“I’ve been asked to lead a change project within my company, but I’m not really sure what is expected. What should I do?”

What is it?

A Project Charter is a one page document that describes the project’s:

• Objectives
• KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and targets – both financial and non-financial
• Deliverables
• Assumptions re: support requirements, risks, inter-dependencies, etc.
• The Project Sponsor (the leader ultimately accountable for the project’s success) the Project Manager (the person who leads the project on a day-to-day basis), and Team Members (people assigned to the project either full or part time), and the time required for their participation
• What is in and out of scope

When do you use it?
When you want to make sure that your project is very clearly defined and agreed with key stakeholders. This will increase the likelihood of success from the start.

How do you use it?
The Project Sponsor and/or Project Manager draft the Project Charter and gain input and alignment with key stakeholders.

If there is an Executive Steering Group, the ESG should sign off of the charter. See ‘Executive Steering Groups’ within this website for more details.

Use the Project Charter to create a more detailed project plan, with support from and alignment with the Project Team.

Refer back to the charter from time to time to ensure that the direction of the project remains consistent with original expectations.

Sample charters are below.