Initiation
Project Charter Template
A project charter is the one-page (or few-page) document that authorizes a project and gets everyone agreeing on the same thing before work starts. Use this free template to write one fast — or let Planquora draft it from an AI intake interview and cite where each answer came from.
What it is
A charter formally starts a project. It names the purpose, the objectives, what's in and out of scope, who's involved, and what success looks like — then gets signed off by the sponsor. It's the reference everyone points back to when scope creep or disagreement shows up later.
It doesn't need to be long. It needs to be agreed. A tight, signed charter prevents far more pain than a thick, unread one.
When to use it
- At the very start, before any delivery work begins.
- To get formal sponsor authorization and a budget commitment.
- As the anchor for scope decisions and change control throughout delivery.
The template
The charter
- Purpose / business case
- Why this project exists and the problem it solves
- Objectives
- 3–5 specific, measurable outcomes (SMART)
- In scope
- What this project will deliver
- Out of scope
- What it explicitly will not — as important as the in-scope list
- Key deliverables
- The tangible outputs
- Milestones
- Major checkpoints with target dates
- Stakeholders
- Sponsor, PM, key roles — and who approves
- Budget & resources
- Funding envelope and the people/assets needed
- Assumptions & constraints
- What you're taking as given; hard limits (time, cost, tech)
- Top risks
- The handful that could sink it — seed your RAID log from here
- Success criteria
- How you'll know it worked, in measurable terms
- Approval
- Sponsor name, signature, date
Tips
- Spend the most effort on scope — especially what's out. Most disputes are scope disputes.
- Make objectives measurable. "Improve onboarding" isn't an objective; "cut onboarding from 5 days to 1" is.
- Get a real sign-off. An unapproved charter authorizes nothing.
- Keep it living. When a change request alters scope, update the charter — don't let it drift out of date.
Browse all free templates or read the Help Center.