How to write a project charter

Organizations considering major transformational change is often the outcome of competitive threats to the business. Often the response to these threats is driven by a given area of the company such as marketing, sales or operations. However, transformational change impacts the entire organization and a lack of clarity on the purpose, the desired outcome or key metrics ultimately undermines the success of many of these initiatives.

The start of every project needs to be clearly defined from the onset to ensure the efforts and investment provide the greatest chance for success. A poorly defined direction or desired outcome has the potential of creating internal strife, anxiety and lack of cohesion, putting at risk not only the given initiative but many future projects as companies strive to remain relevant. A charter is a written manifesto of the project’s reason to exist. It outlines the process, responsibilities and timing, and more importantly, clearly defines the roles and requirements of each of the involved stakeholders, including external resources.

In the accompanying supporting comment, I will share a link to a worksheet and guide you can download to help ensure a smooth and successful implementation.