What is a project charter?

A Project Charter is a document that presents the objectives, schedule, costs and potential risks of a future project and lists the stakeholders involved. It is a key asset in the project management process and helps improve both project planning and execution.

The Project Charter can also act as a contract between the project sponsor, key stakeholders, and the project manager. In Customer Relationship Management, the Project Charter is referred to as Project Definition Report.

Main sections of a project charter:

1. Project Background: Describes the business case and help identify the project. Here you should write about the reasons for undertaking the project.

2. Scopes and Objectives: To present your plan to solve the issue at hand.

3. Project Schedule: To elaborate on and set dates for the key milestones of the project. A milestone can be anything from team forming to quality checks.

Reasons for using a project charter:

• Authorization: To authorize the project
• Keeping scope: Help keep the project in scope during execution
• Pitching: Pitch the project to sponsors

Features of this project charter template:

• Excel file format: simply use it with Microsoft Excel or Google Spreadsheet
• Instantly printable: fill out the fields and you’re ready to go!
• Blank sample: reusable any time you need a project charter
• Intuitive design: clean, simple and professional
• Fully customizable: add your company details and edit spreadsheet formatting
• No email, sign-up or any further steps required