PROJECT MANGEMENT COURSE – MA – IV – PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

The project charter is an essential part of any project. This article explains its importance and goes into further
instruction on what makes good charters and how to make one yourself. A well-written project plan, with all its
key elements, is a way to ensure a project's success.

The project charter is one of the first tasks of a project manager ahead of the new project. It is a document that
serves to formally announce the selection and approval of the project. Also, it grants the project manager
authority to meet project objectives while using organisational resources. It also contains the main project goals
and the designation of roles and responsibilities.
Its purpose is to help the involved project managers & the stakeholders understand what the given project is
supposed to accomplish. It defines the project's success, offers deadlines, and provides information on identified
risks and the budget. Serves as the basis for the project planning. It maps out each step of the way so that any
changes can be implemented easily and smoothly.
 PROJECT MANGEMENT COURSE – MA – IV – PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

Sometimes, there is confusion about what a project charter really is. Many times it goes by synonyms e.g. project
plan or project brief or even by the name of the business case. However, the differences are not just in names
but in their purposes as well.

Difference between Project Charter and Project Plan

A project plan is a formally approved document that is supposed to guide through project execution. It also
controls by detailedly explaining how and when to fulfil the project objectives by showing the major products,
milestones, activities, and resources required for the project.
A project charter, on the other hand, is an unapproved proposal and the first deliverable of the project. It is
used to secure stakeholder approval of project goals. It establishes the authority of the project manager. Once
the top management approves it, the project manager prepares the project plan. The project plan shows how to
achieve the approved project goals. So essentially, it is a draft that is later used for developing a formal
document (project plan).

Difference between Project Charter and Project Brief

A project brief is created after the project has officially been approved. The project brief is a shorter, simpler
version of the project plan. It is used by the project team and stakeholders for reference. This short document
contains background information, project objectives and criteria for success as well as project timeline and target
audience - each brief depends on the project scope and the project's complexity. The similarity is, that they both
explain why the project is a good idea and what everyone's tasks during it are.

Difference between Project Charter and Business case

A business case is about understanding what the project's impact on the business will be. Essentially it's
imagining a scenario where we evaluate if the completed project's goals are worth pursuing. But it is important
to note that it is only about setting the financial parameters, not about making a decision whether to invest in it.
So a project manager might create many business cases but only make a project charter for some of them. It
draws from the business case for the financial parameters in which the project needs to operate. It is also the key
assumption from the business case as well, most likely about the scope and timeline.

So the whole project process usually contains all three of these documents: the business case is a document that
is created first; then, following it, a project charter gets drafted. According to a project charter, a simple and
 PROJECT MANGEMENT COURSE – MA – IV – PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

short document used for reference is made - a project brief. And lastly, a project plan is created. The project
plan is the most important part as it contains all the guidelines the project team and project manager should
follow.

Format of Project Charter

Project Participants
Name
Project Sponsor
Customers
Stakeholders
Contractors
Project Team and Project Manager
Email Address or
Project Manager
Website
Assistant Project Email Address or
Manager Website

Project Team

Project Description

Goal Statement

Description and
Background

Objectives

Scope

Deliverables

Start Date
Schedule
End Date

Time Reporting

Cost Estimate

Costing
 PROJECT MANGEMENT COURSE – MA – IV – PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

Milestones

Project Milestones

March 24, 2022

Assumptions, Constraints, Dependencies, Impacts, and Risks

Assumptions

Constraints

Risks

Name/Signatures Roles and Responsibility

We agree that this is a viable project. We authorize the beginning of the project planning stage.

Signature Signature

Date Date
Project Sponsor Senior Manager

Reference
Project Management Institute- https://instituteprojectmanagement.com/blog/successful-project-manager-iii-
the-project-charter-and-its-creation/