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About the Project Charter template
A Project Charter is the founding document that formally authorizes a project, names the sponsor and project manager, and grants the authority to apply organizational resources. It captures the high-level purpose, objectives, and boundaries early—before detailed planning—so everyone agrees on why the project exists and who can make decisions. Without a signed charter, a project has no mandate and scope tends to drift from day one.
It's part of My QMS, MyPMP's Quality Management System: fill it in online, personalize it with your name and logo, then export a clean, branded PDF. Your work auto-saves in your browser.
When to use a Project Charter
- ▸At project initiation, before any detailed planning or scheduling begins
- ▸When you need a sponsor's formal sign-off to commit budget and staff
- ▸To align stakeholders on objectives, scope, and success criteria at kickoff
- ▸When taking over an in-flight project with no documented authority or purpose
What a good Project Charter includes
- ✓Project purpose, business case, and measurable objectives
- ✓Named sponsor, project manager, and their delegated authority
- ✓High-level scope, key deliverables, and explicit out-of-scope items
- ✓Milestone summary, budget estimate, and target timeline
- ✓Key stakeholders, assumptions, constraints, and high-level risks
- ✓Success criteria and formal approval/signature block
What's inside this template
The interactive form above gives you:
Tips & common mistakes
- 💡Keep it to one or two pages—the charter authorizes, it doesn't plan the work in detail.
- 💡Define what's out of scope as clearly as what's in; this prevents most later disputes.
- 💡Get an actual signature from the sponsor; an unsigned charter carries no authority.
How it works
- 1. Fill it in — type directly into the fields, tables and sections above.
- 2. Brand it — add your organization name and logo with the Branding button.
- 3. Export — print to PDF, or become a member to white-label and sync across devices.
FAQ
Who is responsible for creating the Project Charter?+
The sponsor formally issues and signs the charter, but it's typically drafted by the project manager or initiator in collaboration with the sponsor.
What is the difference between a Project Charter and a project plan?+
The charter authorizes the project and states its purpose, objectives, and boundaries at a high level; the project plan comes later and details how the work will actually be scheduled, resourced, and delivered.
When should the Project Charter be signed?+
It should be signed at the end of initiation, before detailed planning starts, since the signature is what grants the project manager authority to proceed and commit resources.
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