# Project Charter Template

**Project Name:** [Project Name]  
**Project ID:** [Unique Identifier]  
**Prepared By:** [Project Manager Name]  
**Date:** [Charter Date]  
**Version:** [Version Number]  

---

## Executive Summary

**One-sentence Project Description:**
[Clear, concise statement of what the project will deliver and its primary value]

**Strategic Alignment:**
- Business Objective: [Link to specific business goal/OKR]
- Strategic Priority: [High/Medium/Low with justification]
- Portfolio Fit: [How this project fits within broader portfolio strategy]

---

## Project Definition

### Project Purpose & Business Case

**Problem Statement:**
[Clear articulation of the business problem or opportunity this project addresses]

**Business Justification:**
- Financial Impact: [ROI, NPV, cost savings, revenue impact]
- Strategic Benefits: [Market position, competitive advantage, capability building]
- Risk of NOT Doing: [Consequences of maintaining status quo]

**Expected Business Value:**
- Quantified Benefits: [Specific metrics and targets]
- Qualitative Benefits: [Brand, customer satisfaction, employee engagement]
- Success Metrics: [How success will be measured]

### Scope Definition

**In Scope:**
- [Specific deliverable 1 with acceptance criteria]
- [Specific deliverable 2 with acceptance criteria]
- [Specific deliverable 3 with acceptance criteria]

**Out of Scope:**
- [Explicitly excluded item 1 - prevents scope creep]
- [Explicitly excluded item 2 - prevents scope creep]
- [Future phases or features deferred]

**Key Deliverables:**
| Deliverable | Description | Acceptance Criteria | Due Date |
|-------------|-------------|-------------------|----------|
| [Name] | [Description] | [Measurable criteria] | [Date] |
| [Name] | [Description] | [Measurable criteria] | [Date] |

---

## Success Criteria

### Primary Success Criteria
1. **[Criterion 1]:** [Specific, measurable outcome with target value]
2. **[Criterion 2]:** [Specific, measurable outcome with target value]
3. **[Criterion 3]:** [Specific, measurable outcome with target value]

### Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
| KPI | Baseline | Target | Measurement Method | Review Frequency |
|-----|----------|--------|-------------------|------------------|
| [KPI Name] | [Current State] | [Desired State] | [How Measured] | [When Reviewed] |

### Quality Gates
- **Gate 1:** [Milestone] - [Quality criteria that must be met]
- **Gate 2:** [Milestone] - [Quality criteria that must be met]
- **Gate 3:** [Milestone] - [Quality criteria that must be met]

---

## Project Organization & RACI

### Steering Committee
| Role | Name | Responsibilities |
|------|------|-----------------|
| Executive Sponsor | [Name] | Final accountability, funding authority, strategic alignment |
| Business Owner | [Name] | Business requirements, user acceptance, benefits realization |
| Technical Owner | [Name] | Technical architecture, standards compliance, technical risk |

### Core Project Team
| Role | Name | RACI Key | Responsibilities |
|------|------|----------|-----------------|
| Project Manager | [Name] | A | Overall project delivery, timeline, budget, risk management |
| Product Owner | [Name] | R | Requirements definition, backlog prioritization, user stories |
| Technical Lead | [Name] | R | Technical design, code quality, technical decision-making |
| QA Lead | [Name] | R | Test strategy, quality assurance, defect management |
| UI/UX Designer | [Name] | R | User experience design, interface design, usability |

### Extended Stakeholders
| Stakeholder Group | Representative | Interest Level | Influence Level | Communication Needs |
|-------------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
| [Department/Group] | [Name] | [High/Medium/Low] | [High/Medium/Low] | [Frequency and method] |

### RACI Matrix - Key Decisions
| Decision/Activity | Project Manager | Product Owner | Tech Lead | QA Lead | Sponsor |
|-------------------|-----------------|---------------|-----------|---------|---------|
| Requirements approval | A | R | C | C | I |
| Technical architecture | A | C | R | C | I |
| Go-live decision | A | C | C | C | R |
| Scope changes | A | R | C | C | R |

**RACI Legend:** R=Responsible, A=Accountable, C=Consulted, I=Informed

---

## Timeline & Milestones

### High-Level Timeline
| Phase | Start Date | End Date | Key Deliverables | Dependencies |
|-------|------------|----------|-----------------|--------------|
| Discovery | [Date] | [Date] | Requirements, Architecture | [Dependencies] |
| Development | [Date] | [Date] | Core Features, Testing | [Dependencies] |
| Testing | [Date] | [Date] | QA Sign-off, UAT | [Dependencies] |
| Deployment | [Date] | [Date] | Production Release | [Dependencies] |

### Critical Path Milestones
1. **[Milestone 1]:** [Date] - [Deliverable and significance]
2. **[Milestone 2]:** [Date] - [Deliverable and significance]
3. **[Milestone 3]:** [Date] - [Deliverable and significance]

### Dependencies & Constraints
**External Dependencies:**
- [Dependency 1]: [Description, owner, required date]
- [Dependency 2]: [Description, owner, required date]

**Resource Constraints:**
- [Constraint 1]: [Description and mitigation plan]
- [Constraint 2]: [Description and mitigation plan]

---

## Budget & Resources

### Budget Summary
| Category | Planned Budget | Contingency | Total Authorized |
|----------|----------------|-------------|------------------|
| Personnel | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] |
| Software/Licenses | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] |
| Hardware/Infrastructure | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] |
| External Services | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] |
| **Total** | **$[Total]** | **$[Total]** | **$[Total]** |

### Resource Requirements
| Role | FTE Required | Duration | Skills Required | Availability |
|------|--------------|----------|----------------|--------------|
| [Role] | [FTE] | [Months] | [Key Skills] | [Confirmed/TBD] |

### Funding & Financial Management
- **Funding Source:** [Department/Budget code]
- **Budget Authority:** [Who can approve expenditures]
- **Financial Reporting:** [Frequency and format of budget reports]
- **Change Control:** [Process for budget change requests]

---

## Risk Management

### High-Level Risk Assessment
| Risk Category | Probability | Impact | Risk Score | Mitigation Strategy |
|---------------|-------------|--------|------------|-------------------|
| Technical | [H/M/L] | [H/M/L] | [1-25] | [High-level strategy] |
| Resource | [H/M/L] | [H/M/L] | [1-25] | [High-level strategy] |
| Schedule | [H/M/L] | [H/M/L] | [1-25] | [High-level strategy] |
| Business | [H/M/L] | [H/M/L] | [1-25] | [High-level strategy] |

### Top 5 Project Risks
1. **[Risk Title]:** [Description, impact, probability, mitigation plan]
2. **[Risk Title]:** [Description, impact, probability, mitigation plan]
3. **[Risk Title]:** [Description, impact, probability, mitigation plan]
4. **[Risk Title]:** [Description, impact, probability, mitigation plan]
5. **[Risk Title]:** [Description, impact, probability, mitigation plan]

### Risk Management Process
- **Risk Identification:** [How risks will be identified and by whom]
- **Risk Assessment:** [Methodology for probability/impact scoring]
- **Risk Response:** [Strategies - avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept]
- **Risk Monitoring:** [Review frequency and reporting process]

---

## Communication & Governance

### Communication Plan
| Audience | Information Needs | Format | Frequency | Owner |
|----------|------------------|--------|-----------|-------|
| Executive Sponsors | Status, risks, decisions needed | Dashboard + Meeting | Weekly | PM |
| Steering Committee | Progress, issues, change requests | Report + Meeting | Bi-weekly | PM |
| Project Team | Tasks, blockers, technical updates | Standup + Slack | Daily | Tech Lead |
| Stakeholders | Feature progress, testing needs | Newsletter | Bi-weekly | PO |

### Decision-Making Framework
- **Decision Types:** [Operational, tactical, strategic classifications]
- **Decision Rights:** [Who makes what decisions at what levels]
- **Escalation Path:** [When and how to escalate decisions upward]
- **Decision Log:** [How decisions will be recorded and communicated]

### Change Control Process
1. **Change Request:** [How changes are requested and documented]
2. **Impact Assessment:** [Analysis of scope, time, cost, quality impacts]
3. **Approval Authority:** [Who can approve different types/sizes of changes]
4. **Implementation:** [How approved changes are implemented and communicated]

---

## Quality Management

### Quality Standards & Requirements
- **Technical Standards:** [Coding standards, security requirements, performance criteria]
- **Business Standards:** [Acceptance criteria, usability requirements, accessibility]
- **Process Standards:** [Development methodology, testing approach, documentation]

### Quality Assurance Plan
- **Code Reviews:** [Process, criteria, tools]
- **Testing Strategy:** [Unit, integration, system, user acceptance testing]
- **Quality Gates:** [Go/no-go criteria at each phase]
- **Defect Management:** [Bug tracking, severity classification, resolution process]

---

## Assumptions & Constraints

### Key Assumptions
- [Assumption 1 about resources, technology, or business environment]
- [Assumption 2 about stakeholder availability or external dependencies]
- [Assumption 3 about market conditions or regulatory environment]

### Project Constraints
- **Time Constraints:** [Fixed deadlines, seasonal considerations]
- **Budget Constraints:** [Funding limitations, cost restrictions]
- **Resource Constraints:** [Team size limits, skill availability]
- **Technical Constraints:** [System limitations, technology choices]
- **Regulatory Constraints:** [Compliance requirements, approval processes]

---

## Approval & Sign-off

### Charter Approval
| Role | Name | Signature | Date |
|------|------|-----------|------|
| Executive Sponsor | [Name] | _________________ | [Date] |
| Business Owner | [Name] | _________________ | [Date] |
| Project Manager | [Name] | _________________ | [Date] |
| Technical Owner | [Name] | _________________ | [Date] |

### Project Authorization
By signing this charter, the undersigned acknowledge they have reviewed and approve:
- Project scope, objectives, and success criteria
- Resource allocation and budget authorization
- Timeline and milestone commitments
- Risk acceptance and mitigation strategies
- Communication and governance processes

**Next Steps:**
1. Distribute approved charter to all stakeholders
2. Schedule project kick-off meeting
3. Begin detailed planning and team formation
4. Establish project tracking and reporting mechanisms

---

**Document Control:**
- **Template Version:** 2.1
- **Last Updated:** [Date]
- **Next Review:** [Date]
- **Document Owner:** Project Management Office