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Project charter template
A project charter is the document that authorises a project. It says why the work exists, what it will and will not cover, who sponsors it, and how everyone will know it worked.
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What a charter is for
A charter exists so that three months in, when someone asks for "one small extra thing", there is a written answer about whether that is in scope and who can change it.
It is short by design. If your charter runs to fifteen pages, it has become a plan. A charter should be readable by a sponsor in five minutes.
What each section must actually say
Most weak charters fail in the same places: a purpose that describes the solution instead of the problem, objectives nobody could measure, and scope with no exclusions.
- Purpose and problem — the problem in the organisation, not the system you plan to buy. "Paper records take 20 minutes to retrieve" is a problem. "Implement a records system" is not.
- Objectives — measurable, with a number and a date wherever possible.
- Scope — two lists. What is included, and explicitly what is excluded. The exclusions do the real work.
- Sponsor and stakeholders — who authorises the project, who must be consulted, who is affected.
- Milestones — the handful of dates that matter, not a task list.
- Success criteria — how you will know afterwards that it worked, agreed in advance.
- Risks and assumptions — the top few, not everything. The full set belongs in the RAID log.
The exclusions test
Read your scope section and ask: could a reasonable colleague argue that something you did not intend is included? If yes, add it to the exclusions.
Every piece of scope creep that ever ruined a project began as something both sides assumed was obvious, in opposite directions.
Getting it approved
A charter is not finished when you have filled in the boxes. It is finished when the sponsor has read it and agreed to it. Send it with a short note naming the two or three decisions you want confirmed, rather than asking for general comments.
Worked example — objectives and scope from a records rollout charter
| Section | Written as |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Retrieving a patient record currently takes an average of 20 minutes and depends on paper files held in three locations, delaying triage and creating avoidable clinical risk. |
| Objective | Reduce average record retrieval time from 20 minutes to under 2 minutes for all inpatient wards by the end of the rollout. |
| In scope | Inpatient wards A to F, records from 2019 onwards, staff training for ward and reception teams. |
| Out of scope | Outpatient clinics, archived records before 2019, replacement of the appointment booking system, changes to clinical triage policy. |
| Success criterion | 90% of ward staff retrieving records unaided within two weeks of go-live, measured by system logs and a staff survey. |
Free project charter template
Work through the sections in order. Write the problem before you write anything about a solution — it changes what the rest of the charter says.
Project name and date
Plus the version, so people know which charter they are reading
Purpose and problem
The business problem, in the organisation's own terms
Objectives
Three to five, each with a number and a date
In scope
What this project will deliver
Out of scope
What it explicitly will not — the most useful section in the document
Sponsor
The named person who authorises the project and its budget
Key stakeholders
Who must be consulted, who is affected, and what each one cares about
Milestones
The few dates a sponsor would ask about
Budget
The authorised figure and what it covers
Success criteria
How you will know afterwards that it worked
Key risks and assumptions
The top few only
Approval
Who signs, and on what date
Common questions
What is a project charter?
A short document that authorises a project. It records the problem being solved, the objectives, the scope and exclusions, the sponsor, the milestones and how success will be measured.
What is the difference between a project charter and a project plan?
The charter says why the project exists and what it covers. The plan says how and when the work will be done. The charter comes first and is usually two or three pages; the plan is much longer.
Who signs off a project charter?
The project sponsor — the person accountable for the budget and the benefits. Other stakeholders may review it, but the sponsor authorises it.
Write a charter that a sponsor actually reviews
In the Atlas simulation you draft the charter for a live hospital rollout, submit it to a sponsor who reads it, and get specific feedback on your scope, objectives and success measures.
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