Project Charter
One document for why a project exists, what it delivers, by when and for how much, who is involved and who approves it, with the budget and risk scores worked out for you.
Free. Fill in, print, save as PDF or download as Word without an account. Saving to your account needs a free account.
Country versions
- International
- Korea *
- Japan *
* check with local advice
A template, not advice.
Read more
What it is
A project charter is the short document that turns an idea into an authorised project. It records why the project exists, what it will deliver, roughly when and for how much, who is involved and who has agreed to it. Once the sponsor signs, the project manager has a mandate, and everyone else has the same page to look at when questions or disagreements come up later.
This form follows the structure most project methods expect: a purpose and SMART objectives (each with a measure, a target and a date), scope in and out, deliverables with acceptance criteria, milestones, a budget whose contingency and total are worked out for you, a RACI-lite table of people, a risk table that scores likelihood times impact, and the approval signatures. Pick a country to get the Korean planning-document layout with approval boxes or the Japanese version with an approval column and seals; every other country uses the international version. It is a general template, not legal or accounting advice.
When to use it
- You are starting a project and need the sponsor's written go-ahead before time or money is spent.
- A project has grown informally and people disagree about what is in scope.
- A client asks what exactly you will deliver, by when and at what cost.
- Your organization requires an approval document before a budget is released.
- You take over a running project and need one page that states its purpose and limits.
How to fill it in
- Enter the project name, the sponsor and the project manager; your organization and name come from your saved details.
- Write the purpose in two or three sentences, then list two or three objectives, each with a measure, a target and a date.
- Describe what is in and out of scope and list the deliverables with the criteria for accepting each one.
- Add the start and finish dates, the milestones and the budget lines; the subtotal, the contingency and the total are calculated.
- List the people with their role (R, A, C or I) and the main risks; the score comes from likelihood and impact.
- Print the charter for signatures, or download it as a Word or Excel file for review.
Common mistakes
- Objectives without a measure or a date ("improve customer satisfaction") cannot be checked later.
- Leaving out of scope empty. Naming what you will not do prevents more disputes than any other line.
- A budget with no basis for the lines and no contingency; reviewers cannot judge it.
- Giving "A" (accountable) to a committee or to several people. One person per area makes decisions faster.
- Treating the charter as fixed. When scope, schedule or budget change, agree it through a change request and raise the version number.
Steps at a glance
- Fill in
- Check the preview
- Save as PDF, Word or Excel
Country versions
Pick the country you need. Each version uses the wording and layout commonly found there; a version marked “check with local advice” should be read by someone who knows the local rules before it is used.
- International (XX): Written in English, Korean, Japanese, German
- Korea (KR): Written in Korean, English – check with local advice
- Japan (JP): Written in Japanese, English – check with local advice
Designs
The same form in several designs. The fields and the wording stay the same; only the look changes.
- Ledger
- Banner
- Executive
- Classic
- Modern
- Formal
- Minimal
- Side band
- Compact
- Boxed form
- Warm
- Plain (black and white)
Your details fill it in
Fields that ask for your name, address or company details are filled from My details, so you do not type them again; you can still change any field for one form. Signed in, your details stay in your account; otherwise they stay in this browser only. A passport, identity or social security number is never saved.
Questions
- Is a charter the same as a project plan?
- No. The charter is short and gives the project its authority: purpose, limits, money and people. The detailed plan, with the full schedule and the work breakdown, is made afterwards by the project manager and has to stay inside what the charter allows.
- Who should sign it?
- At least the sponsor, who owns the budget, and the project manager. Add a customer representative or a steering committee member if their approval is needed before the project may start.
- What percentage should the contingency be?
- There is no fixed answer. The more uncertain the work, the higher the reserve. The form starts at 10 percent only as a placeholder; change it to a level your organization uses or can defend.
- How is the risk score worked out?
- You rate likelihood and impact from 1 (low) to 3 (high); the score is the two multiplied, so it runs from 1 to 9. The key under the table shows the bands. The highest score is also shown on its own.
- Is the signed charter a contract?
- It is an internal authorisation, not a contract. If a client is paying for the work, use a written contract as well and check what it says about scope and changes. This template does not replace legal advice.
- Is this form legal, tax or accounting advice?
- No. It is a template: it gives you the usual structure and wording, not advice. Rules differ by country and case, so have someone qualified read anything that matters before you sign, send or file it.
- Which countries and designs does it come in?
- It comes in 3 country versions: International, Korea, and Japan. 12 designs.
A form is a template, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and case.