Introduction
A project charter is a document that defines the scope, objectives, and stakeholders of a project. It also outlines the expected outcome of the project and establishes who will be involved in its execution. The primary goal of a project charter is to ensure that all parties involved are on the same page before moving forward with any type of endeavor. In this post we'll discuss why you should create one, what goes into making one, and how you can use it to make sure everyone stays on task throughout your next big undertaking:
What is a Project Charter?
The project charter is a document that clearly defines a project’s goals and objectives, as well as its scope and limitations. It also outlines the roles and responsibilities of those involved in executing the project, along with any specific deliverables that must be produced. The charter serves as an agreement between stakeholders about what will be delivered and how success will be measured.
What to include in a project charter
A project charter is the foundation of a project. A well-written and thorough charter can help your team stay on track during the lifecycle of a project, so it's important to include everything that could possibly be relevant to the project before you start working on it. The following elements are essential for every project charter:
Project goal
What do you want to achieve? What problem will this project solve? Why is it important? The description should include any relevant background information about what led up to this project at all—why was it necessary?
Here’s an example from the Quadball.one Project charter:
- Create a singular resource that allows Quadball fans and participants to find information and data about upcoming Quadball events, live scores, and game statistics.
- Make finding information about quadball scores and quadball events easier and more accessible to casual fans
- Increase the longevity and impact of past scores and data
- Alleviate common communication and data problems experienced by quadball event organizers, participants, and fans
- Create a tournament planning resource that is specifically designed around Quadball’s unique format and needs
- Generate enough funding to sustain the project and continue developing new features
- Promote and create educational content about the benefits of #nocode and inspire others to #buildinpublic
Project Participants:
Project Stakeholders: Who are the stakeholders and what do they want out of this project? How will it impact their lives or business in general?
In our case, we chose to use this section to ourline exactly what both of us bring to the table and what we expect to gain from the project. The Quadball.one project only has two participants right now, but that may change in the future, which is why it’s especially important that we establish documentation like this early on-it makes it easy to bring everyone up to speed.
Here’s what we wrote:
Stakeholders
Stakeholders are people or groups who have a vested interest in the outcome of a project: They may be internal (for example, members of your team) or external (for example, clients). Stakeholder management is essential because it helps ensure that everyone's needs are being met throughout the life cycle of each phase within a project.
In our case, the stakeholders are:
Conclusion
Project charters are an important tool for managing a project. They help define the scope of work, create buy-in from stakeholders and team members, and provide guidance to everyone involved.