Project charter template

Get your whole team on the same page with a well-defined project charter template that outlines objectives, scope, deliverables, and responsibilities. Confluence templates help with project overviews, plans, milestones, tracking, and more.

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What is a project charter template?

A project charter template is a formal project planning document that captures vital information about the scope, goals, team members, stakeholders, resource needs, and timelines. It guides major decisions, optimizes resource allocation, fosters collaboration, and helps mitigate risks.

Project charter templates provide a clear and organized layout for project information. They ensure all stakeholders are on the same page regarding project goals and expectations. Charters may evolve over a project’s duration while continuing to orient work back to the original strategic vision.

Benefits of a project charter template

Using templates for project charters clarifies project expectations, streamlines resource allocation, and facilitates quick decision-making. Here are some benefits of project charter templates:

Structured format

A project charter template provides a clear, organized layout for project information. This ensures all stakeholders understand the project's objectives, scope, and deliverables. In project management, a structured format can be the difference between confusion and clarity.

Standardized sections and terminology promote consistency across projects, simplifying onboarding for new team members and facilitating knowledge transfer between projects.

Stakeholder alignment

A significant challenge of project management is ensuring all stakeholders share a common understanding of project goals and expectations. A clearly defined project charter can help avoid misunderstandings and conflict. It fosters accountability among stakeholders, as everyone involved has a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and contributions to project success.

Resource allocation

A project charter template can help identify the resources the team needs to complete the project. It provides the information leaders need to create budgets, allocate equipment, and assign tasks to team members. Identifying—and solving for—potential resource bottlenecks early on can prevent project delays.

Decision-making reference

When making critical decisions, project leaders can evaluate options against the charter’s details on timelines, budgets, scope, and success metrics. It consolidates essential information, making it readily available for quick and informed decision-making throughout the project.

Granular plans turn reactive responses into proactive decisions that support the project’s overall goals.

Collaboration

A project charter template enhances collaboration by centralizing project details and updates. It gives team members a place to contribute, comment, and stay informed about the project’s process.

This kind of transparent information flow fosters trust and accountability within the team, leading to a more collaborative and supportive working environment.

Confluence features include a collaborative editing environment, making it easy for team members to work on projects together in real-time.

Risk identification

A project charter template can help identify potential project risks. Project managers can use the information to develop a risk management plan, which allows teams to address challenges before they escalate, ensuring smooth project execution.

Clear communication

A project charter template facilitates clear communication between stakeholders and team members. As the single source of truth for project information, it consolidates everything from project goals and deliverables to timelines and budgets into a single, easily accessible document. This centralized approach ensures everyone involved has access to the same, verified information.

Featured product: Confluence

Confluence unites teams in a shared workspace to drive projects forward, enabling seamless creation, editing, and sharing of project plans for team alignment. Use Confluence for project management to keep track of project progress, share information with team members, and gather feedback.

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How to use a project charter template

Gather and insert project details

Fill in essential details, such as the project name, description, and key stakeholders. This sets the foundation for a comprehensive project overview.

It's also important to have a project plan before starting your project. A project plan allows you to monitor your progress and ensure you're on track to meet your goals. A project plan is a roadmap for your project that outlines the tasks, timelines, and dependencies.

Define scope and objectives

Clearly outline the scope and objectives of the project to guide the team’s efforts. This provides a roadmap, ensuring everyone’s work aligns with the project's goals.

The project scope is the defined boundaries of your project. It includes the deliverables, timeline, and budget. Defining the project scope before you start your project prevents scope creep.

List stakeholders and resources

Identify and list all stakeholders, allocating necessary resources for each aspect of the project. This is crucial for effective resource planning, management, and collaboration.

Resource planning is the process of allocating the resources you need to complete your project. This includes identifying the resources required for a project, such as people, equipment, and money, and scheduling them to be available when needed.

Establish a timeline

Create a realistic and detailed timeline for the project. Having a clear timeline helps to manage expectations and ensures the project stays on track.

Confluence's project poster template is a great way to communicate your project's goals and progress to stakeholders. It includes space for listing your project's objectives, milestones, and team members. You can also use the project poster template to create a timeline with key dates for your project.

Regularly update

Keep the project charter updated with progress, changes, and any new information that arises. Regular updates ensure the project charter remains relevant and valuable throughout the project's lifecycle.

Related templates and resources

Brainstorming

Capture ideas and feedback from your team members with a brainstorming template.

Project plan

Develop a detailed plan for your project, including tasks, timelines, and dependencies, with a project plan template.

Retrospective

Reflect on your project and identify areas for improvement with a retrospective template.

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