How to Write a Project Charter

A project charter is a short document, issued by the sponsor, that formally authorises a project and gives the project manager authority to apply resources to it. It is the first artefact of a project and the reference point for every scope debate that follows.

Why it matters

• It forces agreement on why the project exists before money is spent.
• It sets boundaries — what is in scope and, just as importantly, what is out.
• It names the decision-makers.
• It gives the project manager documented authority.

The ten sections of a strong charter

1. Project name and summary — one sentence a stranger would understand.
2. Purpose / business case — the problem or opportunity and why now. Include a number if you can: "Support tickets about passwords rose 38% last year."
3. Objectives — SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. "Reduce password tickets by 30% within three months of launch."
4. Scope — in scope and out of scope, as bullet lists.
5. Deliverables — the tangible outputs.
6. Milestones — four to eight key dates.
7. Budget — order-of-magnitude estimate and contingency.
8. Stakeholders and roles — sponsor, project manager, key teams. A RACI can follow later.
9. Risks, assumptions and constraints — the top five of each.
10. Success criteria and approval — how you'll judge success, plus sign-off.

Writing tips

• Keep it to one or two pages. Detail belongs in the project plan.
• Write out-of-scope items explicitly, especially the ones someone is bound to assume are included.
• Quantify objectives — if you can't measure it, you can't declare success.
• Draft it with the sponsor, not for them.
• Get a real signature. Verbal agreement fades; a signed charter does not.

Charter vs project plan vs business case

Create yours in five minutes

Use the free project charter generator: fill in the fields, load the worked example for inspiration, then download as Word or PDF.