Project charter template (one page, with example)
A project charter is the one-page document that authorizes a project and states why it exists, what it will deliver, who is involved and what success looks like. It is written before detailed planning starts and signed off by the sponsor, so the team has a clear mandate and a reference point when priorities are questioned later.
What should a project charter include?
A project charter should include the purpose, objectives, scope, key deliverables, milestones, budget, stakeholders and roles, risks and assumptions, and the sponsor's approval.
The template
Keep it to one page. Detail belongs in the project plan and the statement of work.
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Project name and sponsor | The project's name and the person who owns the outcome and approves the charter |
| Purpose | Why this project exists: the problem or opportunity, in two or three sentences |
| Objectives | Two to four measurable results, with dates |
| Scope | What is in, and what is explicitly out |
| Deliverables | The things that will exist when the project ends |
| Milestones | Five to eight dates that matter |
| Budget | The total and how it splits, if known |
| Stakeholders and roles | Sponsor, project lead, team, approvers, people to keep informed |
| Risks and assumptions | What could stop the project, and what you are assuming is true |
| Approval | Sponsor's name, signature or written OK, and date |
What does a completed project charter look like?
A completed project charter fits on one page and states the purpose, measurable objectives, scope, milestones, budget, roles and risks, signed off by the sponsor.
Northwind Bakery's online ordering project, run by Fieldwork Studio. Names are invented.
- Project and sponsor: Northwind online ordering. Sponsor: Dana Cole, owner.
- Purpose: Cake orders come in by phone, which ties up staff in the busiest hours and loses orders after closing time. Customers should be able to order for pickup online.
- Objectives: Online ordering live by 4 December 2026; 50% of cake orders placed online by 31 March 2027; phone time on orders halved by the same date.
- Scope: In: new six-page website, pickup ordering, staff training. Out: delivery, gift cards, new photography beyond the menu.
- Deliverables: Live website, ordering connected to the bakery's payment provider, a one-hour staff training, a short how-to guide.
- Milestones: Kickoff 2 November; designs approved 13 November; staging 27 November; launch 4 December; review 15 January.
- Budget: $12,000 fixed fee, plus the ordering provider's monthly cost.
- Stakeholders and roles: Dana approves; Luis Ortega supplies content; Priya Shah (Fieldwork) leads; Sam Rivera builds; shop staff are informed and trained.
- Risks and assumptions: Copy may arrive late; assumes the payment provider supports pickup orders; holiday season limits staff time for training.
- Approval: Dana Cole, 30 October 2026.
How is a project charter different from a statement of work?
A project charter authorizes the project and sets its purpose and success measures; a statement of work defines the exact work, deliverables, timeline and payment terms between a client and the team doing it.
For agencies, the two often work together: the client's sponsor signs the charter, which states why the project matters to them, and the statement of work becomes the contract detail. Small projects can merge them, but keep the objectives and the out-of-scope list either way.
How do I use a project charter?
Write the project charter before detailed planning, get the sponsor's sign-off, and refer back to it whenever scope or priorities are questioned.
- Draft it from the first conversations, then review it with the sponsor. A charter the sponsor never read has no authority.
- Make objectives measurable. "Better website" cannot be checked; "50% of orders online by March" can.
- Write the out-of-scope list. It prevents more arguments than any other section; see scope creep.
- Name one sponsor. Two sponsors means no sponsor when they disagree.
- Pin it to the project and open it at the kickoff, using a project kickoff meeting agenda.
- Revisit at each milestone. If the purpose or objectives change, update and re-approve it rather than letting it go stale.
How can I keep a project charter with the project in Flori?
In Flori, the charter can live as a doc on the client's project, the milestones become tasks with dates, and the sponsor and approvers are people on the client's account.
Flori is a CRM with project management for freelancers, agencies and small teams, so the deal you won and the project it became sit in one workspace. An assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT connected to Flori can read the charter and the brief before planning tasks, and proposed work can wait for your review; authorized direct updates can save immediately.
FAQ
What is a project charter? A project charter is a short document, usually one page, that formally starts a project. It sets out the purpose, objectives, scope, milestones, budget, roles and risks, and is approved by the project sponsor.
Who writes the project charter? The project lead usually drafts it, and the sponsor reviews and approves it. On client work, the agency's lead often drafts it from the discovery calls and the client's sponsor signs off.
How long should a project charter be? One page for most projects, two at most. It should be readable in a few minutes; detailed tasks, schedules and specifications belong in the project plan.
Is a project charter required for small projects? Not formally, but the core of it is always useful: a purpose, measurable objectives, an out-of-scope list and one approver. For a small job, those four lines can sit at the top of the project brief.
When should a project charter be updated? When the purpose, objectives, scope or budget change. Update it, get the sponsor's approval again, and tell the team what changed.
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