Project Charters

How to publicize both your new project

and the role of your new project
manager and project management
team.
 Why a Project Charter?
• The purpose of a project charter is to get
things going. A project charter:
– Announces the establishment of a project
– Publicizes the project
– Publicizes the project manager and project
management team
– Should be no more than a page or two long.
– Should be sent to everyone directly
associated with the project.
 What to Say?-1
• Acknowledge the support of the sponsor.
– The person who produces the charter can be
the project sponsor, i.e., the manager who
has formal authority yet who acts
independently of the project.
– Alternatively, the project sponsor can be the
customer/client.
– Ultimately, the project sponsor is someone
who provides the authority that the project
manager might lack.
 What to Say?-2
• Establish referent for and credit expert authority
to the project manager.
– Referent authority is granted only by stakeholders and
other managers.
– Expert authority is earned by the project manager
through his/her own job performance on other jobs.
– However, don’t be fooled into thinking that the charter
will solve all authority problems.
• Allow work on the project to start, letting the
project manager further plan the project.
Small Projects Need Charters
• For small projects, announcing the start of
the project and who the project manager is
enough to establish the project manager’s
right to make decisions and lead the
project.
Large Projects Need Charters
• For large projects, the project charter is
the initial project document that serves
notice that the project manager has the
power to assemble the organizational
resources necessary to meet project
goals.
 To Sum It All Up
• Once a project has been selected for
action, a project charter should be issued
by the project sponsor or customer to get
the ball rolling and to establish referent
authority for the project manager.