What is a project charter?

A project charter records the sponsor’s authorization to begin a project or defined phase. It states the purpose, intended outcome, scope boundary, project lead, and authority to use resources.

What should a project charter include?

Include the decision requested, purpose and business case, objectives and success measures, scope and deliverables, sponsor and project lead, resource limits, assumptions, major milestones, initial risks, and approval record.

How is a project charter different from a project plan?

The charter explains why the project is authorized and what it is expected to achieve. The project plan describes how the team will deliver it, including detailed tasks, dependencies, assignments, and dates.

How long should a project charter be?

Use enough detail for the sponsor to understand what is being authorized. A small one-team change may fit on one page; work involving several teams, budget limits, or external commitments may need a fuller decision record.

Project charter template: write the brief that gets work approved

Download an editable Word charter template and learn when a project needs one, how it differs from a plan, and what sponsor approval actually authorizes.

Review completed examples for scope, objectives, stakeholders, success measures, assumptions, constraints, milestones, risks, and approval.