The Ultimate Project Charter Template + Examples

Are you looking to start a new project and need to know more about creating a project charter and find a downloadable project charter template? We’ve got you! To increase your chances of success, we’re outlining the following: a project charter description and the purpose of a project charter, key elements, best practices, and project charter examples.

Article Contents

What is a project charter?

A project charter is a document that serves as a roadmap for the successful execution of a project. It outlines the objectives, scope, stakeholders, deliverables, and timelines, providing clarity and direction from the very beginning. Think of it as a contract between the project team and the stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common goal.

It typically includes information such as the project’s purpose, goals, objectives, scope, constraints, risks, assumptions, and a high-level timeline. It acts as a reference point throughout the project, guiding decision-making, managing expectations, and serving as a communication tool for all stakeholders involved. Further in this article, we’ll share three project charter examples to give you an idea of what to include. Let’s look at the key project charter elements.

9 Key project charter elements

A well-structured charter contains several key elements that are essential for its effectiveness. These elements ensure that the project is clearly defined and that all parties involved have a shared understanding of the project’s goals and objectives. Knowing these key elements will make it easier to know precisely how to create a charter.

Project title and description: Provide a clear and concise title for your project that accurately reflects its purpose. The description should briefly explain what the project aims to achieve.
Objectives and goals: Clearly define your project’s specific objectives and goals. What do you hope to accomplish? What are the desired outcomes? Make sure these objectives are measurable and realistic.
Scope: Define your project’s boundaries. What is included and what is not included? Clearly articulate what the project will deliver and what it will not deliver. This helps manage expectations and prevents scope creep.
Stakeholders: Identify all the key stakeholders involved in the project. This includes both internal and external stakeholders who have an interest or influence in the project’s success.
Deliverables: List the tangible outputs or deliverables that the project will produce. These can be products, services, or documents that are essential to achieving the project’s objectives.
Constraints: Identify any constraints or limitations that may impact the project. This could include budgetary constraints, resource limitations, time constraints, regulatory requirements, or any other factors that may affect the project’s execution.
Risks: Identify the potential risks and uncertainties associated with the project. This allows you to proactively plan for and mitigate these risks, ensuring a smoother execution.
Assumptions: Document any assumptions that are being made as part of the project. These are factors that are considered to be true but have not yet been validated. It’s important to identify and monitor these assumptions throughout the project lifecycle.
Timeline: Establish a high-level timeline for the project, outlining the major milestones and deadlines. This will help the project team stay on track and ensure that progress is being made according to the plan.

The purpose of a project charter

Understanding how to create a charter starts with knowing the purpose of a project charter is to provide a clear and concise description of the project’s objectives, scope, stakeholders, and deliverables. The project charter examples and the project charter elements section below will connect everything together. It serves as a roadmap for the project team, helping them understand what needs to be done and how to achieve the desired outcomes. The objectives of a project charter are to:

Provide clarity: A project charter ensures that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of the project’s goals, objectives, and deliverables. It eliminates ambiguity and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Define boundaries: A charter helps manage expectations and prevent scope creep by clearly defining the project’s scope. It allows the project team to focus on what is within the project’s scope and avoid unnecessary distractions.
Manage risks: A project charter includes an assessment of potential risks and uncertainties. By identifying these risks early on, the project team can develop strategies to mitigate them, reducing the likelihood of project delays or failures.
Align stakeholders: The charter identifies all the key stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities. This helps ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards a common goal. It also serves as a communication tool, providing stakeholders with a clear understanding of the project’s purpose and objectives.
Guide decision-making: The project charter acts as a reference point throughout the project, guiding decision-making and helping the project team stay focused on the project’s goals and objectives. It provides a framework for making informed decisions and managing changes effectively.

What is the purpose of a project charter?

A project charter is a critical document for the success of any project. It provides the project team with a roadmap, ensuring everyone is working towards a common goal. Here are some reasons why a charter is important:
Clarity and direction: A charter provides clarity and direction from the very beginning. It clearly defines the project’s objectives, scope, stakeholders, and deliverables, helping the project team understand what needs to be done and how to achieve the desired outcomes.
Alignment and communication: A project charter ensures that everyone is aligned and working towards a common goal by identifying all the key stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities. It also serves as a communication tool, providing stakeholders with a clear understanding of the project’s purpose and objectives.
Risk management: A project charter includes an assessment of potential risks and uncertainties. By identifying these risks early on, the project team can develop strategies to mitigate them, reducing the likelihood of project delays or failures.
Scope management: A project charter clearly defines the project’s scope, helping manage expectations and prevent scope creep. It allows the project team to focus on what is within the project’s scope and avoid unnecessary distractions.
Decision-making framework: The charter acts as a reference point throughout the project, guiding decision-making and helping the project team stay focused on the project’s goals and objectives.
Documentation: A project charter serves as a documented agreement between the project team and the stakeholders. It provides a record of the project’s objectives, scope, and timelines, making it easier to track progress and evaluate the project’s success.

Overall, a project charter plays a crucial role in ensuring a project’s success by providing a clear roadmap, aligning stakeholders, managing risks, and guiding decision-making.

9 Project charter elements

Now that you know the purpose of a project charter, it’s time to jump into its elements. A charter consists of several elements that collectively provide a comprehensive overview of the project. These elements help ensure that the project is well-defined and that all parties involved have a shared understanding of the project’s goals and objectives. Here are the key elements of a project charter:

Project title and description: The project title should clearly and concisely convey the purpose of the project. The description should provide a brief overview of what the project aims to achieve.
Objectives and goals: The objectives and goals section should clearly define the specific outcomes the project aims to achieve. These objectives should be measurable and realistic.
Scope: The scope section defines the boundaries of the project. It outlines what is included and what is not included in the project, ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding of the project’s deliverables.
Stakeholders: The stakeholders section identifies all the key stakeholders involved in the project. This includes both internal and external stakeholders who have an interest or influence in the project’s success.
Deliverables: The deliverables section lists the tangible outputs or deliverables that the project will produce. These can be products, services, or documents that are essential to achieving the project’s objectives.
Constraints: The constraints section identifies any limitations or constraints that may impact the project. This could include budgetary constraints, resource limitations, time constraints, regulatory requirements, or any other factors that may affect the project’s execution.
Risks: The risks section identifies the potential risks and uncertainties associated with the project. This allows the project team to proactively plan for and mitigate these risks, ensuring a smoother execution.
Assumptions: The assumptions section documents any assumptions that are being made as part of the project. These are factors that are considered to be true but have not yet been validated. It’s important to identify and monitor these assumptions throughout the project lifecycle.
Timeline: The timeline section establishes a high-level timeline for the project, outlining the major milestones and deadlines. This helps the project team stay on track and ensures that progress is being made according to the plan.

By including these elements in your project charter, you can ensure that all the essential information is captured in one place and that everyone involved in the project has a clear understanding of its goals and objectives.

3 Project charter examples

To better understand how a project charter can be effectively used, let’s take a look at three project charter examples from various industries:

Project charter example 1: Construction

In a construction project, a charter may include the project title, objectives (such as building a new office complex), scope (including the specific areas to be constructed), stakeholders (including the client, contractors, and regulatory authorities), deliverables (such as completed buildings, infrastructure, and amenities), constraints (such as budget and time limitations), risks (such as weather conditions and labor shortages), assumptions (such as availability of necessary permits), and a timeline with key milestones.

Project charter example 2: Software development

In a software development project, a charter may include the project title, objectives (such as developing a new mobile application), scope (including the specific features and functionalities to be included), stakeholders (including the client, development team, and end-users), deliverables (such as a fully functional software application), constraints (such as budget and technology limitations), risks (such as compatibility issues and cybersecurity threats), assumptions (such as availability of necessary hardware and software), and a timeline with key development phases and milestones.

Project charter example 3: Marketing campaign

In a marketing campaign project, a charter may include the project title, objectives (such as promoting a new product or service), scope (including the target audience and marketing channels to be utilized), stakeholders (including the marketing team, client, and external vendors), deliverables (such as marketing materials, advertisements, and social media campaigns), constraints (such as budget and time limitations), risks (such as changes in consumer behavior and competitive market), assumptions (such as availability of necessary data and resources), and a timeline with key marketing activities and milestones.

These examples illustrate how project charters can be tailored to different industries and projects. The key is to ensure that the charter captures all the essential information and provides a clear roadmap for the successful execution of the project.

Our Project Charter Template Download

With the project charter description and understanding of the purpose of a project charter well in hand, our comprehensive project charter template can easily kickstart your project by capturing all the essential information in one place. No more wasting time figuring out what needs to be done! Our template will guide you through the process step by step, helping you define your project’s goals and objectives, identify potential risks and challenges, and establish a realistic timeline.

Tips for using project charter templates effectively

Now that you understand the importance of a charter and its key elements, here are some tips to help you create and use the project charter template effectively:

Involve key stakeholders: When creating the charter, involve all the key stakeholders who have an interest or influence in the project’s success. This ensures that their perspectives and expectations are taken into account.
Keep it concise: While it’s important to capture all the essential information, keep the charter concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or jargon that may confuse or overwhelm readers.
Use clear and simple language: Write the charter using clear and simple language that is easily understandable by all stakeholders. Avoid technical terms or acronyms that may be unfamiliar to some readers.
Review and revise: Regularly review and revise the charter as the project progresses. This allows you to make necessary adjustments and updates to reflect any changes in scope, objectives, or timelines.
Communicate and share: Share the project charter with all stakeholders involved in the project. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common goal. Use the charter as a communication tool to keep stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the project.
Refer to it regularly: The charter should be referred to regularly throughout the project lifecycle. Use it as a reference point for decision-making, scope management, risk mitigation, and progress tracking.

By following these tips, you can maximize the project charter template and ensure a successful project execution.

Step-by-step guide on how to create a project charter

With the project charter examples we shared combined with the purpose and project charter elements, you now have a good understanding of what a project charter is and how to use it effectively. Now let’s walk through a step-by-step guide to completing a charter using our ultimate project charter template:

Step 1: Define the project title and description

Start by providing a clear and concise title for your project. This title should accurately reflect the project’s purpose.
Write a brief description that outlines what the project aims to achieve.

Step 2: Identify the project objectives and goals

Clearly define the specific objectives and goals of your project. What do you hope to accomplish? What are the desired outcomes?
Make sure these objectives are measurable and realistic.

Step 3: Define the project scope

Clearly define the boundaries of your project. What is included and what is not included?
Articulate what the project will deliver and what it will not deliver.

Step 4: Identify the key stakeholders

Identify all the key stakeholders involved in the project. This includes both internal and external stakeholders who have an interest or influence in the project’s success.

Step 5: List the deliverables

Identify the tangible outputs or deliverables that the project will produce. These can be products, services, or documents that are essential to achieving the project’s objectives.

Step 6: Identify the constraints

Identify any constraints or limitations that may impact the project. This could include budgetary constraints, resource limitations, time constraints, regulatory requirements, or any other factors that may affect the project’s execution.

Step 7: Assess the risks

Identify the potential risks and uncertainties associated with the project. This allows you to proactively plan for and mitigate these risks, reducing the likelihood of project delays or failures.

Step 8: Document the assumptions

Document any assumptions that are being made as part of the project. These are factors that are considered to be true but have not yet been validated. It’s important to identify and monitor these assumptions throughout the project lifecycle.

Step 9: Establish the timeline

Establish a high-level timeline for the project, outlining the major milestones and deadlines. This will help the project team stay on track and ensure that progress is being made according to the plan.

Step 10: Review and revise

Review and revise the charter regularly as the project progresses. This allows you to make necessary adjustments and updates to reflect any changes in scope, objectives, or timelines.