ABC completing on schedule because the Business
Analyst required is currently assigned to that project. If the Business Analyst is not available
when required, a schedule delay of approximately 1 month will result while a new Business
Analyst is hired to support this project.

8.4 Project Outputs

Document anything that the project is providing to an outside source. This may include key project
deliverables that a team within the organization requires, or identifying a future project that is reliant
upon this project’s successful completion before they are able to proceed.

For example:
 Project Z will be installing the “Extra Issue Tracker” add-on that is considered out-of-scope for
this project. Project Z cannot proceed until this project is successfully completed.

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9.0 Project Risks and Opportunities
9.1 Project Risks

Insert a list of initial project risks that have been identified. Risks affecting your project may relate to
some of the following types: Leadership level support, scope definition, cost forecasts, change
management, stakeholder support, communication, resources, technology, integration, requirements,
decision process, issue resolution, procurement, approvals, user acceptance, market or other
external risks. If possible, include a link to the Risk Register document for further detail.

Probability of Severity of Anticipated

Risk Factor Risk
Occurrence Impact Risk Strategy Start – End
Description Response
(H/M/L) (H/M/L) Date
Describe the Describe the
Describe the risk strategy to share, action to be taken Start when?
(H/M/L) (H/M/L)
factor. avoid, reduce or if the risk End when?
accept the risk. materializes.

9.2 Project Opportunities

Insert a list of initial project opportunities that have been identified. Project opportunities are project
risks that generally have a positive impact on the project. Opportunities available to your project can
fall into the same types as project risks listed above.

Probability of Severity of Anticipated

Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity
Occurrence Impact Start – End
Description Strategy Response
(H/M/L) (H/M/L) Date
Describe the
Describe the
strategy to
Describe the action to be taken Start when?
(H/M/L) (H/M/L) enhance, exploit,
opportunity. if the opportunity End when?
share or accept
materializes.
the opportunity.

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10.0 Communication Plan
The following table outlines the communication deliverables and recurring activities within the project
team, the steering committee and all other stakeholders who have an active involvement in the
project or informational requirements for the project. If a separate Communication Plan document is
being used, include a link to it for further detail.

Name Objective Frequency Prime Audience Format Output

General
Steering
Status,
E.g. Steering Committee,
Upcoming Project Conference Minutes /
Committee Bi-weekly Project
Milestones, Sponsor Call Action Items
Meeting Manager,
Asks for
Project Leads
Support

General
Status,
All Major
E.g. Project Issues, Project Status Report
Weekly Project Email
Status Report Tracking Manager Summary
Stakeholders
Success
Indicators

Project
Sponsor,
E.g. Raise
Project Project MS Live
Awareness Awareness to 2 Per Month None
Sponsor Manager, Meeting
Roadshow Stakeholders
Team Being
Presenting To

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11.0 Charter Acceptance / Approvals
Document the approvals required to indicate acceptance of the Project Charter and to authorize the
launch of the project.

Name Approval Comments / Changes

Name: -Approved As Is
Date
Title: - Approved with Changes
Project Role: Project Sponsor
Signature: - Not Approved

Name: -Approved As Is
Date
Title: - Approved with Changes
Project Role: Project Manager
Signature: - Not Approved

Name: -Approved As Is
Date
Title: - Approved with Changes
Project Role:
Signature: - Not Approved

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