27+ Free Project Charter Templates [MS Word]

A project charter template is a document used in a project management that identifies the goals, timeframe, risks, and the scope of the project. In simple words, it provides an overview of the project.

What is a project charter?

The project charter is a document that explains the project’s outline in a clear and precise manner. It is used to explain the following;

• objectives,
• resources,
• how tasks are completed to obtain the desired goals,
• the scope of the project,
• the time needed to accomplish the project,
• cost estimation,
• project strategies,
• to the stakeholders of the project, project boundaries.

Moreover, the one-page project charter outlines all the important information regarding the project. It specifies the roles and responsibilities of each member in the project. The project charter should be made in the early stages of the project. Then, share it with the stakeholders so that they can see how their budget and resources will be distributed and how the project will be prepared.

How to create a project charter template?

Follow the below steps for creating a project charter;

Determine the vision of your project

At first, determine the vision of your project. You’ll not be able to move forward in case you don’t recognize the concept of your project. The invention covers the;

• project objectives
• scope of the project
• deliverables

Identify the structure of your project

In this step, identify the structure of your project. There are four subsets of this steps that are discussed below;

1. Customers/End-users: project customers are the clients or persons that are responsible for receiving the deliverables of the project.
2. Stakeholders: determine the stakeholder of the project. Within or outside of the project, a stakeholder is the person that has a certain key interest in your project’s outcome. They invest in your project. They have concerned with the development of the project. Furthermore, keep in mind that the output of the project is directly affected by the input of the stakeholders.
3. Roles: Each member involved in the delivery of the project, list their roles and responsibilities. In this steps, describe the roles and responsibilities of the project manager, project sponsor, and project board.
4. Structure: here, you have to explain the line of reporting in your project charter between these roles.

Approach to implementation

Here are the steps that help you to implement your plan;

1. Implementation plan: you require a plan to implement your project. For your stakeholders and customers, it would be best if you created an atmosphere of confidence. By listing the phases, activities, and timeframe of the project’s life cycle, you can achieve this.
2. Milestones: list all the important milestones along their description that why they are needed. Also, keep track of these milestones. They are an important project event. For instance, acknowledging the completion of key deliverables.
3. Dependencies: In a project, a dependency is an activity. It impacts the life cycle of the project. These tasks or activities are connected with one another. Along with the importance in the project, list all these dependencies.
4. Resource plan: for summarizing the resources, develop a plan. Then, distribute this list into labor, equipment, and materials. This is an effective way to estimate your budget more accurately. You should use “Budget templates” to keep track of all of your expenses and for an overview of your current financial status.

List the risks and issues

In the final step of project charter process, identify the risks and issues related to the project. a risk is the issue that may or may not occur in the project.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, a project charter template is a planning tool used for the establishment of any project. It assists you in knowing all the risks and issues of this project before its implementation. With the help of this document, you can build a great relationship with your stakeholders and the presentation of your project.