{"id":29660,"date":"2020-12-16T01:32:29","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T01:32:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud\/?post_type=pm&p=29660"},"modified":"2026-03-30T02:25:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T07:25:18","slug":"project-charter-example","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/project-management\/project-charter-example\/","title":{"rendered":"A Project Charter guide to maximize productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes when you\u2019re planning or managing projects<\/a>, you can get caught up in the final result as opposed to establishing up-front processes to ensure everything is in place to work on the project. A project charter is often a forgotten part of project management, as they get lost among other assets like the project timeline, statements of work, Gantt charts<\/a>, and even the project management software<\/a> used.<\/p>\n

In this article, you\u2019ll learn what a project charter is and how a good project charter can help keep your projects on track and boost overall productivity. We\u2019ll also share some project charter examples from monday.com so you\u2019ll know the best way to craft your own.<\/p>\n

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What is a project charter?<\/h2>\n

A project charter<\/a> is a formal document that authorizes a project from start to finish. It includes details to create an overall understanding of a project\u2019s development and objectives while also outlining the roles and responsibilities of each involved individual.<\/p>\n

Project charters help ensure that everyone involved has a clear idea of the project scope, objectives, and measures of success right from the get-go.<\/p>\n

A project charter is essentially a very high-level first crack at your project plan<\/a>. It\u2019s where you capture all the essential details before you get going full throttle into detailed project planning.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Who writes the project charter?<\/h2>\n

In many business cases, you would assume the project manager should write the project charter right? Actually, it\u2019s best if the project sponsor writes the project charter. A project sponsor<\/a> is the individual who requested the project and who signed it off. In other words, the project initiator. Project sponsors are generally in senior management and may even be the CEO.<\/p>\n

The sponsor is the best person to write the project charter document before passing it on to the project manager and the project team since they are often the ones who had the initial discussions with the client or other stakeholders about the purpose, objectives, and constraints of the project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Get started<\/a><\/p>\n

What are the benefits of using a project charter?<\/h2>\n

Well-organized and clearly defined projects tend to be more successful since they run less of a risk of going off-track and descending into chaos. A project charter provides a solid reference point to kick off your project \u2014 and it will help you keep a laser focus on your project\u2019s objectives and keep things moving in the right direction. Let’s explore a few more project management benefits you can gain from using a project charter.<\/p>\n

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Here are the three top benefits of using a project charter:<\/p>\n

1. Save time<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Young companies deliver projects on time less than 40% of the time, and 21% of projects fail altogether. Given these stats, it\u2019s clear that time management is a huge issue for the majority of younger companies. Taking time to document a project\u2019s parameters and objectives at the start will save you time \u2014 and headaches \u2014 down the road since it helps remove a lot of ambiguity.<\/p>\n

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(Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

2. Clarify your budget<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When you set clear budgets, you\u2019ll make it much easier for your team members to follow them and avoid overspending. Using even a sample project charter from a previous or similar project will help you establish your project\u2019s overall budget and how to release funding when you need to before beginning the project. Make sure to include who has the authority to make spending-related decisions before people jump into ordering materials or doing work.<\/p>\n

3. Reassure team members<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When elements of the project go undefined, team members will constantly find themselves without direction, unsure of which tasks to do, or wasting their hard work on the wrong items. Many project charters are set up to organize direction and objectives in a visual and exciting way, giving team members a single source of truth to rely on and make rational decisions.<\/p>\n

Another key part of any project charter is listing high-level metrics, timelines, and requirements for the project. Setting key metrics and constraints for each part of the project provides valuable guidance for team members as they begin to get to work. When people have a clear idea of what needs to be achieved when and know the overall outcome they\u2019re working toward, they\u2019ll work much more effectively.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s included in a project charter?<\/h2>\n

Your project charter should answer all the big questions that team members and stakeholders may have about the project.<\/p>\n

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A project charter should include:<\/p>\n