Therefore, a project charter template is simply a form that allows project sponsors to easily create a project charter with the information that stakeholders and decision-makers need to evaluate a project and decide whether to move forward with it or not, which is especially helpful for project-based organizations that execute projects on a regular basis.<\/p>\n
Once you have your project team and the project charter has been approved, you may begin using project management software to turn the project charter into a project plan that can be tracked. ProjectManager\u2019s Gantt chart has robust project planning features that allow to make a project schedule, link task dependencies, allocate resources, monitor costs and calculate the critical path. After you set the project schedule baseline, you can track your actual progress against your plan in real time as your team works\u2014keeping your project on schedule and under budget. Try it for yourself with a free 30-day trial.<\/a><\/p>\n The project charter template is primarily used during the project initiation phase. Here, the project sponsor will spearhead the creation of the project charter by gathering general information about the project including the objectives, business needs, budget<\/a>\u00a0and timelines. They will define the project\u2019s scope, purpose, deliverables, constraints and risks. Often, the project sponsor will collaborate with the project manager or stakeholders to ensure the project is feasible.<\/p>\n When a charter is drafted, the sponsor will present it to decision-makers such as senior executives to get approval. Stakeholders could provide feedback or request adjustments. As soon as the project charter is approved, the project manager is assigned and funding is secured. Again, all of this happens during the initiation phase.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a reason for initiating a project, and this project charter template helps outline those reasons. This is very important, as decision-makers will use the project charter to determine whether a project is approved or rejected during the project intake<\/a>\u00a0process.<\/p>\n Some of the things described in this project charter template for Word are the vision, objectives, scope<\/a>\u00a0and deliverables of the project. Then you\u2019re going to need to address everyone\u2019s responsibilities in the project, from the stakeholders on down. Finally, you want to explain how you are going to take on the project\u2014that covers the project scope, resources, stakeholder requirements, among other things.<\/p>\n To fill out this project charter template, you\u2019ll need to gather information from a couple of other project management documents. These are the business case and feasibility study<\/a>. Once all these documents and the project charter have been approved, you are ready to begin the project planning phase.<\/p>\n So, what the project charter template is doing is setting the stage for the project plan. You are going into detail about the project\u2019s scope that will account for all the deliverables the project is supposed to achieve. Once you have a project charter then you have to assemble your project team<\/a> and begin with the planning, execution and monitoring phases.<\/p>\n Before jumping into the elements of your project charter template, there are steps you can take that will help you deliver a better final product. Like any project, the research and due diligence you put in before the project pays off during the project execution<\/a> phase.<\/p>\n First, creating the elements of a project charter it\u2019s not a solo mission. While it is often tasked to the project manager, it is smart to get help from the project team members when building the project charter. Before you put word one to paper, lead a meeting that includes everyone who is a project stakeholder, clients and other team members.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to make this an open discussion, where everyone\u2019s feedback is heard and, better yet, put to paper. This collects ideas and different perspectives for your project charter, but it also serves to help everyone involved in the project planning<\/a> stay informed and avoid any misunderstandings.<\/p>\n This meeting is a wealth of data for you to analyze. Review your notes and when you start a project charter draft, show it to the team members who attended the meeting. They might have more ideas or revisions that you can use to update your project charter template.<\/p>\n Various roles within the organization may use a free project charter template. We\u2019ve outlined a handful of examples.<\/p>\n As with most project management documents<\/a>, the elements of a project charter might vary from one project to another.<\/p>\n To simplify things, let\u2019s divide this project charter template into 5 sections.<\/p>\n In this section you\u2019ll define the purpose of the project, its goals and objectives and success criteria.<\/p>\n Executive Summary<\/strong> Project Purpose and Vision<\/strong> To describe the vision of the project, be concise. The project purpose should be said in only a sentence that defines the problem or opportunity being addressed. Boil it down, and don\u2019t forget to make it achievable.<\/p>\n Project Goals and Objectives<\/strong> The project objectives<\/a> can be broken down into sub-objectives. These can include business-specific business objectives. There are also technology-specific project objectives.<\/p>\n Project Success Criteria<\/strong> In this section you\u2019ll define the purpose of the project, its goals and objectives and success criteria.<\/p>\n Project Scope<\/strong> Quality Management<\/strong> Project Timeline<\/strong> Once the project tasks have been defined, it\u2019s time to identify what resources will be required<\/a>, what their cost will be. Additionally there\u2019s a cost-benefit analysis section that allows you to compare the estimated costs of the project against potential benefits to determine its value to the organization.<\/p>\n Resource Management<\/strong> Now comes the financial part. Here you break down the category to the cost and the value. A more detailed financial plan can be developed in the planning stage<\/a> of the project.<\/p>\n Estimated Costs and Project Budget<\/strong> Cost-Benefit Analysis<\/strong> Now it\u2019s time to identify who will work in the project, what will be the roles and responsibilities of the project team members and who the project stakeholders are.<\/p>\n Project Team<\/strong> What are the responsibilities of the project? That\u2019s the next item to note. For each role listed, you now have to define a full set of responsibilities, performance criteria and the skills required. You want to attach a job description as well.<\/p>\n You next will need to build an organization flow chart that shows the reporting lines between each of the key roles you have already written about.<\/p>\n Project Stakeholders<\/strong> Start with the customers. Describe who they are and how they will use the project deliverables. These customers can be individuals, but they can also be groups. Remember, the success of the project is dependent on the deliverables matching the requirements and success criteria of the customers. Make a table to collect this information.<\/p>\n Then, there are many internal and external stakeholders, which include company executives, legislative bodies and regulatory bodies. Create a table with stakeholders in one column and why they are interested in the project in another. To do so, this project charter template includes a stakeholder register and a stakeholder matrix.<\/p>\n Now it\u2019s time to identify who will work in the project, what will be the roles and responsibilities of the project team members and who the project stakeholders are.<\/p>\n Change Management<\/strong> Risk Management<\/strong> To do so, this free project charter template has a risk log and a risk matrix<\/a>. The risk log is a chart that allows project management teams to list any potential project risks, while a risk matrix helps prioritize them based on their potential impact and likelihood.<\/p>\n Appendix<\/strong> It\u2019s clear that the project charter template is an invaluable resource in laying the project\u2019s foundation. It offers a vision and a framework, but it isn\u2019t a concrete plan. The project charter helps lead to project planning, so ProjectManager is the ideal software you need to plan projects from start to end.<\/p>\n Teams need to have a clear direction so project managers can focus on achieving the project\u2019s long-term goals. Our software offers multiple project planning tools such as our award-winning Gantt chart<\/a> to plan and schedule projects in detail. Add project tasks, set a baseline and track milestones to avoid bottlenecks. Other views include kanban boards or a calendar view to see at a glance when important deadlines are coming up.<\/p>\n Another important aspect of a successful project is managing resources. In-depth resource management tools<\/a> and features allow managers to better track their teams’ hours and availability. The team page is the perfect place to get an overview of the team\u2019s current workload where live adjustments can be made. The result is a balanced workload where the team is productive without burning out. Secure timesheets are another tool to leverage to keep track of resources in real time.<\/p>\n While the project charter focuses on the project planning phase, it\u2019s important to have the tracking tools to monitor projects as they progress. The project and portfolio dashboard<\/a> is one of the most effective tools for tracking as it automatically captures data across pivotal project metrics. At a glance, project managers can understand where there are bottlenecks and where teams are successful.<\/p>\n Before going any further, we must be clear on the distinction between a project charter and other similar but different project management templates<\/a>. Let\u2019s look at the main differences between a project charter, a statement of work and a project proposal.<\/p>\n![\"PRoject](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/operations-implementation-gantt-chart-150-cta-1600x787.jpg\")
<\/a>When to Use a Project Charter Template<\/h2>\n
Why You Need a Project Charter Template<\/h2>\n
![\"ProjectManager's](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Project-Charter-Screenshot-600x467.jpg\")
<\/a>How to Use this Project Charter Template<\/h2>\n
Who Should Use This Project Charter Template?<\/h2>\n
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What Is Included in This Project Charter Template?<\/h2>\n
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Project Charter Template Section 1: Executive Summary, Project Purpose, Goals and Success Criteria<\/h3>\n
\nAn executive summary<\/a> is where you sum up the various sections that will follow in greater detail in this document. Be concise, you are only outlining what will come, like a table of contents. This part of the document will cover the definition, organization and plan, risks and issues and assumptions and constraints.<\/p>\n
\nYou must have a clear picture of -what the project is in place to achieve, and here is where you want to state that purpose and the high-level project description. Our free project charter template for word includes the following sections for your project definition.<\/p>\n
\nFor the project objectives, you want to list those crucial to the project. Each objective should be a statement that details what the project is going to achieve. These must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound, which can be easily remembered as the acronym S.M.A.R.T<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nIn this section, you\u2019ll want to list the metrics or standards that will measure whether a project is successful. This makes it easy to set clear expectations and offers a framework for evaluating the project\u2019s performance<\/a>. Some common success criteria that are included in a project charter include, time, cost, scope, quality, risk management and stakeholder satisfaction, but feel free to make adjustments based on what you want to track.<\/p>\nProject Charter Template Section 2: Project Scope, Quality Management and Timeline<\/h3>\n
\nThe project scope<\/a> compiles all the activities, milestones and deliverables of your project. The purpose of your project scope is to set limits to the work that will be executed. When detailing the scope of the project you need to take into account what resources will be needed, which will be further defined in the resource management overview section. Don\u2019t forget to note what will not be included in your project scope and think about the risks and constraints associated with it.<\/p>\n\n
![\"Project](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Project-plan-template-scope-management-plan.png\")
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\nNext, define quality standards, quality assurance<\/a> processes and quality control guidelines from a high-level view. This makes sure the various processes are being done to lead to the success of the project. So, therefore, you want to list the process \u2014 be it change management, risk management, issue management, etc. \u2014 and then describe it.<\/p>\n
\nThe project timeline<\/a> section is where there\u2019s a high-level overview of the project schedule. This should include key milestones and target completion dates to help set project expectations and a framework for more detailed project planning.<\/p>\n![\"ProjectManager's](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Project-plan-template-project-schedule-section.png\")
\nProject Charter Template Section 3: Resources, Costs and Budget<\/h3>\n
\nIn this section, you are going to summarize the duration and effort of each project team<\/a>\u00a0member. Begin with their role, followed by the start and end dates and the percentage of effort.<\/p>\n
\nThis section includes a high-level overview of the needed resources to complete the project. It can help get the right funding and manage stakeholder expectations. The project\u2019s estimated cost<\/a> could include labor, material or overhead costs while the total project budget is a list of all costs. This includes labor, materials, equipment, software, travel and overhead.<\/p>\n![\"Project](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Project-plan-template-project-budget-section.png\")
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\nA cost-benefit analysis<\/a>\u00a0(CBA) in a free project charter template helps justify the project\u2019s resource investment and ensure the project aligns with the organization\u2019s objectives. It can also help get stakeholder buy-in and mitigate risks. Elements of a cost-benefit analysis include direct costs, benefits (both tangible and intangible) and a risk assessment.<\/p>\nProject Charter Template Section 4: Project Team and Stakeholders<\/h3>\n
\nNow you want to define the roles in the project. What are the various people needed to take on the project? They may include a project sponsor<\/a>, review group, project manager, team member, et al. Again, you want to collect this information in a table, with columns for role, organization, resource name, assignment status and assignment date. If your project is larger, however, only list the key roles.<\/p>\n
\nProject stakeholders have to be considered in this section, as well. List those people who are in or out of the project, but have a key interest.<\/p>\n![\"Stakeholder](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Project-plan-template-Stakeholder-management-plan-e1732303974986.png\")
\nProject Charter Template Section 5: Change and Risk Management<\/h3>\n
\nA project charter should explain how changes will be handled once the project starts. To do so, a change control board<\/a> must be appointed, and a change request form and change log must be created.<\/p>\n
\nHere is where you address the risks in your project. Describe what risk might arise in the project, note the likelihood (high, medium or low), the impact it will have (again: high, medium or low) and the risk management<\/a>\u00a0actions you will take if it does happen.<\/p>\n![\"risk](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Project-plan-template-Risk-management-plan-section.png\")
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\nFinally, you\u2019ll want to attach any supporting documentation in an appendix.<\/p>\nHow ProjectManager Helps Turn a Project Charter Template into a Successful Project<\/h2>\n
Multiple Project Planning and Scheduling Views<\/h3>\n
![\"Manufacturing](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Manufacturing-gantt-chart-light-mode-costs-exposed--1600x772.png\")
<\/a>\nRobust Resource Management Tools and Features<\/h3>\n
![\"Assign](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/assign-people-resource-allocation-light-mode-gantt-chart-workload-assignments-1600x786.png\")
<\/a>\nReal-Time Project Dashboards<\/h3>\n
![\"Dashboard](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Dashboard-light-mode-1600x857.jpg\")
<\/a>\nWhat Is the Difference Between a Project Charter, a Statement of Work and a Project Proposal?<\/h2>\n
Project Charter vs Statement of Work (SOW)<\/h3>\n