1. Project Charter Elements
(Group Paper due on Jan. 13, 2014)
Outline of Content
Title Page (Name of Project, Proponents, Date Submitted)
Table of Contents
1. Purpose
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A short summary directed to top management and those unfamiliar with the project
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Rationale for the project: contains a statement of the general goals of the project and a
brief explanation of their relationship to the firm’s objectives and how the project
meets an identified need (The Business Case)
•
The Business Case: market opportunities, profit potentials, needs of the
organization, customer requests for proposals, technological advancement
opportunities and regulatory, environmental, and social considerations
2. Objectives
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A more detailed statement of the general goals of the project, what constitutes success ,
and how the project will be terminated
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Includes profit and competitive aims from The Business Case as well as technical
goals, if applicable
3. Overview
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This section describes both the managerial and technical approaches to the work.
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Managerial approach – how the project will be managed and takes note of any
deviation from routine procedure– e.g. use of subcontractors
•
Technical approach describes the relationship of the project to available
technologies – e.g. project is an extension of work done by the company from
an earlier project
4. Schedules (include a Gantt Chart and Table of Tasking/Responsibilities), Deadlines, Resources
Needed)
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Outlines the various schedules and lists all milestone events and/or phase-gates
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Each summary (major) task is listed, with the estimated time obtained from those who
will do the work.
•
The projected baselines schedule is constructed from these inputs. The
responsible person or department head should sign off on the final, agreed-on
schedule.

2. 5. Resources (this can be integrated with the Table in Schedules)
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3 primary aspects: budget, contractual items, and cost monitoring and control
procedures
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Budget – both capital and expense requirements are detailed by task, with onetime costs separated from recurring project costs
•
Contractual items – complete list and description (e.g. customer-supplied
resources, liaison arrangements, project review and cancellation procedures,
proprietary requirements, purchasing/procurement contracts, specific
management agreements, technical deliverables and their specifications,
delivery schedules, and a specific procedure for changing any of these)
•
Cost monitoring and control procedures – in addition to usual routine
elements, must also include any special resource requirements for the project
such as special machines, test equipment, laboratory usage or construction,
logistics, field facilities, and special materials
6. Personnel
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Lists the expected personnel requirements of the project, especially the project
manager and the sponsor/approver of the project
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In addition, list any special skill requirements, training needed, possible recruiting
problems, legal or policy restrictions on work force composition, and security clearances
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Time-phase personnel needs to the project schedule; personnel, schedule and resources
sections can be cross-checked with one another to ensure consistency
7. Risk Management Plans
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Covers potential problems as well as potential lucky breaks that could affect the project
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Plans to deal with favorable or unfavorable contingencies
8. Evaluation Methods
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Measurements must be based on specific standards and methods established at
project’s inception
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Contains a brief description of the procedures to be followed in the monitoring,
collecting, storing, auditing and evaluating the project, as well as post-project (“lessons
learned”) evaluation following project termination