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Project Charter
The Purpose of a Project Charter is to provide vital information about a project in a quick and easy to comprehend manner.
Project charters are used to get approval and buy-in for projects and initiatives as well as declaring scope of work, teams, authorities, project leads, measures etc.
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The sample charter shown left is available as a free download. Visit our store and look for Project Charter Template.
Not all charters are created equal but all good ones have a few aspects in common
Good Project Charters Have The Following Elements
Title
Projects should have a title or name or some reference that identifies the project. Branding can be an important ingredient in the success of a project so be sure it has a reference name or title
Leader
All projects need a declared leader or someone who is responsible for it's execution and success. You will hear references to RACI throughout any Six Sigma training course. RACI stands for Respoonsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed. Every project should have declared leaders indicating who's responsible for the work getting done and who's accountable for the for the project.
Metrics
An absolute for any project is a measure of success. Metrics give clarity to the purpose for the work and/or how the initiative will be measured for success. For Six Sigma projects, primary and secondary metrics are mandatory. All Six Sigma Project Charters should have metrics included.
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Problem Statement & Objective
A properly written problem statement has an objective statement woven within it. There should be no question as to the current state or the goal. The gap is the difference between the two and the project objective should be to close that gap or some portion of it. Valuation or COPQ is the monetary value placed on the gap. Lastly, a well written problem statement refers to a timeline expect to meet the objective.
Business Case
A good business case discusses the problem and why it's important or why the business cares about the problem. Business cases should incorporate:
- Quantifiable references to the problem in terms that the business cares about (Cost, Speed, Accuracy, Quality, Satisfaction etc.)
- Background or history, anything deemed relevant regarding the problem
- Implications of not addressing the problem
- Actions and/or results that might have previously been employed to resolve the problem
Other Elements of a Good Project Charter
- Scope Statement or Parameters
- Approval Authorities & Review Committies Defined
- Risks & Dependencies Highlighted
- Project Team Declared
A properly formatted and well written project charter emparts a "ton" of information. A document such as this works well to declare a project, get it approved, help "sell" it, identify participants and define objectives. Below is another sample of a project charter. This one has a portrait layout and is in Microsoft Word format. You can get it as a free download from our store, just look for Project Charter Template .doc Format. or click on the image.
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