(upbeat music)
- Getting a new project off the ground
involves a lot of documentation,
from project requirements and scope documents
to risk assessments and project plans.
As a project manager,
you're used to sifting through project paperwork,
but it's not always easy for your team and stakeholders
to make sense of it all
when they've got limited time to spend on the details.
That's where a project charter comes in.
A project charter acts as a reference guide
for successful project delivery
so you can get everyone up to speed
and onboard with the project more quickly.
Let's take a closer look at what a project charter is,
why it's important, and how to create one for your projects.
A project charter is a document
that details your project's goals, benefits,
constraints, risks, stakeholders, and even budgets.
It may also be referred to as a project brief
or project definition document.
The Project Management Institute defines a project charter
as "a document issued by the project initiator or sponsor
that formally authorizes the existence of a project,
and provides the project manager with the authority
to apply organizational resources to project activities."
The purpose of a project charter
is to set clear project expectations
so you can lead even the largest teams and complex projects
to an on-time and under-budget delivery.
A project charter also brings benefits
like aligning stakeholders and teams
to the project's objectives and clarifying important details
that could impact the project.
Having multiple documents related to your project
might sound overwhelming, and it can be,
but every key document plays an important role
in project success.
So when should you use a project charter
versus a project plan?
Well, the simple answer
is you should always use both to manage your projects.
But let's take a quick look at the difference
between a project charter and a project plan.
Think of your project charter as the document
that explains the what and why of your project,
while your project plan outlines the how, when, and who.
Remember, the purpose of the project charter
is to detail your project in its entirety,
but at a high level.
We're not talking about tasks and milestones here.
A project charter spells out the details
needed to understand a project and its objectives,
usually in something like Word or Excel,
Google Docs, or even a PDF.
It's delivered early in the project cycle
to ensure everyone's on the same page
about goals and deliverables.
A project plan on the other hand,
is a line-by-line action plan
for leading a project to completion
once all the details have been approved.
It's typically formatted as a Gantt chart
with task deadlines and milestones mapped out on a timeline
so you can track progress along the way.
Ready to develop a project charter framework
for your organization?
To create a project charter for your next project,
your first step should be to discuss the project
with your team and stakeholders.
This will enable you to gather the information needed
to execute the project, while also setting expectations
around what it'll take to get the job done.
Be sure this initial discussion
covers the following project details:
goals, constraints, including deadlines and budgets,
risks, stakeholders, and any other details
that will help you truly define your project.
Gaining this level of insight and understanding
from your team and stakeholders early on will go a long way
in helping you maintain alignment throughout the project.
Just like everything else in project management,
there's no single way to write a project charter.
The most important thing to remember
when creating your charter is to make it easy to read
and accessible to anyone involved in your project.
Remember, the charter should be
a high level review of the project,
not a turn-by-turn accounting of what will happen.
Feel free to use short descriptions or even bullet points
to help you keep it brief.
A lot of information goes into a project charter
and it's up to you to determine which components make sense
for the teams and organizations you work with.
Here's a list of key elements you may want to include
when writing your project charter.
This is a goals-related statement
that explains the purpose of your project
and why you're taking it on.
The business case not only helps guide project decisions,
but also ensures everyone involved in the project
is aligned on its purpose,
that way you can all hold each other accountable
to sticking to that goal.
Here's a business case statement example
for a website redesign project.
While the business case may state your overarching goals,
you might find you need to get more specific
about practical goals for your project.
Writing smart goals for your project's initiatives
can make it easier to stay on task.
This example gives you an idea
of how you could work these into your project charter goals.
Now, this section may be optional for you
depending on where you work
and the type of project you're running,
but if you deal with project budgets or clients,
be crystal clear about the project's costs
and how it's broken down.
Keeping this information transparent
will help guide conversations
if and when your budget approaches its max.
In this project charter example,
we've broken down the budget by project phase.
Be sure to define the thing you'll deliver
and the scope associated with it
so you can set clear expectations
about what will and won't be included
or executed on in your project.
Here's an example of how you might outline
scope and deliverables in your project charter.
In this section, you'll list any people, funds, time,
materials, equipment, or additional resources
you or the team will need to complete the project.
Here's a sample of resources
a website design project might require.
Don't worry about fitting a whole plan
into your project charter, but it is a good idea
to list out key project milestones with dates
and reference your plan in TeamGantt
by sharing a view-only link to your Gantt chart.
For example, you might structure
your project charter milestone schedule like this.
Every project carries risk,
whether it's the threat of a critical stakeholder
leaving the project, a much needed asset missing a deadline,
or even a hurricane taking out your internet
and bringing work to a halt.
Documenting things that could go wrong
in your project charter, like we've done in this example,
makes everyone aware of risks from the outset.
Sometimes one piece of a project can't start
until a previous step is complete,
and when a partner's responsible for that step,
you have no control.
If that's the case for your project,
you've got a rolling list of risks on your hands.
Make note of any major dependencies in your project charter
so you can spotlight potential scheduling issues.
Here's how that might look.
If you're working on a project with a team of folks
who are responsible for approving your project,
you wanna be sure they're present and accounted for.
Listing them here will help.
While you're at it, you might want to define their roles,
or at least mentioned who the lead or main approver will be.
This sample project charter
keeps the stakeholder list simple.
Making a project charter may feel like a daunting task,
but it really doesn't have to be.
Using a template can help you jump right in
and keep things brief
so your project charter is quick to create and scan.
Click the link in the description
to download our free project charter template for Word,
and use the examples in this video
to write a project charter of your own.
Feel free to adapt this template to your style
or organization's needs.
Remember, a well-written project charter
can help you answer and document big project questions
and quickly align your team and stakeholders.
It's a small document with a huge purpose,
so your best approach
is to develop a simple project charter
that's easy to read and useful for everyone involved.
Once you've got a solid project charter in hand,
it's time to craft your plan.
With TeamGantt, you can create an interactive project plan
without the tedium.
You'll have all the features you need
to make sure projects finish on time and on budget,
and it all comes with a simple and intuitive interface
that's easy for anyone to use.
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Thanks for watching, I'll see you next time.